Object-based storage architecture allows digital rights management (DRM) solutions to associate metadata directly with stored materials. Managing Cloud documentation highlights that object storage is designed to store data as discrete objects, each containing the data itself, a unique identifier, and customizable metadata.

This metadata capability is essential for DRM solutions, as it enables the attachment of usage rights, access restrictions, expiration rules, and ownership information to digital content. Because metadata is stored alongside the object, policies can be enforced consistently regardless of where or how the data is accessed within the cloud environment.

Other storage architectures lack this flexibility. Volume and file storage focus on block-level or hierarchical file systems with limited metadata support, while relational databases require structured schemas not optimized for DRM metadata association. Object-based storage’s native metadata functionality makes it the preferred architecture for enforcing content protection and rights management in the cloud.