GlusterFS stores data across the network and can be used as a storage back end in cloud environments.

The Ceph object store remains a project in transition: The developers announced a new GUI, a new storage back end, and CephFS stability in the just released Ceph v10.2.x, Jewel.

Sure, you could pay for cloud services, but with GlusterFS, you can take the idle space in your own data center and create a large data warehouse quickly and easily.