Module 7: Storage

Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store), Amazon EFS (Elastic File System), and Amazon S3 (Simple
Storage Service) are all storage services offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). However, they
have different strengths and weaknesses, and are best suited for different workloads.

Amazon EBS is a block storage service that provides persistent storage for Amazon Elastic
Compute Cloud (EC2) instances. EBS volumes are attached to EC2 instances and behave like
traditional hard drives or SSDs. EBS volumes can be used to store operating systems, database
files, application files, and other data.

Amazon EFS is a scalable file storage service for Amazon EC2 instances. EFS provides a shared
file system that can be accessed by multiple EC2 instances simultaneously. EFS is well-suited for
applications such as content management systems (CMS), collaboration platforms, and file
sharing services.

Amazon S3 is an object storage service that is designed to store large amounts of data. S3
objects can be accessed from anywhere in the world through the internet. S3 is well-suited for
storing static and dynamic websites, images, videos, backups, and other data.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between EBS, EFS, and S3:

Feature EBS EFS S3

Storage type Block storage File storage Object storage

Scalability Limited scalability Highly scalable Highly scalable

Durability Durable Durable Durable

Attached to a single EC2 Accessible by multiple EC2 instances Accessible from an

Here are some examples of when to use each service:

EBS: Use EBS for persistent storage of operating systems, database files, and application files for
EC2 instances.

EFS: Use EFS for shared file storage for applications such as CMS, collaboration platforms, and
file sharing services.

S3: Use S3 for storing static and dynamic websites, images, videos, backups, and other data.

Storage is another AWS core service category. Some broad categories of storage include:
instance store (ephemeral storage), Amazon EBS, Amazon EFS, Amazon S3, and Amazon S3
Glacier.

Instance store, or ephemeral storage, is temporary storage that is added to your Amazon EC2
instance.

Amazon EBS is persistent, mountable storage that can be mounted as a device to an Amazon
EC2 instance. Amazon EBS can be mounted to an Amazon EC2 instance only within the same
Availability Zone. Only one Amazon EC2 instance at a time can mount an Amazon EBS volume.

Amazon EFS is a shared file system that multiple Amazon EC2 instances can mount at the same
time.

Amazon S3 is persistent storage where each file becomes an object and is available through a
Uniform Resource Locator (URL); it can be accessed from anywhere.

Amazon S3 Glacier is for cold storage for data that is not accessed frequently (for example,
when you need long-term data storage for archival or compliance reasons).

Storage comparision

Amazon S3
Data Volume No limit

Average Latency ms

Item Size 5 TB maximum

Cost/GB per Month Higher cost

Billed Requests PUT, COPY, POST, LIST, and GET

¢
Retrieval Pricing
Per request