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What is object storage?
What are the common features of object storage providers?
What are the benefits of object storage solutions?
Who uses object storage solutions?
What are the alternatives to object storage solutions?
Challenges with object storage software solutions
How to choose the best object storage solution
Object storage software trends

Learn More About Object Storage Solutions

Object storage is a software architecture used to handle large amounts of unstructured data. Under object storage, data is stored as discrete units or objects within a data-connected environment. Each discrete storage unit contains the data being stored since it is the data repository, the metadata (information describing the object), and a globally unique identifier or ID number, allowing applications to access the unit when required. Each object is then aggregated under storage pools with several other objects, allowing for an unlimited scale of storage.

An application programming interface (API) is used to access each object. These APIs are used to create a query for the object’s metadata. The metadata is used to locate the desired object via the internet from any device and from any location. The native API used is an HTTP-based RESTful API. Some of the HTTP commands that are used to control the data include “POST” or “PUT” to upload data within the object, “DELETE” to remove the data, ”GET” to retrieve data from the object, and several other commands.

Traditional file (network attached storage (NAS)) and block (storage area networks (SAN)) software storage methods cannot be used when scalability is a requirement. This is where object storage steps in. Object storage solutions allow companies to store their data by providing scalability up to a terabyte (TB), petabyte (PB), or even higher.

Some common examples of object storage solutions used in daily life include storing playlists on Spotify, photos on Facebook, and documents using Google Drive, Dropbox, Sharepoint, and several other tools.

What is object storage?

Object storage is a computer data storage architecture that stores and manages large volumes of unstructured data using distinct data units or objects. Each object has a metadata and a unique identifier that users can use to retrieve and access data. Users can also customize the metadata to add contextual information for easy retrieval later. Object storage systems don’t organize files using a hierarchical path, making storing data in a flat environment easy.

Object storage solutions store data in a global storage pool, meaning users can query and find the exact data they need using RESTful APIs, HTTP, and HTTPS. The flat environment enables users to easily locate the data they need, no matter where it's stored—be it across various devices or in different geographical locations.

What are the common features of object storage providers?

The following are some core features within object storage solutions that can help users in several ways:

Scale-out architecture: Object storage software is supported by a distributed scale-out architecture. Within the architecture, several clusters of nodes exist, and these nodes contribute to the total amount of space available for storage. Users can also add nodes independently by parallelly adding them to increase capacity. Adding these nodal points provides massive scaling, even up to petabytes of data.

Metadata: The metadata feature is used in combination with several policy-based management capabilities to manage several data services, such as data protection, placement, compression, retention, deduplication, and deletion.

Multi-tenant nature: Object storage solutions separate infrastructure and users' needs using multi-tenancy. Data cannot be accessed by other tenants sharing the same infrastructure. This is especially useful for businesses that want to provide each department with storage space, with accessibility given to the specific department only.

Global namespace: A namespace is a set of signs that identify and refer to different objects. It ensures that objects are given unique names so that they can be identified easily. A namespace is a global feature, meaning that although data is stored in different locations, it will provide a common view to the user. This feature of object storage ensures nondisruptive performance, load balancing, and increased performance efficiency.

Automation: If a service crashes or a site suddenly becomes unavailable due to faults, the object storage system automatically activates the redundant components and services (duplicates) to prevent operations from being affected. Object storage solutions are, therefore, considered self-healing or auto-healing in nature. This important feature helps companies drastically minimize downtime.

What are the benefits of object storage solutions?

Scalability: Discrete units of data are stored within an object, such as servers or storage boxes, within the data center's infrastructure. In case additional processing is required, the data center infrastructure provider needs to add server boxes parallel to the storage cluster.

Storing large amounts of unstructured data: Big data growth is explosive with the advent of internet communications and is still growing every second. The large amounts of unstructured data being generated require a strong storage architecture to ensure scalability, and object storage software is one of the best options for supporting unstructured data or big data.

