Forms of Data Storage

Data makes the world go ‘round. No matter where you look, data is being transferred at rapid speeds and in huge volumes. Without that data, many of the amenities in life that we have come to take for granted would be impossible.

Of course, the key to that data transfer is to have proper data storage solutions. As it turns out, there are a plethora of different forms of data storage. Here are some of the most prevalent to be aware of.

Block Storage

When you click here, you will find plenty of different data storage options. But what are they? What do they do and how do they work? Knowing that first and foremost is key to finding the proper data storage needs for your current technological setup. Near the top of the list of the most common data storage types is block storage.

Instead of storing a file as one complete file, block storage breaks them up into pieces. Those blocks are then stored in partitions that are anywhere from 256 KB up to 4 MB. The blocks are then placed randomly on the device, which is fine because each block gets tagged with an identifier.

The computer queries the system, finding and collecting the necessary blocks to complete the file. It’s quite the efficient way of storing data since there is no metadata necessary. It’s fast as well, so if you have critical read/write necessities, block storage may be the best solution.

File Storage

You may hear of this data storage type called file-based or file-level storage. Basically, these are files that get stored within folders and subfolders in an overall directory. The vast majority of computer users have experienced file storage because it is commonplace for Windows and Apple computers. The file gets created and then stored on a drive, accessed through an internal hierarchy.

Files then become accessible through a designated path. The user either has to know that path or can continue to click through subfolders until they find what they are looking for. File storage is the single most common form out there and is even standard on things like network-attached storage devices.

Visually, file storage may be the simplest of them all. It is certainly the most familiar, so even those who aren’t the most technically friendly will be able to sit down and find files relatively simply and easily.

Object Storage

Finally, there is object storage. This type of storage separates the necessary information down into distinct objects. Each of these objects has its own unique metadata and identifiers. There is no hierarchy like with file storage, partially because the file itself is considered to be “flat.” Metadata is critical here, containing things like keywords and data about the creator, plus policies like privacy, access, and security, among other things.

Object storage is perhaps best when it comes to APIs. The reason is that object storage is a lot easier to use when integrating with existing systems and software. Object storage also scales quite well and can be spread across thousands of locations and devices without losing speed. That’s because data gets stored in a single namespace.

If you still aren’t quite sure what object storage is, think of the cloud. It is the choice of storage for public cloud servers, even major names like Amazon Web Services (AWS). Organizations that work with unstructured data – emails, video files, social media content, IoT sensor data, etc. – on a regular basis also benefit from using object storage. Who knew that simply storing files on a device could be so complicated?