What does object storage provide in addition to data storage?

Object storage is designed to manage large amounts of unstructured data and provides several advantages over traditional file or block storage systems. One of its key features is the ability to treat data as objects within a flat structure, rather than a hierarchical file system. This structure enables users to access and manipulate the stored data easily without the complexities associated with path-based file systems.

The correct answer highlights that object storage allows access to parts of the hierarchy. In object storage, data is stored as discrete objects that can include metadata, enabling users to retrieve specific parts of the data or metadata directly. This capability supports higher efficiency and agility when accessing various types of data, making it easier for applications to find and utilize the information they need.

While the other options relate to beneficial features of cloud services, they do not accurately depict the primary advantage of object storage. For instance, encryption and compression may be offered in some object storage systems, but they are not inherent characteristics of the object storage model itself. Backup and recovery processes can also be managed using object storage, yet this is more about the operational functionality rather than dynamic data access. Load balancing focuses on distributing workloads across multiple resources and is not a direct feature of object storage systems.