Common Cloud Storage Types

There are several storage options available to AWS cloud computing customers. These are AWS Simple Storage Service (S3), Elastic Block Store, Elastic File System, Storage Gateway, and WorkDocs (to name but a few). In traditional data centers, there are three kinds of storage—block storage, object storage and file storage. Block storage is used to store data files on storage area networks (SANs) or cloud-based storage environments. It is excellent for computing situations where there is a need for fast, efficient, and reliable data transportation. File storage is stored on local systems, servers, or network file systems. Object storage is often used for backup, archival, and big data environments.

AWS Primary Storage Options

In the AWS cloud environment, there are three types of storage: block storage, object storage, and file storage.

Block Storage

Block storage is a type of network storage that feels and functions like a hard drive in a computer. Block storage places data into blocks and then stores those blocks as separate pieces. Each block has a unique identifier. This type of storage places those blocks of data wherever they are most efficient. This enables incredible scalability and works well with numerous operating systems. Block storage is hierarchical, meaning files are stored in nested folders like a traditional desktop operating system.

 Object Storage

Object-based storage differs from block storage. Object storage breaks data files into pieces called objects. It then stores those objects in a single place that can be used by multiple systems that have network access to the storage. Since each object will have a unique ID, it’s easy for computing resources to access data on file-based storage. Additionally, each object has metadata or information about the data to make it easier to find when needed. This metadata allows for powerful search functions such as SQL queries to be run on the data. Object storage is “flat” or non-hierarchical, meaning all files are stored in a single folder or “bucket.” Due to the metadata, object storage is often used in big data environments and data lakes. The AWS platform provides an efficient platform for object storage with Amazon Simple Storage Service, otherwise known as S3.

File Storage

File storage is traditional storage. It can be used for a systems operating system and network file systems. Examples of this are NTFS-based volumes for Windows systems and NFS volumes for Linux/UNIX systems. These volumes can be mounted and directly accessed by numerous computing resources simultaneously.