Object Storage - Choosing the right storage class for your needs

Object Storage is a family of storage solutions that offer high-performance, scalable and secure storage spaces.

With object storage solutions, you can store static files (videos, images, web files...) in an unlimited space via a public access point, called an endpoint. You can use these files from an application, or you can make them accessible on the web. These storage spaces are accessible via an API interface.

We offer two Object Storage solutions: our latest generation S3¹-compatible Object Storage, which is generally available, and our established Swift Object Storage, which remains a supported option for users. However, we recommend using the S3-compatible Object Storage solution for newly designed applications as it benefits from the latest features.

S3-compatible Object Storage tiers

Our S3-compatible Object Storage classes are tailored to meet specific requirements for your workloads including overall performance, availability and resiliency levels, access time and costs.

Object Storage - Standard class (S3-compatible)

The Standard storage class offers a scalable object storage service, compatible with the vast majority of use cases, adapted to any type of volume. The solution is based on HDD storage within a resilient architecture in a datacentre. The solution is accessible via an S3-compatible API.

This offer is suitable for the following use cases: media/content storage & delivery, datalake, website, backup, logs and application metrics.

Object Storage - High Performance class (S3-compatible)

The High Performance storage class is a high-performance object storage space for applications that have high bandwidth requirements and require extremely fast and intensive read and write access to data. The solution relies on storage on high-performance NVMe SSD disks, within a resilient architecture in a datacentre.

This offer is suitable for the following use cases: AI & Analytics, datalake, High Performance Computing, multimedia/content platforms.

Object Storage - Infrequent Access class (S3-compatible)

The Infrequent Access storage class is designed for infrequently accessed data, also known as "cool" data storage, requiring fast data retrieval. It offers similar performance (ms TTFB, low latency) and availability than Standard Object Storage but with a lower cost per GiB-hour and a per GiB retrieval fee.

This offer is suitable for the following use cases: long-term storage, backups, disaster recovery.

Object Storage - Active Archive class (S3-compatible)

The Active Archive storage class is designed for long-term data retention, while ensuring immediate access when needed. This storage class is optimized for data that is rarely accessed but must always remain instantly available.

This offer is suitable for the following use cases: long-term regulatory data storage, disaster recovery plans.

Object Storage - Cold Archive class (S3-compatible)

The Cold Archive storage class is an archival storage class. Also existing on its own as a dedicated product at OVHcloud (bucket-level granularity), Cold Archive is also available as a class in a general-purpose object storage container. Cold Archive is designed for long-term data storage and data archiving with a very low cost per GiB-hour and per GiB restore fee. Indeed, data in the Cold Archive class is not available in real-time and needs to be restored before being available.

Comparison Table

More details about available regions here.

Additional details

Minimum storage duration

It refers to the minimum amount of time that an object must be stored in a particular storage class. In case of early deletion, using delete-object requests, a pro-rated fee equal to the remaining days is applied. Be careful with non-versioned buckets, if the object is overwritten, this will be considered as a deletion of the current object version and the pro-rated fee will be applied too.

For example, for the Infrequent Access class, the minimum storage time is 730 hours (30 days). If an object is deleted during this period, an additional charge will be applied and calculated using the following formula: [730h - # of hours of storage of the object] x price per hour of storage class.

Retrieval fee

It refers to a charge that is applied when you retrieve or access data that is stored in a particular storage class. The retrieval fee is calculated based on the amount of data retrieved (per GiB retrieved).

For the Infrequent Access and the Active Archive classes, only get-object requests are considered as retrieval fee.

For our Cold Archive class, only restore requests are considered as retrieval fee.

Lifecycle management support

It refers to the ability to automatically manage the storage lifecycle of your objects, such as transitioning them from one storage class to another, based on predefined rules and policies. This allows you to optimize storage costs and simplify data management. Object-level granularity is required because it allows you to manage at the individual object level. Lifecycle transition requests are free of charge.

More details about lifecycle management here.

Cold Archive (Object-level management) class considerations

When using the Cold Archive class in an Object Storage general-purpose bucket, archived objects are not available in real-time. The user is asked to first restore the object through a "restore" request and then, after some time (from minutes up to multiple hours), the object is available to download for a duration set by the user when requesting it and is billed upfront at the Standard class rate. However its class will remain as Cold Archive but will be available for GET requests or other actions. In summary, for each object restored, a one time restoration fee per GiB of data plus the storage cost at the Standard rate of the object are billed.

For official prices, see our page "Object Storage pricing".

OpenStack Swift Object Storage tiers

Standard object storage - Swift API

The Standard storage class (Swift) offers a data storage service with no particular need for performance, within a resilient architecture by triple replication of data within the same datacentre. The solution is accessible via a Swift API and an Amazon S3-compatible API (less compatible than the new Object Storage solutions (Standard/High Performance)).

Cloud Archive - Swift API

The Cloud Archive (Swift) storage class offers a storage service for long-term data retention for business needs or other obligations. Adapted to suit this use case, the service offers low storage costs and several minutes of latency for data recovery. The solution is accessible via a Swift API.

All storage classes are accessible through the standard API

The list of all API endpoints can be found here.

Go further

If you need training or technical assistance to implement our solutions, contact your sales representative or click on this link to get a quote and ask our Professional Services experts for assisting you on your specific use case of your project.

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¹: S3 is a trademark of Amazon Technologies, Inc. OVHcloud’s service is not sponsored by, endorsed by, or otherwise affiliated with Amazon Technologies, Inc.