Block Storage

Block Storage is a solution for storing segmented data in fixed-size blocks. These blocks are saved on disks connected to your instances via storage arrays. Data is distributed across disks separate from your machines. Each block is individually processed and assigned a unique identifier. This way, you can adjust your storage capacity by adding disks to suit your needs, while maintaining control over your infrastructure’s security and performance.

Block Storage is flexible and efficient, making it ideal for storing massive amounts of data. Splitting your data into blocks helps to save storage space, and as a result, cuts down on wasted resources. This system’s speed and redundancy mean easy data access (including read/write) and high availability. Block storage makes it easier to set up and modify data,

which is why it’s more resilient to hardware failures. This gives you powerful, flexible infrastructure adapted to a wide range of applications.

So the main advantages of the Block Storage solution are high availability, performance, and flexibility.

Despite being similar cloud storage technologies, Block Storage and Object Storage serve different needs. The Block Storage solution divides data, in an unstructured format, into fixed-size volumes in the form of blocks. Object Storage breaks them down into small, separate units, called objects, and links them to the associated metadata. As a result, uses differ depending on the storage mode. Block storage is perfect for applications that require fast access and high performance, such as relational databases, file systems, or virtual machines. We recommend using Object Storage for its ease of management when handling large amounts of unstructured data such as images, videos, audio, and for backup or content distribution needs. The best storage solution for you will depend on your usage, the nature of your data, and the features you are looking for.

Block Storage is a persistent storage system with triple data replication for added resilience. You can also capture the state of your Block Storage volumes with the Volume Snapshot solution. By taking a snapshot at a specific time of all the data contained in your Block Storage, you can restore it completely from this backup, if required. OVHcloud’s block storage system is redundant by default, This means you can count on your Block Storage solution for consistently high data availability and integrity. In addition, Compute instances, compatible with the vRack private network, boost security through a large, isolated, multi-datacentre infrastructure within a global private network.

With its advanced features and robust architecture, Block Storage can meet a wide range of use cases.

Containerised applications - deploy persistent storage for your containerised environments. Get a secure, resilient infrastructure, supported by triple data replication. 

Critical applications - with high fault tolerance, data redundancy, and high performance, Block Storage is designed for critical applications. This covers applications needing high transaction volumes or input/output rates, like analytics and data processing.

Hosting relational databases - relational databases, like MySQL or PostgreSQL, benefit from Block Storage’s fast performance and direct access to data blocks.

There are several cloud storage solutions for various uses: 

Object Storage - ideal for unstructured data (multimedia, backups, archives). Data is stored as objects and includes metadata. This solution offers unlimited storage, accessible via an S3* compatible API.

Block Storage - recommended for applications that require direct access to data. Data is divided into fixed-size blocks, which can be used as additional disks. Triple replication provides enhanced security.

File Storage - ideal for applications that require shared file access. It allows multiple virtual instances to access a shared file system.

This range of solutions includes one perfectly suited to your storage needs.

Browse all our cloud storage solutions