> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xloud.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Object Storage User Guide

> Create containers, upload objects, configure access control, enable versioning, and work with large objects in Xloud Object Storage.

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Overview</p>

Xloud Object Storage provides a scalable, durable store for unstructured data. Data is
organized into containers (buckets) within your project account. Each container holds
objects of any size along with user-defined metadata. Access is controlled through ACLs,
enabling secure sharing within and across projects.

<Note>
  **Prerequisites**

  * An active Xloud account with appropriate permissions
  * Access to the **Xloud Dashboard** or CLI configured with credentials
  * API credentials sourced (`source openrc.sh`)
</Note>

<Note>
  Object Storage is accessed via the Object Storage API endpoint. Ensure your credentials
  file sets `OS_AUTH_URL` and that your project has the `object-store` service available.
  Verify access with `openstack object store account show`.
</Note>

***

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Topics in This Guide</p>

<CardGroup cols={4}>
  <Card title="Create a Container" icon="folder-plus" href="/services/object-storage/create-container" color="#197560">
    Provision object storage containers with storage policy selection and access settings
  </Card>

  <Card title="Upload Objects" icon="upload" href="/services/object-storage/upload-objects" color="#197560">
    Upload, download, list, and delete objects using the Dashboard and CLI
  </Card>

  <Card title="Access Control" icon="list-checks" href="/services/object-storage/access-control" color="#197560">
    Configure read and write ACLs on containers for cross-project sharing
  </Card>

  <Card title="Versioning" icon="history" href="/services/object-storage/versioning" color="#197560">
    Enable object version retention to protect against accidental overwrites
  </Card>

  <Card title="Large Objects" icon="file-archive" href="/services/object-storage/large-objects" color="#197560">
    Upload files over 5 GB using Static and Dynamic Large Object mechanisms
  </Card>

  <Card title="Troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/services/object-storage/troubleshooting" color="#197560">
    Resolve 403 errors, upload timeouts, versioning failures, and temp URL issues
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Storage Hierarchy</p>

| Concept            | Description                                                              |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Account**        | Your project's top-level object storage namespace — holds all containers |
| **Container**      | A logical bucket within the account — all objects reside in a container  |
| **Object**         | A stored data item — any file, document, image, or binary blob           |
| **Metadata**       | Custom key-value pairs on accounts, containers, or objects               |
| **Storage Policy** | Named configuration defining how container data is replicated            |
| **Temporary URL**  | A time-limited signed URL for sharing object access without tokens       |

***

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Next Steps</p>

<CardGroup cols={4}>
  <Card title="Object Storage Admin Guide" icon="shield-check" href="/services/object-storage/admin-guide" color="#197560">
    Configure storage policies, rings, replication, and quotas
  </Card>

  <Card title="Key Manager" icon="lock" href="/services/key-manager/user-guide" color="#197560">
    Manage encryption keys for server-side object storage encryption
  </Card>

  <Card title="Identity" icon="fingerprint" href="/cli-setup" color="#197560">
    Configure authentication tokens for programmatic object storage access
  </Card>

  <Card title="Load Balancer" icon="combine" href="/services/load-balancer/user-guide" color="#197560">
    Distribute object storage proxy requests behind a load balancer
  </Card>
</CardGroup>