Object storage S3/Grid
The de facto standard for Cloud Native and unstructured data
De Novo S3/Grid is a fully S3-compatible, industrial-grade object storage built based on the NetApp platform - the world leader in data storage. The service is designed for productive cloud-native environments and scenarios where reliability, security, and cost predictability are critical.
The storage implements the Amazon S3 API. Migrating from AWS S3 to De Novo S3/Grid (and vice versa) requires no changes to application code, SDKs, or CI/CD processes. This allows you to build hybrid and multi-cloud architectures without vendor lock-in.
Immutability and ransomware protection
The built-in Object Lock (immutability) functionality guarantees data immutability for a specified period. Even the system administrator cannot modify or delete such objects. This is a key mechanism for protecting against cyberattacks, personnel errors, and malicious encryption programs.
Access and support
Access to S3/Grid is unified — HTTPS over the Internet or dedicated lines. The service can be used from De Novo clouds, from on-premise infrastructures, or from other cloud platforms.
Commercial production grade support is a mandatory component of the service and ensures stable operation in production environments.
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What Is Object Storage?
Data storage is generally divided into three types: file, block and object storage. Each has its own characteristics, limitations and areas of use. File storage, for example, is convenient for users and applications, while block storage is typically used for virtual machines and databases. However, both of these types often begin to run into problems when workloads grow to petabyte scale. In such cases, the convenient hierarchical structure of file storage, with its files and folders, becomes an obstacle to scaling, while the lack of built-in metadata in block storage makes it harder to search for information, which can lead to a sharp drop in performance. This is why, when a system is designed for storing large volumes of unstructured information, the third option is usually chosen.
Object storage means that data is stored as independent objects, hence the name. There is no hierarchical structure as in file storage, which significantly simplifies and accelerates data handling. Each object in this peer-to-peer system receives a unique identifier and metadata for search and end-to-end analytics. As a result, the storage structure becomes far simpler and, most importantly, this approach allows cloud object storage to grow linearly while handling large data volumes. Any object can be assigned any number of metadata entries in a key-value format, for example content-type: video, department: marketing or retention-policy: 5-years.
In addition, this architecture separates the storage and compute layers, allowing them to be developed and scaled independently of one another. Object data storage provides direct access via an API.
Another important point is that this architecture is highly convenient for ensuring the resilience of petabyte-scale storage systems. Instead of a traditional RAID array, which requires long and complex recovery when a disk fails, object storage uses erasure coding based on checksums distributed across multiple servers. This makes it possible to withstand the simultaneous failure of several hardware nodes at once, either in one data centre or across several data centres. Object storage can be purchased either by deploying it on your own infrastructure or by renting it from a cloud provider.
How Secure Is AWS S3 Object Storage?
Amazon Web Services Simple Storage Service, or AWS S3, is an object storage service that, despite the many alternatives available, has become the de facto industry standard for cloud data storage. One of the reasons for its popularity is its very high level of resilience and data protection. Amazon S3 object storage is protected by a multi-layered security system that safeguards data at several levels. The operator provides physical protection for data centres, infrastructure resilience and isolation of virtual environments. The tools used include support for strict IAM policies and full auditing of operations. Server-side encryption, including AWS KMS, is used to protect confidential data. S3 Object Lock helps protect against ransomware by enabling the creation of immutable copies of data.
In practice, however, these measures are often not enough on their own. The key point is that S3 object storage uses the Shared Responsibility Model, where the operator is responsible for the cloud itself, while the customer is responsible for the security of their own data within it. This is exactly where problems most often arise: on the customer side. Overall, AWS object storage complies with all major international security standards, including PCI-DSS and GDPR.
How Does Amazon Simple Storage Service, or Amazon S3, Work?
The architecture of Amazon Simple Storage Service essentially consists of two main parts: one is responsible for routing requests, while the other handles the physical placement of objects in storage. This approach reduces data processing latency and provides file access within milliseconds. At the same time, the user application interacts only with logical entities, or buckets, through a standard HTTP API, while the platform itself distributes data across independent nodes to ensure resilience.
The proprietary AWS S3 API protocol is now very widely used, and Amazon Web Services S3-compatible storage has become a standard option for organisations that need compatibility with the S3 API without being tied to a specific platform. A few further words should be said about the architectural features. Amazon S3 provides strong read-after-write consistency for all new objects and delete operations. It should also be noted that S3 is not only about data storage. Thanks to its integration with event-driven architecture, AWS S3 storage supports a wide range of adjacent capabilities. For example, it can create an asynchronous event in JSON format and instantly deliver it to target services such as AWS Lambda, Amazon SQS or SNS.
How Is the Price of S3-Compatible Object Storage Calculated?
The main principle behind the cost of using S3 storage can be described as pay-as-you-go, which is a familiar model for cloud providers. However, the way the cost is calculated differs fundamentally from traditional disks, where the user pays a fixed amount for a certain volume of allocated space. With Amazon Web Services S3, the price consists of four components: data volume, number of operations, or API requests, network traffic and the cost of additional services. For this reason, the AWS S3 price can vary significantly depending on the type of workload and the tasks involved. If the data simply sits almost idle, the cost of storing it may be, say, $100. But if thousands of microservices constantly access that data, the actual bill can rise several times over due to associated costs.
The most treacherous cost item in this context is the charge for API requests, especially for dynamic applications. Every application request is billed in batches. Write and modification requests are significantly more expensive than read requests, which affects the AWS S3 storage price.
Accordingly, if the client system is not designed optimally, the cost of processing requests may exceed the cost of storing the files themselves. The other three factors also have a significant impact on the final bill. For this reason, the cost of Amazon S3 storage should always be calculated with the characteristics of a specific workload in mind, not only the volume of data stored.
What Types of Data Are Best Stored in S3 Storage?
The Amazon Web Services S3 cloud is used for a wide range of workloads and tasks, but S3 storage most often becomes the foundation for enterprise analytics platforms and data lake environments. The S3 architecture is well suited to working with huge volumes of unstructured information, including logs, telemetry data, datasets for machine learning, archives, backups and much more. Media archives and virtual machine images are also often moved to the AWS S3 cloud.
Another area where the Amazon Web Services S3 cloud is used is industrial systems and the Internet of Things, or IoT, where the fast and uninterrupted processing of intensive data streams from hundreds or thousands of devices is critically important. In addition, Amazon S3 cloud services include analytical tools that allow complex SQL queries to be run directly against data stored in buckets, bypassing the complex process of importing that data into traditional storage systems. Beyond this, the S3 object architecture is optimised for Write Once, Read Many, or WORM, data: data that is written once and then read many times without being changed, which is important in the context of protection against ransomware.
What Alternatives to AWS S3 Exist for Companies in Ukraine?
In the Ukrainian market, the choice of IT architecture is increasingly shaped not only by economic or even technical considerations, but also by specific regulatory requirements. These include requirements to store critical data inside the country. For this reason, moving data to foreign data centres is not always permissible. However, if object storage is still required, it can also be obtained within the country. An alternative to Amazon S3 does exist. Large Ukrainian cloud providers offer S3-compatible platforms in their own certified data centres.
Although AWS S3 has effectively become the industry standard, there are dozens of other object storage solutions. For example, De Novo deploys its S3/Grid object storage based on the NetApp StorageGRID platform. Other operators may use AWS S3 alternatives such as Cubbit DS3, MinIO, Ceph and others. Compatibility means that companies can use familiar tools through the native S3 API protocol while remaining legally and physically within Ukraine’s jurisdiction.
When choosing a provider, companies often compare AWS S3 services with local offerings, assessing cost, support and data residency requirements. In many cases, the balance tips in favour of a hybrid storage architecture, where critical data remains under Ukrainian jurisdiction, while less critical data can be moved abroad to a new AWS S3 storage environment.