Which of the following best describes a characteristic of distributed storage in cloud computing?

The characteristic of distributed storage in cloud computing that is best described by the selected answer is that data is stored in multiple locations. Distributed storage systems leverage the idea of storing data across various geographical locations, which enhances data availability, redundancy, and resilience. This means that even if one storage node goes down, the data can still be accessed from other nodes, thereby preventing data loss and downtime.

This approach contrasts sharply with having a single point of failure, which would make the storage system less reliable. A requirement for physical storage hardware is also not a defining feature of cloud-based distributed storage, as these services often abstract away physical hardware management from the user. Lastly, unrestricted access to all users does not accurately represent distributed storage; in fact, strict access controls are often enforced to protect sensitive data and ensure that only authorized users can access certain information.