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Introduction to Storage Classes

OBS has the following storage classes: OBS Standard, OBS Infrequent Access, Deep Archive (under restricted open beta testing), and OBS Archive. With the these storage classes, OBS comprehensively meets customers' requirements on storage performance and cost.

  • The Standard storage class features low access latency and high throughput. It is therefore suitable for storing a massive number of hot files (frequently accessed every month) or small files (less than 1 MB). The application scenarios include big data analytics, mobile apps, hot videos, and social apps.
  • The Infrequent Access storage class is ideal for storing data that is semi-frequently accessed (less than 12 times a year), with requirements for quick response. The application scenarios include file synchronization, file sharing, and enterprise backup. It provides the same durability, access latency, and throughput as the Standard storage class but at a lower cost. However, the Infrequent Access storage class has lower availability than the Standard storage class.
  • The Archive storage class is suitable for archiving data that is rarely-accessed (averagely once a year). The application scenarios include data archiving and long-term data backups. The Archive storage class is secure, durable, and inexpensive, and can be used to replace tape libraries. However, it may take hours to restore data from the Archive storage class.
  • The Deep Archive storage class is suitable for archiving data that is barely-accessed (once a few years). Compared with Archive storage class, it costs less but takes longer time (usually several hours) to restore data.
Parent topic: Storage Classes