Increased efficiency: Accessing data in a file system is a complex task since there are numerous folders and hierarchies to navigate. In the object storage system, information is immediately retrieved via metadata. This results in increased performance since the time to retrieve data is shortened significantly.

Disaster recovery support: Object-based storage solutions allow the user to configure the system to duplicate content. Due to any unforeseen activity or a disaster, the disk within a particular cluster may fail. However, since the data has been replicated, the system will continue to operate without any interruptions. The data can be replicated within nodes and several data centers located at different geographical locations.

Cost-effective: One of the main cost savings comes in the form of no upfront cost since an object storage software provider would manage the hardware or servers. A user does not need to purchase several servers and storage systems and set up an IT infrastructure, thereby saving initial costs. In addition, object storage providers offer the service as a pay-as-you-go subscription fee; therefore, no upfront investment is required.

Compatibility with cloud computing: Object storage is known for its compatibility with cloud computing. Object storage primarily uses cloud services or hosting services to provide storage services. Since the data is stored in the cloud (public cloud or private cloud), the company faces no major upfront cost. In addition, a company can share storage repositories among different departments within the organization, each with a dedicated resource or space.

Simplified manageability: As the amount of data continues to grow, a new approach is required to manage the data, and this is where object storage comes into play. Since object software manages a “name” and not the rack of storage, the difference is huge. The namespace could be located in different locations or local sites, in a single storage box, or within multiple racks. It could be configured in multiple ways, but with all these complexities, it is still manageable via a single pane of glass.

Who uses object storage solutions?

Storage engineering team: The storage engineering team designs and deploys data storage solutions for enterprises, covering roles like storage engineers, storage object administrators, and product engineers. Storage object administrators have full control over objects, handling tasks such as listing, creating, viewing, and deleting them. The team uses object storage software to back up, store, and replicate company data, and ensure no downtime occurs if a node fails.
Cloud engineers: A cloud engineer manages a company's private or public cloud services for development, testing, resource allocation, and maintenance, ensuring optimal and economical use of cloud environments. They align the company’s cloud objectives with cloud storage deployment, using an object storage system for data replication, disaster recovery, and modernizing storage infrastructure as part of the cloud journey.
Content and data management teams: Since content is an integral part of unstructured data, the teams need to be able to view, stream, and analyze the content right from storage. They also need to ensure they have access to the data at an exabyte scale or as required.
Executive teams: Since object storage helps firms save on high infrastructure costs, executive teams, and decision-makers can monitor object-based storage to ensure that they are obtaining a significant return on investment (ROI). With recommendations from the storage engineering and IT teams, the executive team can decide on a plan offered by the object storage software vendor.

What are the alternatives to object storage solutions?

In object storage solutions, the key functionality is storing the data in a single repository instead of files within folders or blocks on servers. Each self-contained repository owns the data.

File storage software: With file storage software, data is stored as a single piece of information within a folder. The folder system helps keep information organized in a hierarchical structure since it imitates how paper files are stored. In order to find the data from storage, the computer needs to follow a specified file path. The arrangement of files in the hierarchical structure follows a specified logic. File storage is the oldest and most widely used data storage type. Files stored on a personal computer are a good example of file storage since the data is stored, and to access the file, the user will need to follow a specified file path.
Block storage software: Information from files is chopped into separate blocks, and the singular block is stored as a separate piece of data. Each block has an identifier, and smaller pieces of the data can be kept at convenient locations. For example, a customer could save some data on a Windows or Linux environment as required. Block storage use cases include static web content, archived information, databases, and several others.

Challenges with object storage software solutions

Object storage software solutions can come with their own set of challenges.

