How are image sites administered?

Question

Software design

For example, entertainment sites with pictures and memes. Instagram and similar. In the sense that image files - JPG|GIF - are added to a separate folder and are added there constantly and indefinitely.

How is this array of files served? S3 is wildly expensive.
Somehow they are reserved. Duplicate. What about server failure?

Answer 1

Just the same S3. You need to understand that in addition to s3, cdn is involved, and for old pictures there is a lifecycle policy according to which over time they are transferred to cheaper storage due to strong handling, and then they are completely deleted

Answer 2

There are cold and hot data.
For hot ones, they use faster and more expensive storage, for cold ones, on the contrary.
https://cloud.yandex.ru/prices Object Storage

Answer 3

Well, there are different ways here
1. S3 and its analogues from different providers. Up to Yandex / Mayra. The most expensive option, but the easiest for you. Very expensive for storage and for outgoing traffic.
2. S3 + cdn. Let's add cdn cloudflare or cdnvideo to the storage. Choose according to the price of traffic. You can immediately reduce the bill for traffic from s3 times 100. Due to caching on cdn, of course.
3. Rent servers and set up and administer some kind of ceph / gluster, or what people believe in now. Reduces the price tag of storage by 5-10 times.
4. Theoretically, there is an option to buy your own hardware from a vendor / or very cheap hardware with a constant supply of consumables, but I would not recommend this to anyone at all.
The cost in each option will fall, BUT requires more professionalism in administration. If the skill is weak, then the first big fakap will multiply everything you have by zero.