The biggest difference between hot data storage and cold data storage lies in the storage media.

Hot data is frequently queried or updated and has high requirements on access response time. It is stored on DN data disks.
Cold data is not updated and is occasionally queried, and does not have high requirements on access response time. It is stored in OBS.

Different storage media determine the cost, performance, and application scenarios of the two storage mode, as shown in Table 1.

**Table 1** Differences between hot and cold data storage
Storage	Read and Write	Cost	Capacity	Application Scenario
Hot storage	Fast	High	Fixed and restricted	This mode is applicable to scenarios where the data volume is limited and needs to be frequently read and updated.
Cold storage	Slow	Low	Large and unlimited	This mode is applicable to scenarios such as data archiving. It features low cost and large capacity.

What Are the Differences Between Hot Data Storage and Cold Data Storage?