Evaluating Cloud Backup Solutions by AWS vs. Azure vs. Google Cloud  
Published: 2019-03-26 03:51:07

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title: Evaluating Cloud Backup Solutions by AWS vs. Azure vs. Google Cloud  
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Data loss is an ordeal that many businesses never recover from. In the digital age, all businesses should make the protection of their critical information and files a top priority. Increasingly, businesses are choosing to use the cloud for their disaster recovery.

In this article, we will explore the characteristics of cloud backup and compare the cloud backup solutions provided by AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.

**What is Cloud Backup?**
[Cloud backup](https://searchdatabackup.techtarget.com/definition/cloud-backup) is a type of cloud storage where data is stored and then accessed from interconnected and distributed cloud-based systems. Businesses, organizations, and individuals can use cloud-based backup solutions to securely store their data on the internet, using a storage service provider.
    
**The Importance of Cloud Backup in a Disaster**
[Disaster recovery](https://searchdisasterrecovery.techtarget.com/definition/disaster-recovery) in an ongoing problem for IT platforms. When a power failure takes place or a system crashes data loss may occur. System crashes and other issues caused by natural disasters, human mistakes or malicious activity can result in costly service disturbances. 

Companies need to safeguard their data from loss, so they are protected if and when disaster strikes. Also, Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) need to keep their customer services active even if their data center is affected by a disaster.

**Using a Cloud-based Backup Solution**
Cloud-backup services, such as AWS backup, [Azure backup](https://cloud.netapp.com/blog/5-considerations-before-you-backup-on-azure), and Google Cloud backup, put the sensitive information of a user in an offsite repository that remains online and is accessible from anywhere. A cloud-based storage solution can be implemented to replace storing data locally on a hard drive or physical disk. 

Cloud backup lets users access services remotely through a protected client login application. Users can backup files from their computer or data center onto the online storage server via an encrypted and protected connection. 

Every business should also have a documented disaster recovery plan and should trial that plan at least twice a year. 

**3 factors to consider when moving to the cloud**
1. Have backups on-site and off-site
2. Select a cloud with recovery options
3. Mirror sensitive data
 
**AWS vs. Azure vs. Google Cloud: Storage, Integration, Security and Cloud Configuration**

*Storage*
Azure calculates storage rates according to your storage requirements, your geographical location, how often you need to retrieve the stored data and the type of data redundancy you select. 

Amazon S3 provides flexibility for scaling storage. With Amazon 3 users are charged for storage used, there are no termination costs or upfront fees. However, unlike Azure, Amazon S3 does not offer multi-regional storage. S3 does use a middle tier class between archival and standard storage. 

Google Cloud provides a combination of the storage class options that Azure and Amazon S3 have. Google cloud tends to be more scalable than the other two. Google offers multi-regional and regional possibilities and a mid-range option. 

*Integration*
Before the cloud, organization application integration was an intricate process that demanded time and resources. With Cloud based Single Sign On, RestAPI, and connectors, cloud integration has adopted a completely new model. 

When considering cloud platforms, users should assess the functionalities and [Application Programming Interface (API)](https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/API.html) offered by the cloud provider. The volume of APIs that AWS offers is considerable, but Azure offers multiple tools to help developers customize the integration points. 

*Security*
Today, cloud security is paramount as many companies store sensitive data in the cloud. Most of the leading cloud providers address this issue in their own way. What is important is how organizations put these securities and data backup policies into practice and how they fit in with their organizational requirements.  

Azure’s model, uses a tiered method. This approach makes sure that organizations can configure security policies for all parts of the Azure cloud stack. Amazon adopts a marginally different approach. Amazon VPC has built-in network firewalls and AWS has web application firewall capabilities. These capabilities make sure that organizations can easily configure private networks. Google cloud platforms provide users with security by making use of features like Security Key Enforcement Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy. 

*Cloud configuration*
An organization can use the cloud to streamline its infrastructure management, saving time and money. Nearly all cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, provide a solid infrastructure for cloud transactions and deployment, however, the way they deliver and deploy these services differs. 

Users can configure accounts in motion with AWS. Comparatively, Azure uses large scale deployment of Microsoft Technology stack. Google lacks an edge in this area, because of its late entry and a relatively small presence in the business market. In relation to platform capabilities, Google Cloud lacks functionality, when compared to AWS, in areas such as email, workflow and notification services.  

**Pros and Cons of AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud**
 
*AWS* 
Users can upscale the size of AWS with their service and configure it according to their needs. However, AWS tends to overlook the importance of hybrid clouds. AWS has shifted away from on-premises clouds, choosing to manage their cloud services within their data centers. This may limit the amount of control a user can have over their cloud storage environment. 

*Microsoft Azure*  
The connection between Azure and IT applications like Active Directory and Windows Servers has made Microsoft Azure a user-friendly option. Users who wish to store data from one of these programs may opt for Azure backup. However, if users want to use programs other than Active Directory or Windows Server then Azure may not be suitable. 

*Google Cloud*  
Features like the BigQuery analytics engine make this product appealing. Perhaps the top advantage of Google Cloud is its use of machine learning. Google Cloud has one of the largest resources of data: Google Chrome searches. This data will likely pave the way for services that will enhance the profile of Google Cloud.
 
**Conclusion**  
A disaster can happen at any time, affecting the smooth running of your business and the delivery of your software application to your customers. Disasters include natural disaster, an outage in your network or a bug in your code. Whatever the cause, if your system is down your business can be stopped in its tracks, resulting in lost customers, time and revenue.
 
Having a disaster recovery plan in place is a basic requirement. Conventional disaster recovery methods are costly and time-consuming. However, with cloud computing, developing the required backup infrastructure to ensure a speedy and effective recovery is simple and economical.