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AWS Storage Types and Use Cases

Object Storage​

Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service)

  • Highly durable, available object storage
  • Use cases: Static website hosting, data lakes, backup/archiving, mobile app content
  • Tiered storage options (Standard, Infrequent Access, Glacier, etc.)
  • Stores data as objects within buckets (no true folders or directories)
  • Unlimited storage with individual objects up to 5TB
  • Cannot mount S3 as a drive or modify just parts of objects

Amazon S3 Glacier

  • Low-cost archival storage
  • Use cases: Long-term data retention, compliance archives, digital preservation
  • Multiple retrieval options (minutes to hours)
  • Ideal for data that's rarely accessed but must be preserved

Block Storage​

Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store)

  • Persistent block storage for EC2 instances
  • Use cases: Databases, enterprise applications, boot volumes
  • Multiple volume types optimized for different workloads
  • Point-in-time snapshots for backup

File Storage​

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

  • Fully managed NFS file system
  • Use cases: Content management, web serving, data sharing between EC2 instances
  • Automatically scales capacity as files are added/removed
  • Supports thousands of concurrent connections

Amazon FSx

  • Managed file systems for Windows (FSx for Windows) and Lustre (FSx for Lustre)
  • Use cases: Windows applications, high-performance computing, machine learning
  • Native compatibility with Windows or Lustre protocols
  • FSx for NetApp ONTAP offers additional enterprise features

Data Transfer/Edge​

AWS Snow Family

  • Physical devices for data migration and edge computing
  • Use cases: Large-scale data transfers, edge locations with limited connectivity
  • Includes Snowcone, Snowball, and Snowmobile options
  • Secure transfer of petabytes of data

Storage Gateway​

AWS Storage Gateway

  • Hybrid storage integration
  • Use cases: Connecting on-premises environments with AWS storage
  • File, volume, and tape gateway options
  • Enables hybrid cloud storage architectures

Each storage solution is designed for specific types of data, access patterns, and performance requirements, allowing you to choose the right storage for each workload.