Filestore

Filestore is a term used for cloud-based, managed file storage services that provide shared, network-attached file systems. It is most commonly associated with Google Cloud Filestore, a service that offers scalable, NFS-based file storage designed for workloads that require concurrent access to the same data by multiple compute resources. Filestore provisions a file system as a managed resource, letting users choose capacity and, in some offerings, performance characteristics, while the provider handles maintenance and availability.

In practice, clients mount a Filestore file system over the NFS protocol and access it from compute resources such as virtual machines or containerized workloads. This enables shared access to files with POSIX semantics, making Filestore suitable for applications that rely on a common repository of data, such as content management, media processing, scientific computing, and high-performance analytics. Filestore integrates with cloud compute environments and can be used with orchestration tools and container platforms, often through dedicated drivers or drivers provided by the cloud platform.

Security and data protection are core considerations. Filestore typically supports encryption at rest and uses the provider’s network controls to manage access, with authentication and authorization enforced through cloud IAM policies and network security configurations. Backups or snapshots are commonly available to protect data and enable restoration in case of corruption or loss, depending on the service tier and region.

Common use cases include shared development environments, media workflows requiring concurrent read/write access, and scalable scratch spaces for parallel processing tasks. Filestore complements object storage by providing a traditional file-based interface for applications that need a shared file system.