The ANSI T10 object-based storage standard and current implementations

Object-based storage is the natural evolution of the block storage interface, aimed at efficiently and effectively meeting the performance, reliability, security, and service requirements demanded by current and future applications. The object-based storage interface provides an organizational container, called an object, into which higher-level software (e.g., file systems, databases, and user applications) can store both data and related attributes. In 2004, the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) T10 Standards body ratified an Object-based Storage Device (OSD) command set for SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) storage devices that implements the OSD interface. This paper describes the rationale for OSDs, highlights the ANSI T10 OSD V1.0 interface, and presents three OSD implementations: an OSD from Seagate, an IBM object-based storage prototype (ObjectStone), and the Panasas object-based distributed storage system.