Object storage is preferred for large files like images, videos, and other media due to the following key reasons:
1️⃣ Scalability 🚀
- Object storage is designed to handle massive amounts of unstructured data efficiently.
- Unlike traditional file systems that struggle with billions of files, object storage can scale horizontally across distributed nodes.
- Cloud providers like AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Azure Blob Storage leverage this feature to store petabytes of data.
2️⃣ Durability & Availability 💾
- Object storage replicates data across multiple locations (data centers or availability zones).
- Cloud storage providers offer 99.999999999% (11 nines) durability, ensuring data isn’t lost even if a server fails.
- Geo-replication ensures high availability, reducing downtime risks.
3️⃣ Efficient Metadata Management 🏷
- Unlike file systems, where metadata is limited (like name, size, permissions), object storage stores rich metadata along with the object.
- This helps in categorization, searching, and access control for large datasets.
4️⃣ Cost Efficiency 💰
- Object storage is typically cheaper than traditional block or file storage, especially when handling large media files.
- Providers offer tiered storage (hot, warm, cold, archive) to optimize costs for frequently vs. rarely accessed data.
5️⃣ Global Accessibility via HTTP APIs 🌍
- Objects are accessed via RESTful APIs (e.g., AWS S3 API), making them easy to integrate with web apps, CDNs, and machine learning pipelines.
- No need for a persistent connection like traditional file storage—just use URLs to fetch or upload data.
6️⃣ Data Integrity & Versioning 🔄
- Many object storage systems support checksum-based integrity verification, ensuring data consistency.
- Versioning helps store multiple versions of an object, making rollback and auditing easier.
7️⃣ Optimized for Large Files & Streaming 🎥
- Object storage is designed for write-once, read-many workloads, which makes it ideal for:
- Storing high-resolution images and videos
- Hosting video streaming services (Netflix, YouTube, Twitch)
- Handling backup & archival data
- Streaming services use CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) + object storage for fast delivery to users worldwide.
🔥 When NOT to Use Object Storage?
- Frequent updates: Object storage is not optimized for frequent small updates (e.g., databases).
- Low-latency random access: Databases and block storage are better for structured, high-speed read/write operations. 🚀 Level Up Your Skills! Click here to start your journey in mastering HLD/LLD , System Design Must enroll course → Course Link
Conclusion
Object storage is a perfect fit for handling large, unstructured files like images, videos, and backups due to its scalability, durability, low cost, and global accessibility. It powers major cloud services, CDNs, and media platforms worldwide. 🚀
Would you like a deep dive into how specific companies like Netflix or YouTube use object storage? 🎬
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