Block Storage is a data storage service where each storage volume acts as a separate hard disk.
In block storage, data is stored in fixed-size sections called blocks. Each block is associated with a unique address, and the address is the only cloud data assigned to each block.
Since block storage plays an essential role in many enterprise applications today, some cloud vendors offer block storage services alongside their other cloud services.
In this article, we will talk more about block storage, its uses, and how it differs from other cloud storage spaces.
What Is Block Storage?
Block storage, sometimes known as block-level storage, is a technology that stores data files in storage area networks (SANs) or cloud-based storage environments. Developers generally use block storage in critical computing situations that require fast, efficient, and secure data transfer.
Block storage divides data into blocks and then stores those blocks as separate chunks, each with a unique identifier. The SAN places these blocks wherever it is most efficient. This means it can store those blocks on different systems. Each block can be configured (or partitioned) to work with other OSs.
Block storage also decouples data from user environments, spreading it across multiple environments. This makes various paths for the data and allows the user to read it quickly. When a user or application requests data from block storage, the underlying storage system reassembles the data blocks and provides the data to the user or application.
Applications of Block Storage
Block Storage can create raw storage connected to server-based operating systems. These raw memories behave like a hard drive, which can be used for almost any application. For example, file storage, database, virtual machine file system, and…
Suppose you want to launch many virtual machines. By using Block Storage, you can easily have an environment for storing their data in the form of a Virtual Machine File System, which the server can connect to and create the desired virtual machines.
Also, Block Storage is very suitable for containers. Just as virtualization technology makes the operating system independent from the hardware, the container also separates the application from the operating system. The container can be easily defined and launched using Block Storage.
Click here for ArvanCloud Cloud Server to create an instance and connect to it to implement a wide range of scenarios. For example, you can create a laboratory environment with several virtual machines to test, set up, and run various services to manage information on a website or database.
Block Storage Pros and Cons
The following are some of the benefits and advantages of block storage in modern data centers:
- Performance—It is ideal for applications that require high throughput and low latency, such as database servers.
- Flexibility—As storage needs grow, organizations can add block storage volumes without compromising performance. By changing the routing between servers, block storage can be moved from one server to another without sacrificing performance.
- Ease of File Modification— Files changed in block storage are only changed in the affected blocks. Conversely, files and objects must be overwritten in file or object storage.
- Operating System Bootability—SANs can boot operating systems directly from block storage if their BIOSes support it.
There are also some drawbacks associated with block storage. These include:
- Server Binding—A block storage system is tightly connected to the server. It cannot be accessed simultaneously by another server. Some software solutions can help solve this problem but could degrade performance and put more pressure on the file system.
- Metadata Limitations—In block storage, metadata is very limited, much less than in file or object storage. This can adversely affect application performance with metadata-critical operations such as search and retrieval. The application cannot identify a storage location by meaningful metadata, so it may be required to scan many blocks to locate the required information.
- Cost—A block storage system is an expensive investment, especially in the cloud. Aside from requiring substantial investment, SANs also require highly skilled maintenance personnel. Larger organizations will find that block storage constitutes a significant portion of their cloud expenditures.
Where Is Block Storage Used?
Traditionally, block storage is used for critical workloads and compact data; however, organizations are turning to the cloud to support their workloads more efficiently and flexibly. Since block storage volumes are treated as separate hard disks, this approach works well for storing these applications:
- Email servers such as Microsoft Exchange use block storage instead of file-based or network-based storage systems.
- Block storage is also used for RAID storage. With RAID, multiple independent disks are combined for data protection and performance. Block Storage’s ability to create individually controlled storage volumes makes it suitable for RAID.
- Virtual Machine file system is another common application for block-level storage. Virtualization vendors such as VMware support block storage protocols that can improve migration performance and scalability. Using SAN for block storage helps virtual machine (VM) management to write non-standard SCSI commands.
What is block storage in VMware?
Many virtual machine platforms, including VMware, use block storage for data storage because this allows easy sizing and shrinking of virtual disks and data migration from one host to another.
There are three block storage protocols supported by VMware. Storage is presented as a virtual LUN to the VMware host. Each LUN is formatted with the Virtual Machine File System, or VMFS, specifically designed to store virtual machines.
Not Sure If You Need Block Storage?
Block storage as a service (BSaaS) falls within the much larger category of enterprise storage as a service (ESaaS), where those looking for cloud-based storage can use block, file, or object storage to support their data storage needs.
In most cases, when working with ESaaS, users must also choose an IaaS or PaaS solution and deploy applications and servers directly in the cloud.
The ability to respond to storage demand is critical. Storage consumption has grown at an exponential rate. Because block storage is independent of computing resources, scaling out requires nothing more than creating additional block storage volumes in an ESaaS provider.
For companies using a hybrid cloud approach, miniaturization may require the purchase of additional hard drives or RAID arrays, but the actual miniaturization process is relatively the same. The provision of the extra block storage volume is a primary requirement for increasing the amount of available storage space.
Types of Block Storage
You can choose your best block storage solution depending on your budget and performance needs.
HDD disks are one the most common types of block storage. If you have a growing volume of data and your business is cost-sensitive, choosing HDD disks is the best choice for you. HDD disks are cost-effective and slower in performance than SSDs.
SSD disks, on the other hand, are faster in the reading and writing process of data but more expensive than HDDs.
Local SSDs are recommended for applications that require ultra-low latency, such as analytics, media rendering, and other situations that require scratch memory.
Block Storage and Other Storage Types
In the cloud service, storage resources can be used in three formats: File, Block, and Object. Block Storage services are simpler than the other two formats, i.e., File Storage and Object Storage. In practice, block storage is like a hard drive provided on the network platform.
Block Storage vs. File Storage
While there are advantages to using Block Storage, alternatives may be better suited for specific organizations or applications. When faced with block-level storage, two options are on the table: Block Storage and File Storage.
If simplicity is the goal, File Storage may win out over Block Storage; but block storage devices are more complex, more expensive, and more flexible than file storage and provide better performance.
File storage provides a centralized, highly accessible location for files and is generally less expensive than block storage. File Storage uses metadata to organize files, making it a convenient option for organizations to efficiently store large amounts of data.
With its ease of deployment and low cost, file storage is a suitable tool for data protection and archiving locally. File sharing within an organization is another common use for File Storage, and its simplicity can be detrimental. File storage has a hierarchical organization.
Hence, the more files are added, the more complex and tedious it becomes to sift through. It is worth mentioning that if performance is the determining factor, Block Storage wins over File Storage.
Block Storage vs. Object Storage
Instead of dividing files into blocks of raw data, Object Storage collects data as objects containing data and cloud data.
Storage blocks do not contain metadata; Therefore, object storage can provide more context about the data, which is useful in classifying and customizing files. Each object has a unique identifier that makes locating and retrieving it faster.
Object Storage is unparalleled in scalability. Scaling the architecture in Object Storage only requires adding nodes to the storage cluster. The flexibility and scalability of object storage may be attractive. Still, some organizations prioritize performance, and the best choice for them is Block Storage.
Block storage can be expanded. Another point is that Block Storage allows editing additional parts of the file; Object Storage should be edited as a unit. If part of an object needs editing, the entire object must be available and updated and then rewritten, which may negatively impact performance.
Both Block Storage and Object Storage formats are used in organizations, but block storage is more towards scenarios that deal with a lot of data, such as big data storage and backup archives. For this reason, modern data storage environments like the cloud are likely to lean more towards object-based storage than block storage. However, individual needs are always the determining factor in which storage format is best.
