> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.plenit.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.plenit.com/docs-en/productos/object-storage/concepts/what-it-is.md).

# What is Object Storage?

Object Storage is a high-capacity, S3-compatible storage space where you store large volumes of data: backups, application files, exports, and logs.

It is not organized by folders like a disk, but by software that speaks S3.

### How it differs from File Storage

|                   | File Storage                     | Object Storage                    |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| What it's for     | Day-to-day work on files         | Store large volumes               |
| How it's accessed | People, via web or network drive | Software, via the S3 protocol     |
| Organization      | Folders and permissions          | Objects in repositories (buckets) |
| Typical case      | The office file server           | Backup, archiving and logs        |

> #### 📘 The quick rule
>
> If a person is going to open and edit the file daily, it's File Storage. If software is going to write or read it (a backup, an application, a process), it's Object Storage.

### What it's used for

* **Backup** with S3-compatible tools.
* **Archiving and retention** of large volumes of data.
* **Application data**, exports and files generated by software.
* **Logs** and technical artifacts.
* **Repositories** for restoration and version preservation.

### What you decide and what we do

| You decide                             | We do                                     |
| -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| The quota and region of the repository | Operate the distributed storage           |
| The S3 users and their credentials     | Replicate each object three times         |
| Which software you connect via S3      | Keep the service accessible and encrypted |
| If you enable versioning               | Keep a copy in another location           |


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