Other Storage Services
While the AWS services S3, EBS, and EFS can be considered the foundation of storage in the AWS Cloud, there are plenty of other storage services that might be critical for your organization. In this section, we will examine three of them: FSx, AWS Storage Gateway, and AWS Backup.
FSx
AWS FSx is a service that helps you easily set up and manage shared file storage in the cloud. It’s like having a virtual drive in the cloud, where you can store and access your files. One of its key features is simplicity: It takes care of technical details, so you can focus on using your files rather than worrying about how to store them.
With AWS FSx, you can choose between two types of file systems: one for Windows and another for Lustre. The Windows file system is great if you’re using applications that are familiar with Windows file-sharing, and the Lustre file system is optimized for high-performance computing and big data workloads.
Setting up AWS FSx is quick and easy. You can scale your file system to fit your needs, making it bigger or smaller as your storage requirements change. In addition, FSx integrates with other AWS services, providing a seamless experience for your applications. Whether you’re running a business application, processing big data, or using high-performance computing, AWS FSx simplifies the process of managing file storage in the cloud.
Storage Gateway
AWS Storage Gateway is a powerful service that connects your on-premises environment with AWS Cloud storage. Think of it as a bridge between your local data center and the cloud. This service makes it easy for you to extend your storage into the AWS Cloud seamlessly.
There are four types of storage gateway configurations to choose from, based on your needs:
S3 File Gateway: This is like having a cloud-backed file share. It allows you to store and retrieve files in Amazon S3 while still using familiar protocols like NFS or SMB.
FSx File Gateway: This is similar to S3 File Gateway, but it works in conjunction with your FSx file shares. Remember that these shares are created for the Windows and Lustre file systems.
Volume Gateway: This is like having a virtual hard drive in the cloud. It lets you use your existing applications to store data in the cloud, as either blocks of data or snapshots.
Tape Gateway: This is like having a virtual tape library in the cloud. It’s useful for businesses that still need to manage tape backups but want to do so more efficiently in the AWS Cloud.
Setting up AWS Storage Gateway is simple. You download and install a virtual appliance on your on-premises hardware, and it connects to your AWS storage resources. Once this is set up, your applications can use the gateway to store and retrieve data, just as they would with local storage. AWS Storage Gateway helps you make the most of the cloud without having to completely overhaul your existing infrastructure, providing a flexible and scalable solution for your storage needs. Figure 16-4 shows the configuration of a storage gateway in AWS.
Figure 16-4 Configuring a Storage Gateway in AWS