Data stores are designed to process and organize data in different formats.
File storage
File storage organizes stored information in a top-to-bottom hierarchy of files and folders. Computers use file storage to make storing, searching, and retrieving information easy for users. You can use the file storage system to store and organize almost any type of data. While file storage is easy to use, it is hard to scale horizontally due to its tightly connected architecture.
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Block storage
Block storage divides data into multiple pieces of evenly sized segments called blocks. The block storage system stores different data blocks on different physical devices. It will retrieve and reassemble the pieces when users request specific data. It uses a mapping system to locate the requested data based on block metadata. Metadata is additional information that helps users or applications find specific information in the storage.
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Object storage
Object storage stores unstructured data in a scalable, self-contained repository that can be hosted on different servers. Every data block that belongs to an object is described in its metadata. For example, an object can store social media content, videos, emails, and audio files. Applications search for information in the object storage by using specific metadata attributes such as video resolution, duration, and location.
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