Object storage is a method of storing data without hierarchy that is commonly used in cloud environments. Unlike other data storage methods, object storage does not use a directory tree. Individual data units (objects) coexist in a data pool at the same level. Each object has a unique identifier that is used by the application to access it. In addition, each object may contain metadata received with it.
The basic idea of object storage is to accompany an arbitrary content file with some additional parameters: metadata describing the object. The combination of any file with its metadata can be treated as a computer object and appropriate, already established, methods can be applied to its processing.
Object repositories are a cloud service for cheap storage and mass distribution of large amounts of information. Developers need them first and foremost, and they can be easily built into any application, be it a mobile game, a video hosting service or a corporate document management system.
Any kind of data: audio and video files, documents, backups, code snippets can be placed into object storage. Storage solves two main problems: reliable storage of any data volume and quick distribution to any number of users. Imagine a video hosting service that has to distribute videos to tens of thousands of simultaneous requests “without brakes”: this is an ideal task for such storage.
Object storage is especially useful when you don’t know in advance how much storage is needed: it can hold hundreds of petabytes of data at any given time.
Storage billing is based on the actual amount of data in it and the intensity of its downloads, so that your paid cloud resources are 100% utilized. This makes object storage a powerful tool to optimize costs and accelerate time to market for new products.
The ability to get IT resources in the cloud quickly is especially important for experimental projects with unpredictable workloads – both startups that test the market with MVPs and R&D projects of large companies.
Previously, such startups had to purchase hardware that could take months before it went live. Errors in the volume of purchased resources were unrealistic to correct, and the sudden growth of the user base and volume of data could “crash” the system under load. Now in the cloud, you can immediately get the right amount of resources on demand without long purchases, and if necessary, change the volume of use.
When the amount of storage is constantly growing or poorly predictable, maintaining your own storage places a heavy burden on the IT department of the company, pulling resources and management focus away from the core business. Object storage and other cloud services remove this non-core chore and free up the hands of the company’s experts to develop the business and solve strategic tasks.
