Category Archives: Cloud Storage

2026, Amazon, Cloud, Cloud Storage, Middle East

AWS, Middle East Escalation and a Very Real Reminder That the Internet Is Physical

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Over the weekend something unusual happened.

The AWS Health Dashboard lit up with warnings across the Middle East regions, while at the very same time global news outlets were reporting escalating military action across the Gulf.

If you run infrastructure in the cloud, or even if you just assume “the cloud” is always there, this was a sobering moment.

Let’s unpack what actually happened.

What Amazon Web Services Said

According to the official AWS Service Health Dashboard:

“Objects struck the data centre, creating sparks and fire.”

That is not typical outage language.

AWS reported that two Availability Zones in the ME-CENTRAL-1 region were impaired due to a localized power issue. Power was shut off while emergency services responded, and recovery would require:

  • Repair of facilities
  • Restoration of cooling systems
  • Restoration of power systems
  • Coordination with local authorities
  • Safety assessments before re-energising the site

Customers were strongly advised to fail over to alternate regions, ideally in Europe.

This was not a minor API hiccup. EC2, S3, DynamoDB, the AWS Management Console and dozens of other services experienced elevated error rates.

The cloud, quite literally, caught fire.

Source: AWS Service Health Dashboard

At The Same Time… The World Was On Edge

Simultaneously, live coverage from BBC News reported dramatic escalation in the region:

  • Iranian strikes on a major gas plant in Qatar
  • A refinery fire in Saudi Arabia
  • Drones intercepted over Cyprus heading towards a UK base
  • Escalating conflict involving Israel, Lebanon and Iran
  • Reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader had been killed in US and Israeli strikes

Gas prices reportedly spiked sharply on international markets.

Source: BBC Live Coverage

AWS has not explicitly linked its data centre incident to military activity.

But when you read phrases like “objects struck the data centre” in the same time window as confirmed missile and drone activity across the Gulf, the coincidence is difficult to ignore.

The Myth of the Abstract Cloud

We talk about:

  • Serverless
  • Containers
  • Regions
  • Availability Zones
  • Multi-AZ architecture

All wonderfully abstract.

But this weekend was a reminder that the cloud is:

  • Concrete buildings
  • Power substations
  • Cooling plants
  • Diesel generators
  • Fibre routes
  • Security perimeters

Remove electricity and you remove the cloud.

Damage cooling systems and you shut down racks.

If local authorities tell you to keep power off, your “infinite scalability” suddenly looks rather finite.

Why This Matters To You

If you deploy only in one region, you are accepting regional geopolitical risk whether you realise it or not.

AWS always recommends multi-AZ design. Many organisations stop there.

But this incident affected more than one Availability Zone in the same region. That is the critical detail.

Multi-region redundancy is no longer theoretical resilience planning. It is operational reality.

If your backups sit in the same geography as your primary systems, that is not true disaster recovery.

The Bigger Lesson

We spend huge amounts of time worrying about:

  • Cyber attacks
  • Zero day exploits
  • Ransomware
  • Misconfigured S3 buckets

Yet physical risk is often treated as someone else’s problem.

This event shows that geopolitical instability can ripple directly into cloud availability.

Cloud providers are extraordinary at redundancy. But they are not immune to real world events.

When missiles fly and power grids are shut down, even hyperscale infrastructure feels it.

Final Thoughts From The Server Rack

I have long argued that we live in a world where digital and physical are inseparable.

This weekend was a perfect example.

A regional conflict.
Energy infrastructure under threat.
Data centres hit.
Gas markets spike.
APIs fail.

The internet is not floating in the ether. It is bolted to the floor.

If you are running production workloads, ask yourself one simple question:

If my region goes dark for 24 hours, what happens next?

If the answer is panic, then this weekend was your warning shot.

As ever, the smartest architecture is not the cleverest. It is the most resilient.

And resilience, increasingly, means geography.

Cloud Storage, Datacentres, Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides

Why Data Centres Are Coming Under Fire From Environmental Activists

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There are pros and cons to almost any type of technology. Take social media, for example; it’s a fantastic tool to help people connect with others, but it also brings out the worst in people. You can apply this line of thinking to just about anything tech-related; it will have lots of pros, but also some cons. 

Speaking of which, data centres are recently coming under fire from a lot of environmental activists. Indeed, governments are looking to clamp down on these centres because of the damage they are doing to the environment. On the one hand, data centres are excellent as they allow us to store lots of data and keep it protected. But, the flip side of this is that there are some ecological concerns…

Why Data Centres Are Coming Under Fire From Environmental Activists
Why Data Centres Are Coming Under Fire From Environmental Activists

Large greenhouse gas emissions

You associate greenhouse gasses with factories and manufacturing plants. But, did you know that data centres account for 2% of the total greenhouse gas emissions on the planet? That’s a massive amount and it all comes down to the sheer level of electricity produced every single day. 

Think about it, there are hundreds, thousands of servers inside a data centre that all need to be powered at all times. This uses so much electricity, causing serious harm to the planet. 

Big contributors to toxic waste

Another key reason these places are under fire is that they contribute to toxic waste. This is mainly via the sheer amount of e-waste generated by data centres. In fact, some reports suggest that e-waste is accountable for 70% of global toxic waste. 

Again, it’s a significant issue that’s leading to loads of people demanding that action is taken!

What can be done to solve these tech problems?

