AWS Storage and Volume Options
When working with EC2 instances, AWS offers a range of storage solutions, each suited to specific use cases:
1. EBS (Elastic Block Store)
- Purpose: Provides persistent block storage attached to EC2 instances.
- Key Features:
- Data is retained even if the instance is stopped or terminated.
- Supports snapshots to create backups or clone volumes.
- Use Cases: Commonly used for general-purpose and application-specific storage needs on EC2 instances.
2. Instance Store
- Purpose: Temporary storage for data requiring high performance but not persistence.
- Key Features:
- Data is stored directly on the physical hardware, offering very low latency.
- Data is lost when the instance stops or terminates.
- Use Cases: Ideal for caching, temporary data, or high-performance computing tasks that don’t need persistent storage.
3. S3 (Simple Storage Service)
- Purpose: Object storage service for scalable storage and retrieval of large datasets.
- Key Features:
- Not tied to any specific instance; accessible over the internet.
- Supports features like lifecycle management, versioning, and encryption.
- Use Cases: Storing backup files, media assets, static website content, and large data lakes.
4. FSx (File System for Windows and Lustre)
- Purpose: Managed file storage designed specifically for Windows-based applications or high-performance computing with Lustre.
- Key Features:
- Fully managed Windows file server for enterprise applications.
- FSx for Lustre is optimized for compute-intensive and data-intensive workloads.
- Use Cases: Running Windows applications that require file storage or processing large datasets in high-performance computing.
5. EFS (Elastic File System)
- Purpose: Managed, scalable file storage that can be accessed by multiple EC2 instances.