With object storage, the unit of storage is an object, rather than a file or a block. Unlike the tree-like hierarchy of a file system or block storage, object storage organizes data in a flat, unstructured layout. Object storage decouples the physical location of the data from the method used to store and retrieve that data.
Each object in an object-based storage system has two parts: object data and object metadata.
Object data might be anything; for example, a photograph, a movie, or a medical record.
Object metadata is any information that describes an object. StorageGRID uses object metadata to track the locations of all objects across the grid and to manage each object's lifecycle over time.
For detailed information about how and where StorageGRID stores object metadata, go to the instructions for administering StorageGRID and search for "managing object metadata storage."