Object Storage vs. Block Storage: What’s the Difference?
Block storage is the oldest and simplest form of data storage. Block storage stores data in fixed-sized chunks called — you guessed it — ‘blocks’. By itself, a block typically only houses a portion of the data. The application makes SCSI calls to find the correct address of the blocks, then organizes them to form the complete file. Because the data is piecemeal, the address is the only identifying part of a block — there is no metadata associated with blocks. This structure leads to faster performance when the application and storage are local, but can lead to more latency when they are farther apart.