In cloud computing, a Data Lake is a large storage repository that holds a vast amount of raw data in its native format until it is needed. Unlike a data warehouse, which stores data in a structured format, a data lake stores data in an unstructured format, making it a flexible option for big data analytics and machine learning.

A Data Lake works by storing data from various sources in its raw, unprocessed form. This data can then be accessed and analyzed as needed, using tools and applications that are capable of handling big data. In a cloud environment, data lakes can leverage the scalability and flexibility of cloud storage to handle large volumes of data.

A company, DataCorp, collects large amounts of data from various sources, including web logs, social media feeds, and IoT devices. Instead of processing and structuring all this data upfront, DataCorp stores it in a cloud-based data lake.

When DataCorp needs to analyze this data, it can use big data analytics tools to extract the relevant data from the data lake and process it on-demand.