Introduction
As technology continues to grow and change at a rapid pace and produce expansive amounts of data, it is only natural that technology adapts to these advancements in a way that can store all of this information. The massive growth of the Internet over the past few decades has led to tremendous amounts of data being stored, shared, and exchanged across billions of devices around the globe, connecting users from all over the world. As society has become more fast-paced, large computers have been traded for smaller mobile devices – such as smartphones, laptops and tablets – that are easier to carry around while on the go. After all, society has reached a digital age in which technology is an intrinsic part of every-day life. However, this creates a conflict between the immense amount of data crossing the Internet and the increasingly smaller sizes of mobile devices: how can such small devices possibly store the multitudes of data circulating the Internet? As a solution, in addition to being smaller, mobile devices are also manufactured so that they are capable of storing and sharing large files for music, images, videos, audios, and other media that have become common during the digital age.Increasing data storage appears to be the effective method of accommodating the expansive need for data, especially in a world where data is an intrinsic part of everyday functioning. For example, the storage of text data is vital for the training of AI systems. It provides them with the necessary resources to understand and generate human language using the Large Language Model (LLM), which allows them to perform important tasks that humans cannot. However, while the expansion of data storage has its benefits, there are also severe repercussions that need to be considered. The multitude of data circulating the Internet is regulated by large data centers that use massive amounts of energy, primarily for cooling systems, in order to function. The extensive use of energy burns fossil fuels, which emits greenhouse gas emissions that cause severe air pollution and climate change by trapping heat under the earth's atmosphere. These effects harm both human and environmental life. However, environment-conscious organizations are working to reduce these effects by using more environment-safe methods of data center regulation by using renewable energy sources. As the technological world continues to grow and expand, thus bringing benefits to users across the globe, it is essential to remain conscious of the effects of this expansion and use these resources responsibly.
Obsolete Media
Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is a form of data storage that stores documents, videos, photos, and other forms of digital media. However, this method of storage is unique. Instead of storing data onto a device’s hard drive, it uses remote online databases managed by a third party to store digital media. These databases use connections between devices and the Internet in order to send, store, share, and retrieve data. This allows users to manipulate digital files across all mobile devices, as long as the device is connected to the Internet. In this way, Cloud storage proves to be an improvement from older storage media, as older storage devices contain a very limited amount of available data per device. If a user runs out of storage on one medium, they would have to purchase another, and the cycle would continue. In an age where users accumulate more digital data than they know what to do with, this method is inconvenient, outdated, and costly. However, with Cloud, there is no need to “carry around a physical storage device or use the same computer to save and retrieve…information” (How Cloud Storage Works, Jonathan Strickland). This is not the only benefit of Cloud storage. In addition to making data easily accessible, it also automatically backs up and archives digital data, thus allowing for data loss prevention. In the case that a singular device becomes damaged or a file is deleted, the backup data is kept safe in the Cloud. Even more, Cloud storage automatically syncs data so that any changes made to a file are synced across all devices that use the Cloud. All in all, the Cloud makes the manipulation and storage of digital data mobile, convenient, and expansive, making it a superior alternative to older models of digital data storage.
3-2-1 Backup Plan
The 3-2-1 Backup Plan is a strategy for keeping digital data safe in the event of a computer malfunction or any other kind of digital disaster. It prevents the permanent deletion or corruption of important data and allows for easy restoration in case something goes wrong. This strategy involves saving three copies of a data file, including the original plus two different copies. These copies should then be saved onto two separate devices. This successfully avoids “having a single point of failure [that is] vulnerable to human error, hard drive crashes, theft, natural disasters, or ransomware,” thus adding an extra layer of protection to the stored data (The 3-2-1 Strategy, Yev). Lastly, one copy of the data file should be stored on an off-site, remote location, such as the Cloud, a form of data storage that stores documents, videos, photos, and other forms of digital media on a remote online database. This way, users will never have to worry about losing data permanently, as they have several safety nets to fall back on.
When learning about backing up data, it is important to distinguish between backup copies and archival copies. Backup copies are duplicates of important data created in order to prevent unprecedented data loss. These copies are automatically synced across devices on a regular basis, which allows the updated data to be readily accessed by users. On the other hand, archival copies are stored data that is no longer in use, but still retain long-term value. They represent a singular moment in time and are rarely updated, nor are they typically stored online. Data retrieval of archival copies is slow, making it less readily accessible to users. In order to properly back up data, it is essential that users ensure that copies of their important files are backup copies.
The 3-2-1 Backup Plan is essential to all Internet users, but it is particularly important for students at Trinity who accumulate hundreds of important assignments, essays, notes and research over time. To ensure the safety of this data using the 3-2-1 Plan, a Trinity student should first create three copies of the desired data. They should store one copy on their personal computer, one on an external hard drive, and one copy onto the cloud. This way, each step of the 3-2-1 Backup Plan is satisfied, as the student now has three copies of data saved onto two different devices, and stored on one off-site location: the cloud.