What is Cloud File Storage?

Cloud File Storage, also known as Cloud NAS is a method for storing data in the cloud that provides servers and applications access to data through file system protocols such as NFS and SMB. Cloud file storage allows customers to move file-based workloads to the cloud without code changes.

Popular choices for cloud file storage are AWS FSx for Windows, AWS FSx ONTAP, AWS FSx ZFS, Microsoft Azure Files, Google Filestore, and Qumulo.

In late 2021, Komprise COO Krishna Subramanian predicted that cloud file storage will accelerate.

She wrote:

First, it was cloud-native applications, then block workloads, but now it’s time for file workloads to move to the cloud. Explosive growth in unstructured file data has led to data centers bursting at the seams. Covid-19 has accelerated the shift to cloud for file workloads.

Data management solutions are also enabling smart file migrations so that hot data is placed in cloud file storage and cold data is transparently and efficiently tiered at the file level to object storage. This means that customers can use data from both the file and object tiers. Another approach many vendors are taking is to provide cloud-like economics and pricing while the infrastructure remains on-premises — HPE Greenlake and Pure as a Service are examples of this trend.