This document provides an overview of Ceph, a distributed storage system. It defines software defined storage and discusses different storage options like file, object, and block storage. It then introduces Ceph, highlighting that it provides a unified storage platform for block, object, and file storage using commodity hardware in a massively scalable, self-managing, and fault-tolerant manner. The document outlines Ceph's architecture including its components like OSDs, monitors, RADOS, RBD, RGW, and CephFS. It also discusses various access methods and use cases for Ceph like with OpenStack.