---
name: framework-financial-services-vpc-architecture-storage
title: Storage for VPC reference architecture
description: Learn about the Financial Services Validated storage options that are used within the VPC reference architecture.
last-updated: 2023-09-18
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/framework-financial-services?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Storage for VPC reference architecture
{: #vpc-architecture-storage}

Learn about the Financial Services Validated storage options that are used within the VPC reference architecture.
{: shortdesc}

## IBM® Cloud Block Storage for Virtual Private Cloud 
{: #block}

 [Block Storage for VPC](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-block-storage-about&format=markdown) provides hypervisor-mounted, high-performance data storage for your virtual server instances that you can provision within a VPC. The VPC infrastructure provides rapid scaling across zones and extra performance and security.

Block Storage for VPC is used for both primary boot volumes and secondary data volumes. Boot volumes are automatically created and attached during instance provisioning. Data volumes can be created and attached during instance provisioning as well, or as stand-alone volumes that you can later attach to an instance. To protect your data, you should use KYOK encryption with Hyper Protect Crypto Services.

* [About Block Storage for VPC](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-block-storage-about&format=markdown)
* [Create and attach a block storage volume when you create a new instance](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-block-storage&format=markdown#create-from-vsi)
* [Create a stand-alone block storage volume](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-block-storage&format=markdown#create-standalone-vol)
* [Creating block storage volumes with customer-managed encryption](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-block-storage-vpc-encryption&format=markdown)

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## IBM Cloud® Object Storage 
{: #storage-cos}

[Object Storage](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-object-storage?topic=cloud-object-storage-about-cloud-object-storage&format=markdown) stores encrypted and dispersed data across multiple geographic locations. Object Storage is available with three types of resiliency: Cross Region, Regional, and Single Data Center. Cross Region provides higher durability and availability than using a single region at the cost of slightly higher latency. Regional service reverses those tradeoffs, and distributes objects across multiple availability zones within a single region. If a given region or availability zone is unavailable, the object store continues to function without impediment. Single Data Center distributes objects across multiple machines within the same physical location.

All Object Storage buckets must be encrypted with KYOK by using keys that are managed by Hyper Protect Crypto Services. For more information, see [Encryption at rest](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/framework-financial-services?topic=framework-financial-services-shared-encryption-at-rest&format=markdown). In addition, a geographically separate region should be used as an [alternative storage site](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/framework-financial-services?topic=framework-financial-services-shared-bcdr&format=markdown#your-workloads-requirements-alternate-storage-site). This means you should use [cross region resiliency](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-object-storage?topic=cloud-object-storage-endpoints&format=markdown#endpoints-geo) for all of your Object Storage buckets.
{: important}

To start working with Object Storage, see the following instructions:

- [About Object Storage](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-object-storage?topic=cloud-object-storage-about-cloud-object-storage&format=markdown)
- [Getting started with Object Storage](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-object-storage?topic=cloud-object-storage-getting-started-cloud-object-storage&format=markdown)
- [Connecting to Object Storage from VPC](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-connecting-vpc-cos&format=markdown)
- [Encrypting your data](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-object-storage?topic=cloud-object-storage-encryption&format=markdown)

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## Related controls in IBM Cloud Framework for Financial Services 
{: #related-controls}

More details on some of the major IBM Cloud Framework for Financial Services controls related to storage can be found in the following articles:

- [Encryption at rest](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/framework-financial-services?topic=framework-financial-services-shared-encryption-at-rest&format=markdown)
- [Backup and recovery](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/framework-financial-services?topic=framework-financial-services-shared-bcdr&format=markdown)

## Next steps
{: #next-steps}

* [Audit logging of IBM Cloud events](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/framework-financial-services?topic=framework-financial-services-shared-logging-audit&format=markdown)