File storage consists of two elements: file metadata and file content. Both are accessed using REST APIs. These APIs are similar to CRUD APIs and allow you to create a file (metadata creation), update file metadata, delete a file, read a file, or download a file’s raw content bytes.
A good backup plan is essential for digital media files. Despite this, many companies still don’t have one in place.
Inadequate Labelling
Whether you are organizing and storing files in your own office or with a file storage provider, inadequate labelling is a mistake that can be avoided. Manufacturers have responsibilities and duties to provide adequate warnings about their products, and they may be held liable for a product liability lawsuit if those responsibilities are not met. Inadequate or mislabeled labels can cause serious harm and injury, especially if the product is intended for use by children or people with known allergies or sensitivities. For example, Whole Foods was sued after a customer suffered an allergic reaction to cookies labeled as “Vegan Gingersnap Cookies” because the ingredients did not list tree nuts (a known allergen). Inefficient label-ribbon relationships can also cause barcodes to rub off when they are moved down the supply chain, ultimately compromising legibility and compliance codes.
Climate Controlled Storage Units
Not all storage units are created equal, and if you’re storing expensive or sentimental items that can be damaged by extreme temperatures or humidity changes, it’s worth it to invest in a climate controlled unit. Standard self-storage units are adequate for many items, but if your belongings can’t stand up to the elements—or you simply don’t want to take any chances—it’s definitely worth investing in a climate-controlled storage unit. Photostick Omni can help ensure that the data is stored properly.
What is a climate controlled storage unit? These specialized spaces offer heated storage, air conditioning and humidity control services. They’re typically indoors, and some even have insulated walls and roofs to prevent intruders like rodents from infiltrating your belongings. Climate-controlled units also ensure that your items are protected from fluctuations in temperature and humidity—extreme hot and cold can cause damage to metals, plastics and wood. Humidity fluctuations can also lead to mold growth, causing irreversible damage.
In addition to protecting your items from intruders, climate-controlled storage units can also keep them free of dirt and debris, which can be harmful to delicate items and clog electronics. These spaces are generally sanitized on a regular basis, and some may even be equipped with smoke detectors and other security measures.
There are some items that can be stored in any type of storage, so it’s important to know if you’re going to need a climate-controlled space before committing to one. For example, certain materials—like leather and wood furniture—are prone to warping from extreme temperatures or humidity changes. Paper documents, photos and books can also be damaged from these changes.
If you plan to store these items for months or years, climate-controlled storage is probably a good idea. However, if you’re just storing these items for a few weeks or less, it’s probably not necessary. If you’re unsure, ask your storage facility about their climate control options and whether they have a list of items that require it. They should also be able to tell you what industry affiliations they have, as these can indicate their commitment to best practices and compliance. For instance, Corodata is a member of the Professional Records & Information Services Management (PRISM) and the American Records Management Association (ARMA), which can be a good indication that they follow industry standards.
Not Having a Backup Plan
Whether it’s an external hard drive, DVD or cloud storage system, you need to create a backup plan. Without one, your files and documents may be lost if the system fails or a disaster occurs. A backup solution ensures redundancy, which means multiple copies of the same file exist at all times. This eliminates the risk of losing critical data in the event of a system failure, fire or natural disaster.
It’s also important to have a backup location. You can use an offsite location or even a different physical location where the backup is stored. This is especially important when operating in Australia, where businesses face the risk of bushfires, floods and cyclones that can cause damage to facilities or equipment. Having a backup location in the event of a disaster will protect your business from losing data and minimize downtime.
Many backup proponents advocate the 3-2-1 backup rule, which is simple and effective: maintain three copies of your data on two different media carriers, including a hard drive, a cloud service or USB flash drives and make sure at least one copy of your data is off-site. Using the 3-2-1 strategy ensures that your data is protected against a single point of failure, such as a hardware malfunction or site-specific disaster.
If you’re not backing up your data, start now. Set up automatic backups to your computer, the cloud or an external hard drive and back up your files regularly. You should also test your backups to ensure they are working correctly. While automated processes are great, they can sometimes fail due to a variety of reasons, so it’s essential to check your saved data from time to time to make sure you can restore it when needed. The most critical data should be backed up more frequently to prevent loss. It’s also important to consider how long you want to retain backups. This will help determine how often you need to run full backups and the amount of storage space you’ll need on your backup device. If you have a lot of data to back up, using a cloud service that offers archiving services can be an excellent option.
Not Having a Standard Ingestion Process
Data ingestion is the first step of any analytics pipeline. This process involves moving data from various locations to the analytics platform to make it actionable. Data ingestion is critical for virtually all other analytics-based operations including visualization, integration, analysis, and sharing.
Efficient data ingestion processes can improve productivity and efficiency and can lead to increased business intelligence. The ingestion process can be complex, but with the right tools and approach, it can be streamlined and simplified to reduce manual processes, data loss, and downtime. Data ingestion is a critical component of the entire data pipeline and needs to be managed properly to ensure high-quality, consistent, and accurate information.
One of the most common mistakes when it comes to media file storage is not having a standardized ingestion process. This can lead to confusion and inconsistencies in how video assets are ingested into the library. A lack of a consistent ingestion process can also result in duplicate files. This is often caused by uploading the same asset multiple times due to an incorrect naming convention.
A good ingestion process will include clear documentation of data sources and transformations. It will also provide a centralized location for access to all data, improving decision-making and insight generation. It will also enable real-time data aggregation and analysis, and allow for rapid reaction to changing conditions. It will also help ensure compliance with data retention policies and other governance standards. Lastly, it will support data monetization through data-driven products and services.
