How to Create a Cloud Server

The need to protect personal data is making cloud servers more popular. Every day, we take pictures, store videos on our phones, and create files. We store most of these files and documents on our phones, laptops, and our desktop. But we know that these devices are prone to getting damaged or even stolen. Hence files saved on them are equally at risk. That is why we need to back up the storage of our files. But as much as we need o backup files, we also need to ensure the backed-up files can be accessed remotely. This is the major advantage of saving files in the cloud. By creating personal cloud storage, you can securely save all your files in the cloud and have access to them anytime anywhere. You can access your files from any computer, tablet, or phone that is connected to the internet.But how do you create your own cloud server and how do you set up personal cloud storage? This article will discuss that in detail.

Why Create a Cloud Server?

While you can store your data and files in a conventional cloud server, personal cloud storage gives you more control over your storage space, and most importantly you can get them for free or at a fraction of the cost of getting cloud hosting. These are some of the major benefits of a personal cloud server:

• You can do it yourself
• The creation of a personal cloud server involves a few steps
• You have more control over your storage space
• It costs less
• You can access your files on any computer device that is connected to the internet
• Most personal cloud server software are compatible with all popular computer platforms including Android, iOS, Windows, iPad,

How to Access Personal Cloud Storage

When you use software for creating personal cloud storage on your desktop, your cloud storage remains available remotely and can be accessed on any computer system as long as it has an internet facility. You can also access your stored file using the file on your desktop.

Best DIY Personal Cloud Storage Options

While many cloud services will allow you to create cloud storage easily, they all have different features. We will look at the features of the top 5 DIY personal cloud storage.

• Nextcloud

Nextcloud is unique because of its ease of use. The service is compatible with all major computer operating systems and is easy to install. There are also many installation options for this service. Nextcloud offers high security; hence it is a very safe space to store your files and documents. The cloud service provider offers free storage space that can be up to 8Gb

The software is open source, but before you can use the Nextcloud service, you must first sign up with one of the partners of the service providers. This involves simple steps. All you need is an email address and your account will be configured. If you choose to go for a paid account, there are many options to choose from. These include basic plan, standard plan, and premium plan. Nextcloud runs a platform called Nextcloud Hub where you can get help, chat, or get access to the file and shared calendar. However, you must be wary of extra or hidden charges when you opt for this service. It is always good to have a proper consultation before subscribing to its paid plan.

• Seafile

Seafile may presently not have as many partners as Nextcloud, but it is becoming more popular every day. However, before you can use its services, you must register with one of its hosting partners. The software is open-source, hence you can download it free of charge and install it freely on your computer. It works very well on all computer platforms and has a simple and easy-to-use interface.

Seafile has free and paid plans but the majority of its great features are only available to paid subscribers. If not more than three users are going to use Seafile services, they can enjoy free subscriptions but users from 4 to 99 have various subscription plans in which charges vary from $35 to $48 per user. The higher the number of users, the lower the rate. The service provider quotes customized charges for companies with users above 1000. One of the major advantages of Seafile is the ease and pace of moving your files especially small files.

• OwnCloud

Just like Nextcloud, OwnCloud is equally easy to use and has a simple interface. OwnCloud is compatible with all popular computer operating systems and is open source. You can install its software on Windows computers, Linux, Android, or iOS, all for free. Like Nextcloud, before you can use this software to create your cloud storage you must first find an OwnCloud partner. The paid plan of this cloud service provider includes a single-user plan that starts from $20 per month, a team plan that charges about $19 a month per user, a standard plan, an enterprise plan, and a custom plan. The standard plan costs about $3750 per annum while the enterprise plan costs $9000 in a year. Although these might be high fees, the storage service is highly secured, user friendly has many great features like delta sync, which saves time and energy.

• Pydio

Pydio introduces a special feature called a cell. This enables users to upload files to a private space and set permission. Like other software discussed, Pydio is open source, hence can be downloaded and use for free. The software can also be used with other software like OnlyOffice which makes it easier to manage your files. Pydio is compatible with Windows OS, Linus OS, and macOS, while its enterprise version is compatible with more operating systems aside from the three major ones mentioned. The home edition of the software is free and requires you to self-manage your account. The cost of the enterprise edition varies and requires contacting the service provider for a quotation. Pydio interface is easy to use, it provides good security for the store files and allows collaboration. However, Pydio may not have as many features as other software described so far.