Performance issues: Object storage platforms could possibly be one of the least well-performing storage types compared to file and block storage, primarily because of heavier metadata overhead (although this has started to change with the entry of high-performance object storage solutions). In addition, the duplicate data present in another node could be situated in a completely different geographical location, creating latency issues and causing a performance drop.
Scaling on-premises: For a firm that wants to start small and then scale as it grows, cloud object storage is a good solution since it allows nodes to be added to contain the firm's storage as the company expands. However, if a firm wants to start small by using object storage on-premises, it is difficult to scale since these only come in large sizes. So, it will be a challenge if a firm wants to start small and scale later on by using on-premises object storage.
Traditional application compatibility: Many traditional applications, such as traditional office applications, large databases, and several other apps, are not really optimized for object storage. Although new-generation apps are supportive of the object storage nature, older applications are still supported via file or block storage, making it difficult to move into an object storage environment. Adding a file storage gateway into the infrastructure could help address compatibility issues, but this would add to the complexity of the infrastructure.
Data protection: Data security issues and breaches are important challenges for object storage systems. Since the data is replicated and located across different locations, it could be hacked at any location, violating a company's data security. Object storage will require a type of protection strategy to ensure that a company’s data is safe.

How to choose the best object storage solution

Once a customer has decided that object storage software is best suited for the company’s storage needs and can assist its journey towards cloud storage, some considerations need to be made.

Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Object Storage Solutions

When selecting from various object storage vendors, there are a few key aspects that need to be taken into consideration:

True scalability: Although all object storage platforms are built to scale as and when required, the actual scaling process is much more complex. Architecture constraints could limit scalability.
Monitoring cost per GB ($/GB): Cost per GB is a fundamental parameter that needs to be assessed when selecting an object storage vendor. Firms need to ensure that the cost of storing more data while scaling is at a fraction of the initial costs, especially when this storage system is expected to be used for many years.
Dynamic load balancing: Data objects can be replicated and stored at different locations. For large-capacity workloads, this could make the software less responsive without the presence of a dynamic load-balancing system that would read data from the nearest location.
Performance consistency: Performance consistency ensures clusters remain efficient across hardware generations. As current hardware becomes unavailable or obsolete, considerations include whether new hardware will be more affordable or expensive and if it will offer a superior cost per GB. Addressing these questions is crucial before selecting an object storage software solution.

Compare Object Storage Solutions

Create a long list: The key aspects listed above must be carefully adhered to when making a long list of vendors. The customer can begin listing some of the top key vendors in the space and talk to different sources to identify several vendors. Ensuring that each vendor's offerings are easily categorized is a good practice, which will help create a short list for the next step.
Create a short list: When choosing object-based storage solutions, aligning them with the firm's goals and objectives is important. Companies with sufficient budgets can go for complex and feature-rich systems, opting for expensive, scalable, top-tier plans offered by providers. In contrast, smaller firms that want to start with object storage and move only a few workloads can choose pay-as-you-go subscriptions, paying a small fee. Additionally, firms can review other customers' experiences to gauge integration ease, benefits, and challenges. Platforms like G2.com offer unbiased reviews and varied perspectives on object storage solutions.
Conduct demos: Before integrating software into infrastructure, it's advisable to request demos from shortlisted vendors. Without this, the chosen object storage may prove unsuitable after integration, leading to serious repercussions, including financial losses and downtime.

When evaluating vendors for object storage software, ask about compatibility with other software, data security features, authentication methods (like single sign-on and multi-factor authentication), automation capabilities, user roles, and storage tiers. Also, discuss pricing, which may vary based on location, data resilience, storage class, and archival needs. After demos, assess vendor plans to select the storage solution that best meets the company's needs and budget.

Object storage software trends

Historically, object storage solutions were always considered long-term archiving solutions, massive data lake solutions, or just inexpensive backups. However, the need for object-based storage has been renewed, with unstructured data and data analytics taking center stage.

Growth of new-age technologies

The primary benefit of object storage is how well it manages unstructured data, making it absolutely critical for modern storage solutions to support data analytics initiatives. With the growth of social media, AI, machine learning, IoT, 5G, and several other technologies and the availability of internet communication to support these technologies, organizations are creating huge amounts of unstructured data.

Remote work

Finally, the onset of the pandemic has coerced most organizations to work remotely, and therefore, the high availability feature of object storage is key since it replicates data across different nodes in data centers.

Researched and written by Rachana Hasyagar

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