# Overview Blob storage is a type of [[Object Storage]] that is perfect for storing large, unstructured 'blobs' of data. This includes images, videos, [[csv]] files, or any other types of files! To put this type of data into a [[Relational Databases]] or [[NoSQL Database]] would require computationally expensive pre-processing. Moreover, this type of data would not be stored very efficiently, cause additional storage costs. Blob storage is design to store this data in a very cost-effective manner. Once storage the data can be accessed via a [[URL]]. Below are some examples of blob storages available on the market: ![[Blob Storage Products]] # Key Considerations Blob storages, especially this hosted cloud services, are considered to be very effective in terms of [[Durability]], [[Cost]], [[Scalability]], and [[Security]]. # Implementation Details ## Scalability The following methods can be used to effective scale uploads and downloads in blob storage: - [[Chunking]] ## Resumable Downloads #flashcard The solution is range requests - HTTP's ability to download specific byte ranges of a file. Instead of GET requesting the entire file, the client requests chunks: - `GET /large-file.zip Range: bytes=0-10485759 (first 10MB)` This enables resumable downloads. Track which ranges completed and request only missing pieces after reconnection. Modern browsers and download managers handle this automatically if your storage and CDN support range requests (they all do). You just need to ensure your signed URLs don't restrict the HTTP verbs or headers needed - For extreme cases like distributing massive datasets or game assets, some teams implement parallel chunk downloads. Split the file into parts, download 4-6 chunks simultaneously, then reassemble client-side. This can 3-4x download speeds by working around per-connection throttling. But the complexity is rarely worth it - most users are limited by their total bandwidth, not per-connection limits. ## Security One of the key methods blob storage provides to control data access is [[pre-signed URLs]]. # Useful Links # Related Topics ## Reference #### Working Notes #### Sources