AWS cloud storage options and connectivity and use cases examples
Comprehensive overview of AWS Cloud Storage Options , including their connectivity methods , and use cases with examples .
🧾 AWS Cloud Storage Services Overview
| Storage Service | Service Type | Description | Connectivity Methods | Use Cases & Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon S3 | Object Storage | Scalable, durable, and secure object storage for unstructured data. | REST API, SDKs (Java, Python, etc.), AWS CLI, CloudFront, VPC Endpoints | – Storing backups – Hosting static websites – Data lakes – Media storage |
| Amazon EBS | Block Storage | Persistent block storage for EC2 instances. | Attached to EC2 instances via iSCSI or NVMe | – Database storage – Application data – Boot volumes |
| Amazon EFS | File Storage | Elastic, scalable file system for Linux-based workloads. | Mount via NFSv4.1 | – Shared storage for multiple EC2 instances – Web servers< – Big data processing |
| Amazon FSx for Windows File Server | File Storage | Windows-compatible file system for applications requiring Windows protocols. | SMB 3.0 protocol | – Legacy applications needing Windows file sharing – Active Directory integration |
| Amazon FSx for Lustre | High-Performance File System | High-performance file system for HPC, machine learning, and big data analytics. | Mount via Lustre protocol | – Scientific simulations – Machine learning training – Video processing |
| Amazon FSx for OpenZFS | File Storage | OpenZFS-based file system with snapshot support, compression, and deduplication. | Mount via NFS or SMB | – High-performance file storage – Dev/test environments – Media workflows |
| Amazon Glacier | Archive Storage | Low-cost storage for long-term archival. | REST API, SDKs, AWS CLI | – Long-term data retention – Compliance archives – Backup storage |
| Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive | Archive Storage | Lowest cost for rarely accessed data. | REST API, SDKs, AWS CLI | – Legal records – Medical imaging – Historical data |
| Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering | Object Storage | Automatically moves objects between storage tiers based on access patterns. | REST API, SDKs, AWS CLI | – Hybrid workloads with variable access needs – Cost optimization |
| Amazon S3 One Zone-IA | Object Storage | Infrequent access storage in a single Availability Zone. | REST API, SDKs, AWS CLI | – Backup copies – Non-critical data that can tolerate AZ loss |
| Amazon S3 Standard-IA | Object Storage | Infrequent access storage across multiple Availability Zones. | REST API, SDKs, AWS CLI | – Log files – Data archives – Disaster recovery |
| Amazon S3 Glacier Vault | Archive Storage | Secure, durable storage for sensitive data. | REST API, SDKs, AWS CLI | – Financial records – Healthcare data – Government compliance |
🔗 Connectivity Methods for AWS Storage Services
| Storage Service | Supported Connectivity |
|---|---|
| S3 | REST API, SDKs (e.g., AWS SDK for Java, Python), AWS CLI, CloudFront, VPC Endpoints, S3 Transfer Acceleration |
| EBS | iSCSI, NVMe, Amazon EC2 instance attachment |
| EFS | NFSv4.1, AWS CLI, SDKs, CloudFormation, IAM policies |
| FSx for Windows | SMB 3.0, Active Directory, AWS CLI, SDKs |
| FSx for Lustre | Lustre protocol, AWS CLI, SDKs |
| FSx for OpenZFS | NFS or SMB, AWS CLI, SDKs |
| Glacier | REST API, SDKs, AWS CLI |
| Glacier Deep Archive | REST API, SDKs, AWS CLI |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | REST API, SDKs, AWS CLI |
📌 Use Cases and Examples
✅ Amazon S3
- Use Case : Store and retrieve large amounts of data.
- Example :
- A media company stores video content in S3 for streaming via CloudFront.
- A startup uses S3 as a data lake for log files and analytics.
✅ Amazon EBS
- Use Case : Provide persistent block storage for EC2 instances.
- Example :
- A database server runs on an EC2 instance with an EBS volume for persistent data.
- An application requires fast I/O for temporary files and caching.
✅ Amazon EFS
- Use Case : Shared file storage for multiple EC2 instances.
- Example :
- A web application uses EFS to share user uploads across multiple EC2 instances.
- A development team shares code repositories using EFS.
✅ Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
- Use Case : Windows-based file storage with Active Directory support.
- Example :
- A legacy application running on Windows requires file shares from FSx.
- A company migrates its file server to the cloud using FSx for Windows.
✅ Amazon FSx for Lustre
- Use Case : High-performance storage for HPC and ML workloads.
- Example :
- A research lab uses FSx for Lustre to store and process large datasets for machine learning.
- A media company uses it for video rendering pipelines.
✅ Amazon FSx for OpenZFS
- Use Case : Enterprise-grade file storage with snapshots and compression.
- Example :
- A financial institution uses FSx for OpenZFS for real-time analytics.
- A development team uses snapshots for version control of large codebases.
✅ Amazon S3 Glacier / Deep Archive
- Use Case : Long-term data archiving.
- Example :
- A healthcare provider stores patient records in Glacier for regulatory compliance.
- A media company archives old videos in Deep Archive for low cost.
✅ Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering
- Use Case : Automate cost optimization based on access patterns.
- Example :
- A retail company stores product images in S3 Intelligent-Tiering.
- A data science team uses it for historical data that is rarely accessed.
🧩 Summary Table: Storage Services vs. Use Cases
| Storage Service | Best For | Common Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon S3 | General-purpose object storage | Static website hosting, data lakes, backups, media storage |
| Amazon EBS | Persistent block storage for EC2 | Databases, application data, boot volumes |
| Amazon EFS | Shared file storage for Linux apps | Web servers, shared codebases, batch processing |
| FSx for Windows | Windows-based file sharing | Legacy apps, AD-integrated file storage |
| FSx for Lustre | High-performance computing (HPC) | ML training, scientific simulations, video processing |
| FSx for OpenZFS | Enterprise file storage with advanced features | Real-time analytics, version control, high-performance workloads |
| Amazon S3 Glacier | Long-term archival storage | Legal documents, medical records, compliance data |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | Lowest-cost archive storage | Historical data, backups, infrequently accessed data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | Cost-efficient, auto-tiered storage | Hybrid workloads, logs, analytics data |
| S3 One Zone-IA | Infrequent access in one AZ | Backup copies, non-critical data |
| S3 Standard-IA | Infrequent access across AZs | Log files, disaster recovery, backup |
🛠️ Connectivity Best Practices
| Storage Service | Recommended Connectivity Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| S3 | REST API / SDKs / CloudFront | Use VPC endpoints for secure internal access. |
| EBS | EC2 instance attachment | Attach to EC2 instances directly. |
| EFS | NFSv4.1 | Use AWS VPC endpoints for private access. |
| FSx for Windows | SMB 3.0 | Requires domain join for Active Directory integration. |
| FSx for Lustre | Lustre protocol | Ideal for HPC and distributed systems. |
| FSx for OpenZFS | NFS or SMB | Supports snapshots and compression. |
| Glacier | REST API / SDKs | Retrieval time varies from minutes to hours. |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | REST API / SDKs | Automatic tiering based on usage patterns. |
