Object Storage
Summary
What it is
The storage paradigm of flat-namespace, HTTP-accessible binary objects with metadata. Data is addressed by bucket and key, not by filesystem path.
Where it fits
Object storage is the foundational layer beneath everything in this index. S3 is the dominant API; all technologies, table formats, and architectures in the map operate on top of object storage.
Misconceptions / Traps
- Object storage has no native directory hierarchy. Prefixes simulate folders but LIST operations scan linearly — not like
lson a filesystem. - Durability (11 9s) is not the same as availability or performance. Data is safe but access can be slow or throttled.
Key Connections
scoped_toS3 — S3 is the dominant object storage API- Lakehouse
scoped_toObject Storage — lakehouses are built on object storage - AWS S3, MinIO, Ceph, Apache Ozone
scoped_toObject Storage — concrete implementations - Separation of Storage and Compute
scoped_toObject Storage — the pattern that decouples compute from data
Definition
What it is
The storage paradigm of flat-namespace, HTTP-accessible binary objects with metadata. Data is addressed by bucket and key, not by filesystem path.
Why it exists
Traditional filesystems and block storage do not scale to billions of objects across distributed infrastructure. Object storage trades POSIX semantics for horizontal scalability, durability, and HTTP accessibility.
Relationships
Outbound Relationships
scoped_toInbound Relationships
scoped_tois_aResources
AWS's conceptual explainer defines object storage versus block and file storage, covering the fundamental paradigm shift that underpins S3.
Red Hat's vendor-neutral overview explains object storage architecture, metadata handling, and use cases from an infrastructure perspective.
MinIO is the most widely deployed S3-compatible open-source object store; its architecture docs illuminate how the S3 API is implemented outside AWS.