--- title: "Object storage | SurrealDB" description: "Files and durable storage in the database. Define buckets over in-memory, file-system, or object-storage backends, and separate compute from storage." url: https://surrealdb.com/surrealdb/storage --- OBJECT STORAGE # Storage that scales with you Run SurrealDB embedded over a local engine, or separate compute from storage for a fault-tolerant, horizontally scalable cluster. Manage files as first-class citizens with buckets over in-memory, file-system, or object-storage backends - all through the same SurrealQL. [Read the docs](https://surrealdb.com/docs/manage/self-hosted/deployment-models) [Start free with SurrealDB](https://studio.surrealdb.com/current/instances/deploy) 1. ![Babcock](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/babcock.lo4rnVg1.svg) 2. ![ING](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/ing.X3I6S3_V.svg) 3. ![British Airways](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/british-airways.KEsZiwV-.svg) 4. ![Nvidia](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/nvidia.DaIEuMil.svg) 5. ![Apple](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/apple.D5pq4flY.svg) 6. ![SpaceX](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/spacex.CQJEk-IL.svg) 7. ![Samsung](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/samsung.CH-vQgnb.svg) 8. ![adidas](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/adidas.DdTC5qhk.svg) 9. ![Tencent](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/tencent.paQmLxyy.svg) 10. ![Alibaba](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/alibaba.B16idgfM.svg) 11. ![PolyAI](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/poly-ai.c3w_fAg6.svg) 12. ![Later](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/later.Ds736jFO.svg) 13. ![Verizon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/verizon.BI7CajdX.svg) 14. ![Liberty Mutual](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/liberty-mutual.B7qOU1pd.svg) 15. ![Walmart](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/walmart.BjDg_Sr8.svg) 16. ![Carrier](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/carrier.D21gC6NX.svg) 17. ![Saks Fifth Avenue](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/saks-fifth-avenue.COIDpLSb.svg) 18. ![San Francisco Compute Company](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/sfcc.B7jlImq4.svg) 19. ![Shield AI](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/shield-ai.pINZ0KJr.svg) 20. ![Wix](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/wix.DvHhmoBi.svg) 01 |STORAGE ENGINES ## One interface, pluggable backends Point the same database at an in-memory engine for a throwaway test, a local file for a single node, or a distributed backend for production - and manage files without leaving SurrealQL. PLUGGABLE ENGINES ## Start anywhere, move without rewrites The storage engine is chosen at startup. The query language, schema, and application code are identical across all of them. ``` # In-memory: fast, ephemeral, ideal for testssurreal start memory# SurrealKV: embedded, versioned, single nodesurreal start surrealkv://production.db# RocksDB: embedded, high-throughputsurreal start rocksdb://production.db ``` FILE BUCKETS ## Files, defined and queried like data DEFINE BUCKET registers a file store - in-memory, on disk, or an object-storage backend - and file operations become SurrealQL you can permission and transact. ``` DEFINE BUCKET uploads BACKEND "memory";f"uploads:/readme.txt".put("SurrealDB");f"uploads:/readme.txt".get();f"uploads:/readme.txt".copy("uploads:/readme.backup.txt"); ``` ## From a single binary to a distributed cluster The same engine runs embedded in your application or spread across a fault-tolerant cluster with compute and storage scaling independently. ### [Embedded engines](https://surrealdb.com/docs/manage/self-hosted/deployment-models) Run SurrealDB in-process over SurrealKV or RocksDB - no server to operate for local and edge workloads. Learn more ### [Compute-storage separation](https://surrealdb.com/surrealdb/deep-dive#storage) Scale query nodes and storage independently, so heavy read or write load never forces you to over-provision the other. Learn more ### [Object-storage backends](https://surrealdb.com/surrealdb/deep-dive#storage) Separate compute from storage over S3-compatible object storage, and define file buckets over in-memory or file-system backends - with cloud bucket backends landing in the 3.3 beta. Learn more ### [Built-in durability](https://surrealdb.com/surrealdb/deep-dive#storage) Replication and object-storage durability keep data safe through node loss, with recovery handled by the engine. Learn more ### [File buckets](https://surrealdb.com/surrealdb/features#file-storage) Manage uploads as first-class records - put, get, copy, and delete - permissioned and transactional in SurrealQL. Learn more ### [Versioned reads](https://surrealdb.com/surrealdb/deep-dive#storage) MVCC storage keeps history, so time-travel VERSION queries read the database as it was at a point in time. Learn more 02 |ONE ENGINE ## Files and data in one system Keeping documents in one store, blobs in another, and the metadata that ties them together in a third means three systems to secure, back up, and keep consistent. SurrealDB holds them together. ### One permission model Buckets and records share the same access control, so a file is protected by the same rules as the row that references it. ### Scale each layer on its own Separating compute from storage lets you add query capacity or durable capacity independently, without wasting either. ### No glue to maintain File handling is SurrealQL, not a separate SDK and object-store integration you have to write and keep in sync. ## Keep exploring ### [Technical deep-dive](https://surrealdb.com/surrealdb/deep-dive#storage) Compute-storage separation and the storage engines, in depth. Explore ### [Deployment documentation](https://surrealdb.com/docs/manage/self-hosted/deployment-models) Every storage engine and how to run it. Explore ### [All features](https://surrealdb.com/surrealdb/features#file-storage) The complete file-storage and scalability set. Explore GET STARTED ## Store everything in one engine Run SurrealDB embedded or distributed, and manage files and data through the same SurrealQL. ![Samsung](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/4c58b81e7b3c9466.C_Hv0eml.svg)![NVIDIA](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/nvidia.DaIEuMil.svg)![Apple](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/f7dc2519e0d212bc.Cn8MYAK7.svg)![Verizon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/18b99996c689000f.B5PQ-nI9.svg)![Tencent](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/401d8346058682c8.DqM87mst.svg) SOC 2 Type 2 GDPR Cyber Essentials Plus ISO 27001 [Read the docs](https://surrealdb.com/docs/manage/self-hosted/deployment-models) [Start free with SurrealDB](https://studio.surrealdb.com/current/instances/deploy) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"SurrealDB","url":"https://surrealdb.com","logo":"https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/logo.BG7_TG2b.svg","description":"SurrealDB is the unified data layer for AI. 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