Enforcing where government data resides, how it is accessed, and how it moves
For governments and public sector organizations, data residency is not a preference — it is a legal, regulatory, and constitutional requirement.
A sovereign government cloud must ensure that data location, access paths, and data movement are explicitly defined, technically enforced, and auditable.
This page describes how data residency and control are implemented in a government cloud built on whitesky.
Data residency as an architectural property
In a sovereign cloud, data residency cannot rely on policy statements or contractual assurances alone.
It must be enforced through:
- infrastructure placement
- network boundaries
- platform controls
- operational procedures
whitesky is designed so that data residency is a result of architecture, not convention.
Explicit definition of data location
Government data must have a clearly defined physical and legal location.
With whitesky:
- data is stored only in approved cloud locations
- cloud locations correspond to specific datacenters or facilities
- each location operates under a defined jurisdiction
- placement rules are explicit and reviewable
This allows governments to map data directly to jurisdictional and regulatory boundaries.
Controlled data access paths
Residency is meaningless without access control.
In a sovereign cloud:
- access to data is governed by identity and role
- administrative access is restricted and auditable
- data access paths are explicitly defined
- indirect or implicit access routes are avoided
whitesky supports identity-driven access models aligned with public sector governance structures.
Prevention of uncontrolled data movement
Uncontrolled data replication and transfer undermine sovereignty.
whitesky enables governments to:
- define where data may be replicated
- restrict cross-location data movement
- prevent automatic cross-border synchronization
- require explicit approval for data transfers
This applies to:
- virtual machine storage
- object storage
- backups and snapshots
Data movement becomes a governed action, not a side effect.
Residency across storage and compute layers
Data residency must be consistent across all layers of the platform.
whitesky enforces residency across:
- block storage
- object storage
- virtual machine disks
- container workloads
Compute workloads are placed close to data to avoid unnecessary data movement.
Data residency in hybrid and multi-location environments
Government environments often span multiple locations.
In hybrid or multi-location deployments:
- each cloud location enforces its own residency boundary
- inter-location connectivity is policy-controlled
- data replication between locations is explicit and auditable
- workloads can be constrained to specific locations
This enables federated government architectures without compromising data control.
Operational enforcement and auditability
Residency controls must be verifiable.
whitesky supports:
- logging of administrative actions
- traceability of data placement and movement
- operational transparency for audit and oversight
- alignment with public sector reporting requirements
This allows internal audit teams and regulators to validate compliance.
Relationship to data protection and regulation
Data residency and control underpin compliance with:
- national data protection laws
- sector-specific regulations
- public sector security frameworks
- contractual and inter-agency obligations
The platform enables governments to implement these requirements through technical controls rather than procedural workarounds.
Relationship to other sovereign cloud topics
This page builds on the Sovereign Cloud Foundations and connects directly to:
- Security & Compliance
- Hybrid & Multi-Location
- Backup & Disaster Recovery
- Procurement & Deployment Model
Together, these define a coherent sovereign cloud architecture.
Next steps
- Identify data classifications and jurisdictional constraints
- Define approved cloud locations and access models
- Map residency requirements to technical controls
- Validate enforcement through audit and testing