Object Storage

A strategy that manages and manipulates data storage as distinct units, called objects, which are kept in a single repository and are not nested as files in a folder.

What is Object Storage in cloud computing?

Object Storage in cloud computing is a data storage architecture that manages data as objects, as opposed to other storage architectures like file systems which manages data as a file hierarchy and block storage which manages data as blocks within sectors and tracks.

  • Object storage is highly scalable and is commonly used in cloud storage, big data, and data archiving applications.
  • Each object includes the data, associated metadata, and a unique identifier.

How does Object Storage work?

Object Storage works by storing data in a flat address space, called a storage pool.

  • Each object in the storage pool has a unique identifier, which allows a server or end user to retrieve the object without needing to know the physical location of the data.
  • This is different from file storage, where data is stored in a hierarchical tree of directories, and block storage, where data is stored in blocks within sectors and tracks.

Object Storage Example

A cloud-based photo sharing app, PhotoShare, uses object storage to store and manage the photos uploaded by users. Each photo is stored as an object with metadata including the date, location, and user who uploaded the photo. When a user wants to view a photo, the app uses the unique identifier to retrieve the photo from the object storage.

Check out related terms

The complete toolkit to save cloud costs.

You could pour hours and try to optimize your cloud costs using just a spreadsheet like it's 1999...
..or you can check out how Economize helps you do it.