What is Object Storage?

Introducing Object Storage

Looking for the perfect storage solution? Our Storage Series focuses on Block Storage, Object Storage, and the ideal use cases for each. This article will explore the architecture and functions of our new Object Storage to help you find the storage solution that is right for your business.

Object-based storage provides a cost-effective, scalable, and durable storage solution for especially large amounts of data. It differs from block storage, which stores data in a separate centralized cluster accessed over a network, and local storage, which stores information locally in a file hierarchy. Object storage instead manages data as whole objects stored in a central cloud cluster accessible to users only via an API. In addition, it add levels of scalability and efficiency for extremely large amounts of data that block storage can’t achieve without sacrificing durability and performance.

1. Accessible via API

   While other storage systems are accessed directly through the file system or over a network, the object storage cloud cluster is managed by Liquid Web and accessed by customers via the API at the application level for data uploads. Downloading data can be done via HTTP.

2. Scalable For Virtually Limitless Data

   Object Storage is ideal for very large sets of data due to its flat (not hierarchical) file structure. It is easily scaled up and expanded horizontally with the simple addition of more nodes in a web server cluster, and each “object” contains both the data and the related metadata. Including the metadata with each object increases efficiency and reduces an enormous amount of overhead with data that reaches into the petabyte range and beyond. This is in contrast with other types of storage, such as block storage, which become inefficient with very large amounts of data.

3. Durable & Redundant

   A standard feature of object storage is the replication of files. Data is protected by storing multiple copies of the data, usually three, across a distributed system. In the case of failed hardware, an object storage system will automatically replicate the data again until the required number is created to ensure constant redundancy.

4. Cost-Effective

   Object storage is highly efficient with extremely large amounts of data. Not only does it utilize sequential I/O when reading data, which is much faster and more efficient than random I/O, but its storage of metadata with each object eliminates overhead that might otherwise slow it down. These features allow object storage’s cost to remain very low with data that reaches up into the petabyte range and beyond.

Liquid Web’s highly durable Object Storage is scalable, cost-effective, and the ideal storage solution for enterprises with large storage needs. In addition, Object Storage offers full control over who can read, write, and access your data, easy per gig pricing, zero bandwidth or access fees, and is fully compatible with the Amazon S3 Protocol. If you’d like to learn more about our Object Storage, other storage solutions at Liquid Web like our Block Storage, or to find out which solution would be ideal for you, contact our Support staff.