Storing data in fixed chunks called "blocks," each with a unique address. A file or object can be made up of many blocks that can be stored across multiple storage drives. Block storage is used in storage area networks (SANs) and RAID arrays and is known for faster retrieval than file storage. See
SAN and
RAID.
File Storage
File storage is the traditional computer storage method whereby files are stored in a hierarchy of folders. File storage is more common in networks where files are routinely shared. See
file manager and
files vs. folders.
Object Storage
Object storage stores each object as an independent unit in a flat, non-hierarchical structure. All metadata are stored with each object. Commonly used in cloud storage, access by object name in a lookup table is very fast. See
object database and
object-oriented programming.