Secure file transfer has come a long way from its creation in the 1970s, and its latest evolution has seen a shift towards cloud-based file transfer. But are cloud-hosted file servers better options than on–premise file servers? Each file server hosting method has its strengths and weaknesses, and today we’ll be comparing the two:
On-Premise File Server: Overview
On-premise file servers have been used since the beginning of the internet, and for a long time they were the only option available. Although this environment may seem outdated in comparison to the recent development of cloud file sharing, a secure file transfer and storage server that sits on your company’s in-house hardware offers the security, control, efficiency and functionality advantages of being on your proprietary network.
While it may require more upfront cost and configuration time than a cloud server, on-premise file servers often provide a greater degree of customization options that may better fit the needs of administrators working in environments with specialized requirements.
Cloud File Server: Overview
Since the first solutions hit the market in the early 2000s, cloud file server storage has seen impressive growth fueled by Amazon and Microsoft, among others. Cloud-based file sharing offers significant scalability and set-up advantages thanks to its off-the-shelf configuration packages that automatically add storage and bandwidth resources, but can also contribute to higher infrastructure costs and security concerns when operating in strict compliance environments.
There are pros and cons to each approach, which we’ve listed below:
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Security |
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Pros |
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Access |
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Pros |
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Data Control |
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Speed |
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Scaling and Resilience |
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Cost |
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Conclusion
So which file server solution is better, on-premise or in the cloud? The answer depends on your business’s needs in the areas above, along with your file transfer requirements. If you need full data and cost control, and your administrators are up for the challenge, on-premise file server may be the way to go. On the other hand, if you want to simplify your infrastructure as much as possible and aren’t dealing with high-security data, a cloud provider may be the right fit.
If you ever have any questions about file transfer solutions, or would like to discuss options with our file transfer engineers, please contact the Cerberus FTP Server pre-sales support team here.
One of the most significant cloud file storage environment for an SMB is the increasing improvements of One Drive within the Microsoft 365 suite – just recently the Teams client was updated with a One Drive view and some of the issues you point out about centralised monitoring exist here.
Considering One Drive’s sharing abilities, the integrated sharepoint security, and that One Drive provides access into Team file upload areas, it would be good to see a strong use case for your product in this environment, especially if an SMB wanted to abandon an traditional file server.