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.