Multi-tenant architecture in cloud storage isolates user data through logical separation mechanisms, ensuring that each tenant's data remains secure and inaccessible to others. This is achieved through several techniques:
Namespace Isolation: Each tenant is assigned a unique namespace or identifier, which prefixes their data objects or files. For example, in a cloud storage bucket, files from Tenant A might be stored under /tenantA/ while Tenant B's files are under /tenantB/.
Access Control Policies: Role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC) enforces strict permissions. For instance, Tencent Cloud COS (Cloud Object Storage) uses CAM (Cloud Access Management) to define fine-grained policies, ensuring only authorized users can access specific resources.
Encryption: Data is encrypted at rest and in transit, with separate encryption keys per tenant. Tencent Cloud provides Key Management Service (KMS) to let tenants manage their own encryption keys, preventing cross-tenant access.
Virtualization Layer: The storage system uses a virtualization layer to abstract physical resources, mapping each tenant's logical storage to isolated physical locations. For example, Tencent Cloud CBS (Cloud Block Storage) allocates dedicated storage volumes for each tenant, even if they share the same underlying hardware.
Network Segmentation: Tenants may be isolated via private networks or VLANs, ensuring their data traffic doesn’t interfere with others. Tencent Cloud VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) allows tenants to create isolated network environments.
Example: In Tencent Cloud COS, Tenant A uploads files to a bucket with a unique prefix and sets CAM policies to restrict access. Even if Tenant B has the same bucket name, their data is stored under a different namespace and governed by separate policies, ensuring isolation.