EBS and EFS in AWS: Your Go-To Guide for Cloud Storage
In this blog, we’ll break down AWS storage into two parts: and Elastic Block Store (EBS) and Elastic File System (EFS). We’ll learn what each does and figure out how they’re different.
Elastic Block Store (EBS): Personal Storage for EC2 Instances
Overview: EBS, or Elastic Block Store, is an AWS service providing block-level storage for EC2 instances. It offers persistent storage volumes that can be attached to EC2 instances, serving as personal storage for virtual machines.
Key Features:
- Storage for EC2 Instances: EBS volumes act as persistent storage for EC2 instances, accommodating data, applications, and operating systems.
- Snapshots and Backups: EBS supports snapshots and backups for data protection and recovery.
- Volume Types: Offers various volume types to meet specific performance and cost requirements.
Use Cases: EBS is ideal for scenarios requiring persistent and low-latency block storage, commonly used for databases, applications, and workloads demanding reliable storage.
User-Managed Storage: While EBS simplifies storage provisioning, users are responsible for managing EBS volumes and configurations for their EC2 instances.
Elastic File System (EFS): A Collaborative Cloud Storage Hub
Overview: EFS, or Elastic File System, is an AWS service designed for shared file storage in the cloud. It facilitates simultaneous access to files from multiple EC2 instances, making it a collaborative storage hub for applications.
Key Features:
- