Editor's note
An object storage system handles data differently than a traditional file system, and with more and more companies needing to store large amounts of data, using an object storage system is becoming a popular option.
Unlike file systems, object storage is unstructured, which means files are stored alongside each other in a storage pool rather than in a hierarchy. In addition, the metadata that characterizes object storage is far more detailed than in a file system. Servers use unique identifiers to find objects, allowing them to be retrieved without knowledge of their physical location. This makes the use of an object storage system particularly beneficial to environments with large amounts of data or to those using cloud storage. Key benefits of an object storage system include greater scalability and improved manageability.
This guide was created to give users a complete understanding of object-based storage systems. It details what object storage is, how it is accessed, benefits of the technology and how it can be used to enhance cloud storage.
1Object storage tames data
IT administrators who manage large data sets are often faced with problems such as scalability and performance when using a file system. Using an object storage system can remedy many of the issues a file system presents. The material below will walk you through some of the best uses for an object storage system and explain how it can help common problems.
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Article
The object storage system: Challenging file systems for unstructured data
For large unstructured data sets, an object storage system carries several advantages over a traditional file system architecture. Learn about the scalability and data protection characteristics of object storage. Read Now
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Article
Object storage systems bring scalability, flexibility to unstructured data
An object storage system can eliminate traditional file system hierarchies and put in place a flat access structure that provides a good basis for hugely scalable unstructured data access. Read Now
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Using an object storage system to manage unstructured data
Object-based storage systems boot out hierarchical file systems in favor of a flat-file layout that brings massive file stores under control and overcomes the inadequacies of RAID. Read Now
2An object storage system's place in the cloud
More and more data is being moved to the cloud these days, often because of growing capacity needs. Features of object storage, such as its detailed metadata, make information easier to manage in a cloud environment than in a traditional file system. To learn more about how an object storage system can be used in the cloud, look at the links below.