Cloud storage comes in three fundamental types — object, block, and file — each optimised for different use cases. Choosing the right type, configuring it securely, and optimising for cost are the three pillars of effective cloud storage management.
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Object vs Block vs File Storage
| Type | Description | Best For | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Object | Flat namespace, HTTP access, massively scalable | Static assets, backups, data lakes, logs, media | S3 | Azure Blob Storage | Cloud Storage (GCS) |
| Block | Low-latency disk for VMs, like an attached drive | VM OS disks, databases, transactional workloads | EBS | Azure Managed Disks | Persistent Disk |
| File | Shared filesystem (NFS/SMB) | Shared app content, CMS media, lift & shift file servers | EFS / FSx | Azure Files | Filestore |
Object
- Description
- Flat namespace, HTTP access, massively scalable
- Best For
- Static assets, backups, data lakes, logs, media
- AWS
- S3
- Azure
- Azure Blob Storage
- GCP
- Cloud Storage (GCS)
Block
- Description
- Low-latency disk for VMs, like an attached drive
- Best For
- VM OS disks, databases, transactional workloads
- AWS
- EBS
- Azure
- Azure Managed Disks
- GCP
- Persistent Disk
File
- Description
- Shared filesystem (NFS/SMB)
- Best For
- Shared app content, CMS media, lift & shift file servers
- AWS
- EFS / FSx
- Azure
- Azure Files
- GCP
- Filestore
AWS S3 Security & Configuration Checklist
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S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Retrieval Time | Cost/GB/month (approx) | Min Storage Duration | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | Immediate (ms) | $0.023 | None | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | Immediate (ms) | $0.023 + monitoring fee | None | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Standard-IA | Immediate (ms) | $0.0125 | 30 days | Infrequently accessed, rapid retrieval needed |
| S3 One Zone-IA | Immediate (ms) | $0.01 | 30 days | Non-critical, reproducible infrequent data |
| S3 Glacier Instant | Immediate (ms) | $0.004 | 90 days | Archive with occasional instant access |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | Minutes to hours | $0.0036 | 90 days | Compliance archives, backups |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 12–48 hours | $0.00099 | 180 days | Long-term regulatory archives (cheapest S3 tier) |
S3 Standard
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.023
- Min Storage Duration
- None
- Best For
- Frequently accessed data
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.023 + monitoring fee
- Min Storage Duration
- None
- Best For
- Unknown or changing access patterns
S3 Standard-IA
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.0125
- Min Storage Duration
- 30 days
- Best For
- Infrequently accessed, rapid retrieval needed
S3 One Zone-IA
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.01
- Min Storage Duration
- 30 days
- Best For
- Non-critical, reproducible infrequent data
S3 Glacier Instant
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.004
- Min Storage Duration
- 90 days
- Best For
- Archive with occasional instant access
S3 Glacier Flexible
- Retrieval Time
- Minutes to hours
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.0036
- Min Storage Duration
- 90 days
- Best For
- Compliance archives, backups
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
- Retrieval Time
- 12–48 hours
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.00099
- Min Storage Duration
- 180 days
- Best For
- Long-term regulatory archives (cheapest S3 tier)