Help Center/ Scalable File Service/ FAQs/ SFS Concepts/ What Are the Differences Between SFS, OBS, and EVS?
Updated on 2025-12-17 GMT+08:00
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What Are the Differences Between SFS, OBS, and EVS?

Table 1 shows the comparison between SFS, OBS, and EVS.

Table 1 Comparison between SFS, OBS, and EVS

Dimension

SFS

OBS

EVS

Concept

SFS provides on-demand high-performance file storage, which can be shared by multiple cloud servers. SFS is similar to a remote directory for Linux OSs.

OBS provides massive, secure, reliable, and cost-effective data storage for users to store data of any type and size.

EVS provides scalable, high-performance, high-reliability, block storage that can be used to meet a wide variety of service requirements. EVS disks are like physical disks on PCs.

Data storage logic

Stores files. Data is sorted and displayed in files and folders.

Stores objects. Files are saved directly to OBS. The files automatically generate corresponding system metadata. You can also customize the metadata if needed.

Stores binary data and cannot directly store files. To store files, you need to format the disk with a file system first.

Access method

SFS file systems need to be mounted to ECSs or BMSs through the NFS protocol before they can be accessed. A network address must be specified or mapped to a local directory for access.

OBS buckets can be accessed through the Internet or Direct Connect. The bucket address must be specified for access, and transfer protocols HTTP and HTTPS are used.

EVS disks can only be used and accessed from applications after being attached to ECSs or BMSs and initialized.

Use cases

Media processing, file sharing, high-performance computing, and data backup

NOTE:

Mainly suitable for high-performance computing workloads like gene sequencing and image rendering that require high bandwidth for file sharing.

Big data analysis, static website hosting, online video on demand (VoD), gene sequencing, and intelligent video surveillance

High-performance computing, enterprise critical clustered applications, enterprise application systems, and development and testing

NOTE:

Mainly suitable for high-performance workloads like industrial design and energy exploration that require high speed and high IOPS for high-performance storage.

Capacity

EB-level

EB-level

TB-level

Latency

10 ms

10 ms

Sub-millisecond

IOPS/TPS

Millions

Tens of millions

128,000 per disk

Bandwidth

TB/s

TB/s

MB/s

Data sharing

Supported

Supported

Supported

Remote access

Supported

Supported

Not supported

Online editing

Supported

Not supported

Supported

Used independently

Supported

Supported

No (EVS disks can only be used after being attached to cloud servers, such as ECSs.)
Parent topic: SFS Concepts