What is IBM Cloud Object Storage?
IBM Cloud® Object Storage makes it possible to store practically limitless amounts of data, simply and cost effectively. It is commonly used for data archiving and backup; for web and mobile applications; and as scalable, persistent storage for analytics. Flexible storage class tiers with a policy-based archive let you effectively manage costs while meeting data access needs. The integrated IBM Aspera® high-speed data transfer option makes it easy to transfer data to and from IBM Cloud Object Storage. Query-in-place functionality allows you to run analytics directly on your data.
Why IBM Cloud Object Storage?
IBM Cloud Object Storage is designed to support exponential data growth and cloud-native workloads. With built-in high-speed file transfer capabilities, cross-region offerings and integrated services, IBM Cloud Object Storage can help you securely leverage your data.
How customers use it
Customer success: Zenfolio
Zenfolio chose to migrate more than 12 PB of data from its on-premises infrastructure to IBM Cloud Object Storage—a move projected to save the company USD 1 million.
IBM Cloud Object Storage features
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Use cases
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Client success stories
How does object storage work?
Objects are discrete units of data that are stored in a structurally flat data environment. There are no folders, directories or complex hierarchies as in a file-based system. Each object is a simple, self-contained repository that includes the data, metadata and a unique identifying ID number instead of a file name and file path. This information enables an application to locate and access the object. You can aggregate object storage devices into larger storage pools and distribute these storage pools across locations. This allows for unlimited scale as well as improved data resiliency and disaster recovery. Object storage removes the complexity and scalability challenges of a hierarchical file system with folders and directories. Objects can be stored locally, but most often reside on cloud servers, with accessibility from anywhere in the world.
What are file storage and block storage?
File storage organizes and stores data inside a folder. Files are named, tagged with metadata and organized in folders under a hierarchy of directories and subdirectories. To access the data in a file storage system your computer system only requires the directories and subdirectories in which to find it. A hierarchical storage system like this works well with relatively small, easily organized amounts of data. "File Storage: A Complete Guide" provides a full overview of file storage.
Block storage offers an alternative to file-based storage — one with improved efficiency and performance. Block storage breaks a file into equally-sized chunks of data and stores these data blocks separately under a unique address. You can store the collection of blocks anywhere in the system for maximum efficiency. To access a file, a server operating system uses the unique address to pull the blocks back together, assembling these into the file. You will gain efficiencies as the system does not need to navigate through directories and file hierarchies to access the data blocks. Block storage works well for critical business applications, transactional databases and virtual machines that require low-latency (minimal delay), granular or more detailed access to data, and consistent performance. "Block Storage: A Complete Guide" provides a full overview of block storage.
What is an example use case for cloud object storage?
Cloud object storage makes it possible to store practically limitless amounts of data, simply and cost effectively. Example use cases of cloud object storage include:
What is the difference between durability and availability?
While they may seem very similar, durability and availability have different meanings. Availability is meant to denote system uptime. As long as the system is functional and returns the desired resulting data when requested, the system is said to be "available." Durability is meant to represent the state of the data itself. As long as the data does not get impacted or suffer decline (rot or deteriorate), it is said to be highly durable.
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Footnotes
*Based on IBM-internal analysis of client data. Individual client results will vary.