• Resilio

Resilo is not open-source software, hence you must pay to install this software. However, there are many cheap options to subscribe to. Resilio offers storage space in the cloud. It gives high security and offers no web-based access rather it uses peer-to-peer coordination. Hence hackers can't gain access to your files. Its major plans include Sync Home, Sync Business, and Resilio Connect. The Sync Home has personal and family plans. Both involve a once-off payment. With $59.90, you will enjoy personal use, while a maximum of five family members will pay a once-off fee of $99.99 for the service.There are also subscriptions for businesses and premium plans. These plans support multiple users and are charged per user per month. Even though there is a limit to what you can do yourself when using Resilio, the software provides easy to use interface and excellent storage and file sharing platform.

How to Build Your Own Cloud Storage Server at a Fraction of the Cost

A Cloud storage server is essential for businesses that deal with a significant amount of data. You may have to store your business information, or client's data in a storage that is secure, reliable, and can be accessed remotely. Cloud storage is the best option for this. But when considering cloud server, the first ideas that come to mind are the expensive services like Amazon S3. However, you can build your own cloud server at a fraction of the cost. How do you go about it?

The first thing is to analyze what you need and the cost. The most important component you will need for open source software service will be hardware, racks and boxes, and HTTPS. Note that there are also software that require buying a license, but to cut down the cost, you must go for free software.

Hardware is the most expensive component, so you can really safe by using consumer-grade hardware. Then you have to buy prebuild pods to store your hardware or even build it entirely to cut down the cost further. But that is if you have the know-how. With all these saving modes, you are sure to get your server ready with just a fraction of the cost. The next thing will be how to assemble your components and set up your cloud server.

How to Set Up Your Own Cloud Server from Scratch

Setting up your server requires technical know-how, however, you can get help online. The needed steps depend on the software and hardware you are using. However, for most cloud server building, you will need the following components:

• Motherboard
• CPU
• RAM
• Chassis
• Case fan
• Dampeners
• Power Supply
• Switch

To assembly this you can get the wiring diagram and the setup procedure online. Download the diagram and follow. Once the storage is built the next will be to create a cloud server so that your files can be stored, accessed, and shared using the internet. We will discuss how to do this using open source OwnCloud software.

How to Create a Cloud Server Using OwnCloud

OwnCloud is open-source software, you don't have to pay for the software before you use it. so, you can easily download and install it. However, you must have a server registered with an OwnCloud partner. Once that is done, the rest is simple.

The next thing is to choose the kind of storage you want from OwnCloud. As earlier discussed, the cloud service provider has both free plan and paid plan. Whichever you choose you can enjoy great services including remote access to your file on any internet-enabled computer, file storage, and file sharing. It supports text documents, graphics, audio files, as well as video files.

The major requirement for creating cloud storage with OwnCloud is MySQL server and PHP. If you have that then the steps to create the cloud storage are as follows:

• DownloadOwnCloud for free from the official OwnCloud website
• Create a data directory for your cloud storage
• Give web server access to your cloud directory
• Create database
• Configure Apache webserver
• Configure OwnCloud

We May Help You

If you are in search of the best cloud storage for your personal documents or searching for a cloud server to host your website, then we may help you. We provide the best web hosting services and our services are available in many countries of the world. We have a team of well-experienced staff who will assist you in every area of setting up your server. We use the latest technology to ensure you get the best services that are safe and reliable. Our pricing is competitive and we have a range of plans to choose from according to your need and budget. All our subscription plans come with a 7-day trial period. Within these days, you will enjoy free hosting at absolutely no commitment to continue. However, we are confident that you will always want to continue with us. You can contact us today to start your 7-day free trial.

Conclusion

Whether for business or personal use, storing data in the cloud is a good decision. However, there are many options available for creating personal cloud storage. The most popular among them include OwnCloud, Nextcloud, Seafile,Pydio, and Resilio. While Resilio requires subscription fees, Owncloud and Nextcloud are open-source and you can download and use them for free. You can also use consumer-grade hardware to build your personal cloud storage. This will greatly reduce the cost of buying subscription plans from well-established service providers. However, we can be of great help to you should you require any assistance in setting up your personal cloud storage or hosting your website in the cloud.

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