Aws Storage

🗂️ AWS Storage Overview

1. Object Storage

• Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service)

  • Stores data as objects (files + metadata).
  • Virtually unlimited storage.
  • Accessed over HTTP(S).
  • Use cases: backups, data lakes, static website hosting, ML data storage.
  • Features: versioning, lifecycle policies, cross-region replication.

• S3 Glacier / Glacier Deep Archive

  • Low-cost archival storage.
  • Retrieval options: minutes to hours.
  • Use cases: compliance data, long-term archives.

2. Block Storage

• Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store)

  • Block-level storage for EC2 instances.
  • Behaves like a hard drive.
  • Types: General Purpose SSD (gp3), Provisioned IOPS (io2), Throughput optimized HDD (st1), Cold HDD (sc1).
  • Use cases: OS volumes, databases, transactional workloads.

• Instance Store (Ephemeral Storage)

  • Storage physically attached to the EC2 host.
  • Very fast, but data is lost if the instance stops/terminates.
  • Use cases: cache, temporary data, high-performance compute.

3. File Storage

• Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

  • Managed NFS (Network File System).
  • Shared storage for multiple EC2s, scalable, elastic.
  • Use cases: web servers, CMS, analytics workloads.

• Amazon FSx

  • Managed file systems for specific workloads:
    • FSx for Windows File Server (SMB protocol, Active Directory integration).
    • FSx for Lustre (HPC, ML, big data).
    • FSx for OpenZFS (low-latency workloads).
    • FSx for NetApp ONTAP (enterprise workloads).

4. Hybrid & Data Transfer

• AWS Storage Gateway

  • Connects on-premises apps with AWS cloud storage.
  • Types: File Gateway, Tape Gateway, Volume Gateway.

• AWS Snow Family (Snowcone, Snowball, Snowmobile)

  • Physical devices to move large datasets to AWS.
  • Use cases: data migration, edge computing, disconnected environments.

• AWS DataSync

  • Automated data transfer between on-premises and AWS storage.

5. Backup & Disaster Recovery

• AWS Backup
  • Centralized backup across AWS services (EBS, RDS, DynamoDB, EFS, FSx).
  • Policy-based, compliant storage.

🔑 Key Differences