Storage: On Premise or Cloud? A Look at How Two Schools are Dealing with their Storage Needs

Improving Campus and Cloud Storage Management As institutions store more data than ever before, issues that might previously have been ignored, such as retention and cost accountability, are now unavoidable. Coupled with the rise of cloud-based storage services and storage abstraction technologies, this is an opportune time to ask some fundamental questions about what we store, where we store it, and how we can make it more accessible. We will discuss the challenges involved in managing an ever-expanding storage footprint in an increasingly cloud-first world as well as the technologies and policies that can help drive efficiency, increase accountability, and derive greater value from stored data.

Outcomes: Identify key benefits and challenges of on-premises vs. cloud-based storage platforms * Understand how abstraction can be used to make better and more efficient use of storage platforms * Understand the importance of nontechnical solutions (policy, accountability) in managing a growing storage footprint

Amazon Web Services: Our Journey Want to learn a little more about Amazon Web Services? If you're thinking about dipping your toes in the waters, stop by and hear from us at Skidmore College: we jumped into the deep end. We will discuss our journey into the AWS cloud, from thinking about possible new ways to store lots of data to where we are today. We'll discuss some of the things you'll need to consider if you're thinking of going to the Amazon cloud, including budgetary concerns, personnel resources, planning, lessons learned, and some high-level technical information.

Outcomes: Learn about AWS and how the cloud may be a viable alternative for some services now being provided on premises * Discover how we began our journey to the cloud, where we are now, and where we hope to be * Determine, with input from colleagues, if AWS makes sense for your institution