THE Block storage is a storage technology where the data is divided into blocks of equal size, stored independently of each other. These blocks can be sent directly, which allows quick access times and high performance. This architecture is particularly suitable for databases or virtual machines.
Block storage
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What is the block storage?
While for the File Storagecomplete files are organized in a folder system, data in the block storage (unlike theObject Storage) are stored in the form of blocks. They are saved to the most relevant place depending on the system, which for this divides uniform block files. The files then lose their meaning and cannot be easily executed or open. The blocks here are units of the same size. In order for the various blocks to be found, an address is attributed to each of them. If the server receives a request, it can thus Locate the data, group it and deliver it.
The block storage is often used in a Storage Area Network (SAN), network architecture dedicated to storage. Data memories are thus made available to several servers via a network. Everything is set by software responsible for the location of the blocks. While the block storage in the SAN was initially built like a LAN with hubs and switchesblock storage can also be carried out in Cloud environments. We talk here most often of Block-Level Storage. A coherent system of hard drives as it is traditionally used is here later configured.
Communication is done in the case of a SAN essentially by Channel fiber (FC) or Internet Small Computer System Interface (iscsi). In the case of FC, this is an interface developed for very high speed transfers. The ISCSI procedure, on the other hand, uses TCP and Ethernet, which facilitates its integration into existing networks.
Modern cloud suppliers use block storage as a flexible basis for virtual machines, persistent container volumes and other applications requiring high performance. The storage blocks are frequently controlled via APIs based on the cloud, which allows deployment Dynamic and automated in DevOps and Kubernetes environments.
Advice
Do you want to find the storage solution perfectly suited to your needs? We recommend that you compare the different storage architectures. The summary article Object Storage VS Block Storage will give you an overview of the structure, performance characteristics and the scenarios for using the two technologies. A comparison between object storage and file storage is also offered in a dedicated guide.
Advantages and disadvantages of block storage
Compared to other forms of data backup, the block storage is renowned for its speed and its high redundancy. Each block has an individual address allowing access to data. Other storage methods put here on metadatasometimes even in very large quantities. The absence of this additional information can be an advantage, but also a drawback. The blocks are certainly very small, but they can be called directly; If you want to knowingly record metadata, you need an additional database. The major disadvantage of the block storage lies in the high cost of SAN, requiring specialized equipment.
| Benefits | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Speed | High price |
| Low latency | No metadata |
| Redundancy |
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Areas of application of block storage
For databases in particular, the block storage has advantages: the speed with which the data can be read and written. THE Transactional databases must be permanently adapted. This type of storage here gives very good results, while other storage methods always include waiting times. Block-level storage are also used for virtual machines, facilitating the preparation of memories for the virtualization.
In addition, the block storage plays an increasingly important role in the containerized applications. Persistent volumes can be effectively provided by block storage solutions and are ideal for state workloads, such as databases or research indexes.