Like all tech issues, the problems with data centres can be solved with some clever thinking. For starters, steps must be made to improve the efficiency of data centres. This begins with the databases themselves. The goal is to maximise each system to ensure that more items can be stored on one server at any given time. One way to do this is through things like MySQL Performance Tuning. Ideas like this are designed to tune database systems to make them more efficient, ensuring they use up less energy and fewer data servers are required in any given centre. 

Performance tuning can also increase the longevity of servers within a data centre, meaning they last for longer before being thrown away. As such, less waste is generated in these facilities. 

Another obvious move is to power these places with as much renewable energy as possible. Solar panels can be very helpful, subsidising non-renewable energy and keeping greenhouse gas emissions to a minimum. 

It’s not hard to understand why people are getting angry about the environmental impact of technology, particularly in facilities like data centres. However, the good news is that steps can be made to address the issues. Thus, we get the benefit of data centres without worrying about what they do to the planet – everyone’s a winner!

Apple, Apps, Cloud, Cloud Storage, Gadget Man, Google, Photo Storage, Technology

How to Choose Cloud Storage for Your Photos

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The cloud is the most practical and secure way to store your photos. You’ll have continual access to a digital backup of your memories. You also won’t have to worry about overloading your hard disk or your smartphone. With cloud storage, you can share your photos as well, but providers also give the option to set privacy restrictions. They have state-of-the-art resources to keep them encrypted for you. There are certain features you need to look for in a cloud storage provider. Here are some of the top ones reviewed, both paid and free.

Tips for choosing cloud storage

Cloud storage is great for those working from home and sharing documents. It’s also ideal for backing up your photos. There are several key cloud storage features to look for when choosing a cloud storage provider. Cloud services come with an app so ensure this is compatible with your brand of smartphone or tablet. Not all providers are free, but they will offer a certain amount of space before you need to sign up for a subscription. 

Generally, all providers accept JPEG files Certain providers will allow you to upload different types of files including TIFFS, RAW, and video or music files. Before signing up with a provider, it’s a good idea to calculate how much space you’re realistically going to need and for what type of files. This way, you can work out whether it’s worth paying for a subscription or not. If storage is becoming an issue for you, you also have the option to delete duplicate photos from your smartphone, this article explains how to do it, https://backlightblog.com/delete-iphone-duplicate-photos. It’s up to you whether you decide to move your photos to the cloud.

Top cloud storage providers

There are several big names in cloud storage and Google, Microsoft and Adobe all have their own version. Other top cloud storage providers include IDrive and pCloud. Here is a quick review of each. 

IDrive

IDrive is great for photographers who use multiple devices and are concerned about security. It’s a very reliable cloud storage provider and has an excellent security rating. Your photos are protected by biometrics and you can set up face recognition for accessibility across all devices. The free plan allows a maximum of 5GB which can fill up quite quickly, depending on the number of photos and other files you have. If you need more space, you can upgrade to a yearly subscription. IDrive is user-friendly and fast. It also has features such as syncing photos and robust reporting tools.

pCloud

pCloud is ideal if you want to store files of various types. It’s not free but the provider offers a unique lifetime subscription for a one-off payment of £159 for 500GB or £309 for 2TB. There are also monthly plans available. pCloud provides state-of-the-art encryption and only the user will have access to their accounts, not even the company’s administrators. You can store any type of video or image file including RAW files, and you can share your files with up to four family members or your business. You can essentially send and receive large files to and from anyone. pCloud is a Swiss company and follows Swiss data laws, they also use first-class safety measures.

Google Photos

Google Photos offers storage for photos and videos and each Google account comes with up to 15GB for free. Google Drive is set up for file sharing and it’s easy for multiple users to access and edit files. It couldn’t be simpler to use although it isn’t the most stylish of platforms. It is, however, fully compatible with other apps as part of G Suite and can be synced with any devices and cameras with WiFi access. You can also top up your storage for as little as £1.59 per month for 100GB. The great thing about Google is that it also uses machine learning technology to label and archive photos, and makes suggestions to you based on your history and preferences. It uses metadata which allows you to find pictures easily based on date and place, and in general it’s very quick and convenient to use. 

Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive provides a similar cloud storage service to Google, but is an integrated part of the Microsoft Office package. It is possible to use Microsoft OneDrive as a standalone deal, however, which is free up to 5GB and then £1.99 per month for up to 100GB. The other Microsoft Office apps aren’t included in these packages, so it depends on if you need them or not. The full Microsoft Office 365 starts at £5.99 a month. Microsoft OneDrive is easy to use and can be accessed on unlimited devices. While it’s not solely designed for photographers, it’s still a safe and convenient place to store your pictures. 

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud is more specifically aimed at photographers, professional and amateur alike. This does, however, mean it’s a little bit more expensive than other more basic cloud storage providers, but there are more advanced photography-based features such as stylish image libraries and editing options. Adobe offers a free trial for those interested and the basic photography app starts at just £9.98 a month. You can upgrade this to include all the Adobe apps for £49.94, which is a good deal for those with a passion for photography. Adobe Creative Cloud is compatible with Windows, MAC, Android, and iOS and you can upload all types of files from any device. 

The cloud storage provider you choose depends on what you’re going to use it for, how many files you have, and which type. If you’re an experienced photographer or you want to develop your skills, Adobe Creative Cloud has more photography-based features. If you’re on more of a budget and simply want a backup of a few family photos, then a basic free cloud storage option is probably more suited to you. Upload and protect your memories on the cloud today.