In part 1 of 3, objects and object storage are defined, their key attributes are identified and the most common use cases for object storage are described. Join Jeff Lundberg, senior product marketing manager at Hitachi Data Systems, to learn the fundamentals of object storage and get answers to your questions. View this WebTech to learn: What makes an object. The difference between block, file and object storage. Key attributes and uses of object store solutions. For more information on Object Storage please view our white paper: http://www.hds.com/assets/pdf/hitachi-white-paper-introduction-to-object-storage-and-hcp.pdf

1. THE FUNDAMENTALS OF
OBJECTS AND OBJECT
STORAGE
PART 1 OF 3
JEFF LUNDBERG, SENIOR PRODUCT
MARKETING MANAGER
JULY 11, 2012

2. WEBTECH EDUCATIONAL SERIES
The Fundamentals of Objects and Object Storage
In part 1of 3, objects and object storage are defined, their key attributes
are identified, and the most common use cases for object storage are
described. Join Jeff Lundberg, senior product marketing manager at
Hitachi Data Systems, to learn the fundamentals of object storage and
get answers to your questions.
Attend this WebTech to learn
• What makes an object
• The difference between block, file and object storage
• Key attributes and uses of object store solutions

3. AGENDA
 What is object storage?
 What is an object?
 What is metadata?
 The value of metadata
 A bridge to big data

4. WHAT IS OBJECT STORAGE?
 Just like we move photos
from devices to a PC…
‒ Simplify management and
use
‒ Organize, protect and
share photos
 IT uses object stores for
similar reasons
‒ Consolidate and organize
‒ Protect and preserve
‒ Manage and search
AGGREGATE, MANAGE, PROTECT AND USE CONTENT

5. COMPARISON TO BLOCK STORAGE
 Bucket of bits
 No meaning attached
‒ One bit string no different
from the next
‒ No data intelligence in
storage
 Operations are against gross
collections of bits, without
knowledge of what the bits
represent to the customer

6. COMPARISON TO BLOCK STORAGE
 Objects take form
‒ Not just a string of bits
 From storage subsystem to
software system – called
an object store
 Object store itself has
knowledge about data
 Now able to perform
complex functions against
the data

7. Custom Metadata
System Metadata
WHAT IS AN OBJECT?
System Metadata
 Filename: NZ219983.JPG
 Created: January 4, 2012
 Last modified: March 23, 2012
Custom Metadata
 Subject: Castle Point Lighthouse
 Place Taken: New Zealand
 Category: Travel
 Allow sharing: Yes
File
File + Metadata = Object
File Class = Image

8. WHAT IS METADATA?
 Describes the object
‒ Helps you to find the right
one
‒ Tells you what it is
‒ The specifications
‒ Used where and when
‒ Access permissions
 Any and all objects
‒ Different attributes per object
‒ Add attributes later

9. WHY IS METADATA IMPORTANT?
 Imagine a grocery store with no labels on any of the cans

10. THINK OF METADATA LIKE THE LABEL
ON A CAN
 End-user self-service
 Automation
 Regulatory compliance
 Marketing
 Disposition
 Procedures
 Branding
OVER TIME, METADATA CAN BE MORE VALUABLE THAN THE DATA ITSELF

11. THE POWER OF METADATA
 What if data could
describe itself?
 Think of how that
could
‒ Simplify management
‒ Facilitate protection
‒ Serve as automation
‒ Reduce costs
‒ Mitigate risk
 That’s the power of
an object
Hi there, I am a
PowerPoint file.
 I was created by John Doe on January 1, 2011
 Only the finance department can look at me
 I have not been accessed for 6 months
 Save your money, I don’t need to be replicated
 I contain information about a merger, so you
should retain me for 10 years in case you get
investigated
 Delete me on January 1, 2021 to free up some
storage space and reduce legal exposure

12. METADATA IN ACTION
<claim id=1203 date=20110925>
<policy id=101>
<party id=1 type=car plate=509445>
<claim id=1203 date=20110925>
<policy id=101>
<estimate id=2344 estimator=124 date=20110930>
<claim id=1203 date=20110930>
<policy id=101>
<invoice id=72273881 vendor=2833>
<policy id=101>
<object type=car
plate=454756>
<customer id=2355>
<tow plate=454756>

13. MINING METADATA
 Identify sets of related objects based on system and
custom metadata
 Understand the object store – gather object or content
metrics on sets of objects based on metadata
‒ Content discovery
‒ Return all files owned by "Bob Smith" created after "3/15/2011" with
unexpired retention
‒ Return objects with a specific retention class defined
‒ Return objects under retention hold, for litigation purposes
‒ Intelligent directory services
‒ Return all files with the extension "mp3 wav wma" in order to
synthesize a "Music" folder
‒ Metrics gathering
‒ What is the size distribution of files in the system?
‒ What percentage of my files are Word documents?
‒ Which owners have generated the most content?

14. METADATA AS A BRIDGE TO BIG DATA
The first step on the path to big data
 Get the data in one place
 Mine the metadata
 Search the content
 Gather metrics
 Look for trends
 Find relationships among objects

15. SUMMARY AND NEXT STEPS
 Learn more about object storage
‒ Attend parts 2 and 3 of this series
 Talk to your application vendors
‒ RESTful HTTP support
‒ What kinds of metadata are supported?
 Try it for yourself
‒ Should be easy to deploy, integrate and manage
 Determine the right metadata to capture
‒ From machines, applications, users
 Start soon to save more and leapfrog competitors

16. RESOURCES
 Object storage
‒ http://www.hds.com/products/file-and-content/content-
platform/?WT.ac=us_mg_pro_hcp
 Object storage white paper
‒ http://www.hds.com/assets/pdf/distributed-object-store-principles-of-operation.pdf
 Object storage overview
‒ http://www.hds.com/assets/pdf/hitachi-solution-profile-object-based-storage.pdf
 Object storage in action
‒ http://www.techvalidate.com/product-research/hds-content-archive-platform

17. QUESTIONS AND
DISCUSSION

18. UPCOMING WEBTECHS
July: Object Storage Series
 Part 2: The Value of Object Storage for IT, July 18, 9 a.m. PT, 12
p.m. ET
 Part 3: How to Use and Develop Applications Designed for Object
Storage, July 24, 9 a.m. PT, 12 p.m. ET
August
 Storage Analytics, August 8, 9 a.m. PT, 12 p.m. ET
Check www.hds.com/webtech for
 Links to the recording, the presentation and Q&A (available next week)
 Schedule and registration for upcoming WebTech sessions

19. THANK YOU