Storage Services
Cloud storage lets you store and retrieve data without managing physical hard drives. There are three main types of storage, each designed for different use cases.
Storage Types
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STORAGE TYPES │
├─────────────┬──────────────┬────────────────────────┤
│ Object │ Block │ File │
│ │ │ │
│ S3 │ EBS │ EFS / FSx │
│ Blob Store │ Managed │ NFS / SMB │
│ │ Disks │ Shared Access │
│ Best for: │ Best for: │ Best for: │
│ Images, │ Databases, │ Shared storage, │
│ backups, │ OS boot │ content management │
│ static web │ volumes │ home directories │
└─────────────┴──────────────┴────────────────────────┘
Object Storage (S3)
Object storage stores data as objects (files + metadata) in buckets. It's highly durable, scalable, and accessible via HTTP. Perfect for backups, static websites, data lakes, and media storage.
Key features: Virtually unlimited storage, 99.999999999% durability, lifecycle policies, versioning, access control lists.
Block Storage (EBS)
Block storage provides persistent, high-performance block-level storage volumes that attach to virtual machines. It's like having a hard drive connected to your EC2 instance.
Key features: Low-latency access, snapshot capabilities, resizable, various performance tiers (gp3, io2, st1).
File Storage (EFS / FSx)
File storage provides shared file systems accessible by multiple machines simultaneously using standard protocols (NFS, SMB). Great for content management systems, shared development environments, and legacy applications.
Key features: Concurrent access, standard file APIs, automatic scaling, POSIX compliance.
Storage Decision Matrix
┌──────────────────────────┬───────────────────┐
│ Need │ Choose │
├──────────────────────────┼───────────────────┤
│ Store backups/media │ S3 (Object) │
│ Boot volume for VM │ EBS (Block) │
│ Shared file system │ EFS (File) │
│ Database storage │ EBS (Block) │
│ Static website hosting │ S3 (Object) │
│ Multiple VMs read/write │ EFS (File) │
└──────────────────────────┴───────────────────┘