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Cloud Computing: A Storage Dilema for Federal Agencies
Enterprises of all size are being hit hard by the huge growth in the amount of data they they need to manage. And federal agencies are no exception. Federal agencies are managing 14 times the amount of data that was under their control just eight years ago. And over the last ten years the number of federal data centers has nearly tripled from 432 to 1100.
One problem is the continual investment needed to secure the storage media and hardware needed to hold all that data. But another serious problem is the cost of operating those data devices. By the end of 2011, federal servers and data centers will be consuming 12 billion kilowatt-hours which is more than twice the amount used in 2006. Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra has asked agencies to start consolidating the data centers and to begin considering cheaper options such as cloud computing. While the cloud offers the advantages of cost and efficiency, security is still the main reason that is holding up any migration plans.
But security may not be a total show-stopper. Despite security concerns, there is still a whole body of data which is not sensitive and is data already made public via existing government internet sites. That type of data is a prime candidate for migration outside of the agency. And moving it out would actually free up agencies to focus more on proper managing of data which is considered sensitive.
But besides security, there are other concerns too. Agencies are also concerned about the ability to retrieve the data in a timely way. Performance is a key concern. The cloud tends to lag the speeds that are available within the agency networks. Because of that, primary data that requires quick access may not be the best candidate for the cloud. Federal agencies are also bound to rigorous records management requirements. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) mandates how records are to be stored, managed and transferred. Most, if not all, storage cloud vendors are not yet able to meet NARA requirements.
Security. Performance. Records Management. These are all big concerns. Storage vendors are aware of the kinds of changes they need to make in order to meet federal agency requirements. The demand is there, it’s just a matter of time.
