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What is Object Storage?
Quick answer
A cloud storage method that keeps data as individual objects with metadata in a flat structure, suited to large amounts of unstructured files.
Object Storage, explained
Unlike traditional file systems with folders, or block storage used by databases, object storage keeps each file as an object with a unique identifier and descriptive metadata. It scales to huge amounts of data and is accessed over the internet through APIs. Amazon S3 is the best-known example, and most cloud providers offer similar services.
Typical uses include storing website images and videos, backups, log archives, and data lake files. For example, a photography studio might keep client galleries in object storage and serve them through a content delivery network. Object storage is cheap per gigabyte and durable, with tiers for rarely accessed data. Misconfigured access settings are a common cause of data leaks, so buckets should be private by default.
Related terms
Cloud Backup
Copying data from computers, servers, or applications to storage run by a cloud provider so it can be restored if the original is lost.
Content Delivery NetworkA geographically distributed network of servers that delivers web content from locations close to each user to improve speed.
Data LakeA central repository that stores large volumes of raw data in its original format until it is needed for analysis.
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