How Does a Multitenant Cloud Work?
Multitenancy is commonly used to deliver various public cloud services. Cloud service providers commonly equate multitenancy to a shared software instance. In a multitenant cloud, the cloud service providers stores configuration information about each of its customers. When a cloud customer attempts to use the service, this metadata can be used to implement the customer’s personalized settings within the cloud system.
Multitenant Cloud Architecture
In a multitenant cloud architecture, multiple cloud customers operate independently within the same environment. However, this can be implemented in a few different ways via different cloud service offerings such as the following:
- Software as a Service (SaaS) Applications: A SaaS offering like Gmail is a classic example of a multitenant cloud environment. Gmail users share the cloud infrastructure that implements the email server where their mail is stored, sent, etc. However, each user has their own mailbox, and one user cannot access the mailbox of another.
- Containerized Applications: Containerization enables applications to be bundled within a self-contained environment. Containers are in their own environments, making them a good fit for multitenant cloud environments.
- Serverless: Serverless applications are a Function as a Service (FaaS) offering where the cloud service provider manages an operation where individual functions can run. Functions from multiple organizations may run on the same infrastructure in parallel, making them multitenant.
Multitenant Cloud vs. Single-Tenant Cloud
Multitenant and single-tenant are two different approaches to cloud infrastructure. The biggest difference between them is how the cloud services map to physical infrastructure. In a multitenant cloud, multiple cloud customers share the same cloud infrastructure. This can have significant benefits in terms of cost and scalability but does introduce security and regulatory concerns.
A single-tenant cloud provides dedicated physical infrastructure for each of its customers. This provides greater security and regulatory compliance but can be more expensive.
Benefits of Multitenancy
Choosing a multitenant cloud infrastructure over a single-tenant one can provide various benefits to an organization. Some common advantages of multitenancy include the following:
- Cost: With a multitenant architecture, an organization is sharing its cloud infrastructure with other organizations and can share the cost with them. This can make multitenancy less expensive than a single-tenant infrastructure where the organization is wholly responsible for the cost of its physical hardware.
- Resource Efficiency: Multitenancy enables a cloud service provider to optimize the use of its resources. Physical systems can be used at their full capacity, which is unlikely with a single tenant.
- Scalability: With a multitenant cloud, a cloud service provider has a pool of resources available to its customers. Cloud customers can rapidly scale up their cloud infrastructure at need.
Multitenancy Security
One of the main concerns about multitenant cloud environments is their security. Some important considerations when considering single-tenant vs. multitenant cloud environments include the following:
- Crosstalk: Multitenant cloud environments are designed to isolate their users, but multiple cloud customers are sharing the same infrastructure. If the isolation mechanisms implemented by the cloud provider fail, a malicious cloud customer may be able to access another’s data or impact the availability of their cloud-based applications.
- Regulatory Compliance: Regulations and standards may require that an organization have control over its IT infrastructure or that sensitive data be stored on dedicated systems. Achieving compliance with these requirements may be difficult or impossible in a multitenant environment.
- Security Visibility: Security visibility is a common challenge in cloud environments due to the cloud shared responsibility model. This is especially true in multitenant environments since the underlying infrastructure is shared and inaccessible to cloud customers.
- Public Access: Services hosted in multitenant cloud environments are accessed via the public Internet. If an organization does not implement strong access controls on its systems, they may be vulnerable to exploitation.
Multitenant Cloud Security with Harmony Connect
Securing multitenant cloud environments can be complex because an organization lacks control over its cloud infrastructure and is limited in the solutions that can be deployed there. Additionally, cloud environments are more exposed to attack since they lay outside of an organization’s protected network and IT infrastructure.
Check Point Harmony Connect provides security designed for cloud environments. Harmony Connect enables organizations to implement zero-trust network access controls for their on-prem and cloud-based applications, reducing their exposure to attack. Learn more about the benefits of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
Harmony SASE can improve an organization’s security visibility and access control for its multitenant cloud infrastructure. To learn more about how Harmony Connect can enhance your organization’s cloud security, sign up for a free demo today.
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