AWS Storage Services Overview

AWS offers a variety of storage services designed to meet different needs, from object storage to file storage and block storage. These services are scalable, secure, and cost-effective, and they are used for everything from data archiving to high-performance databases.

1. Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service)

Amazon S3 is an object storage service that provides scalable storage for any type of data (text, images, videos, backups, etc.). It’s ideal for use cases like backups, data lakes, website hosting, and content delivery.

• Key Features:
  • Scalability: Automatically scales to store an unlimited amount of data.
  • Durability: Provides 99.999999999% durability by storing data across multiple Availability Zones.
  • Storage Classes: Offers different storage classes like S3 Standard, S3 Intelligent-Tiering, S3 Glacier, and S3 Glacier Deep Archive to optimize costs based on access patterns.
  • Versioning: Keeps multiple versions of an object to protect against accidental deletions.
  • Lifecycle Policies: Automate moving objects between different storage classes based on pre-defined rules.
  • Encryption: Supports server-side encryption (SSE) and client-side encryption.

2. Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store)

Amazon EBS provides block-level storage volumes for use with EC2 instances. It is typically used for databases, file systems, or applications requiring consistent, low-latency performance.

• Key Features:
  • Types of Volumes:
    • General Purpose SSD (gp3): Suitable for a broad range of workloads.
    • Provisioned IOPS SSD (io2): Optimized for high-performance databases and applications with high I/O requirements.
    • Throughput Optimized HDD (st1): Ideal for big data, log processing, and large volume workloads.
    • Cold HDD (sc1): Lowest-cost HDD storage for infrequently accessed data.
  • Snapshot Support: Easily create snapshots of EBS volumes for backup or migration purposes.
  • Encryption: Support for encrypting EBS volumes at rest and in transit.

3. Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

Amazon EFS is a fully managed, scalable file storage service that provides shared access to file systems across multiple EC2 instances. It’s designed for use cases like content management, media processing, and web serving.

• Key Features:
  • Elastic: Automatically grows and shrinks as you add or remove files, no need to manage capacity.
  • NFS Protocol: Compatible with NFSv4, making it easy to integrate with Linux-based applications.
  • Regional Availability: Files are stored redundantly across multiple Availability Zones in a region.
  • Performance Modes:
    • General Purpose: Ideal for latency-sensitive use cases.
    • Max I/O: Suitable for applications requiring high throughput.
  • Storage Classes: Standard and Infrequent Access tiers to optimize costs.

4. Amazon FSx (File Systems for Windows and Lustre)

Amazon FSx offers fully managed file systems built for specific workloads, like Windows applications and high-performance computing.

• Amazon FSx for Windows File Server:
  • Designed for running Windows-based applications that require shared file storage with Windows compatibility.
  • Supports SMB protocol, Active Directory integration, and distributed file systems (DFS).
• Amazon FSx for Lustre:
  • Ideal for high-performance workloads like machine learning, video rendering, and big data analytics.
  • Provides fast, sub-millisecond latencies and scalable throughput.

5. Amazon S3 Glacier & Glacier Deep Archive

Amazon S3 Glacier and S3 Glacier Deep Archive are designed for long-term, low-cost archival storage. These services are used for data that is infrequently accessed but needs to be retained for compliance or backup purposes.

• Key Features:
  • Cost-Effective: S3 Glacier is cheaper than S3 Standard, and Glacier Deep Archive is even more cost-effective.
  • Retrieval Options:
    • Expedited: Retrieve data in 1-5 minutes.
    • Standard: Retrieve data in 3-5 hours.
    • Bulk: Retrieve large amounts of data in 12 hours or more (cheapest).
  • Use Cases: Archiving financial records, legal documents, or backup data that rarely needs to be accessed.

6. AWS Storage Gateway

AWS Storage Gateway is a hybrid cloud storage service that connects on-premises environments with AWS cloud storage. It’s used for scenarios where you need to store data locally but also leverage AWS’s scalable storage infrastructure.

• Key Features:
  • File Gateway: Offers file-based storage using SMB or NFS protocols, while storing data in S3.
  • Tape Gateway: Helps manage backups and archives in the cloud by presenting virtual tape libraries to existing backup applications.
  • Volume Gateway: Offers block-based storage, useful for integrating cloud-based backups and disaster recovery into on-premises applications.

Comparison of AWS Storage Services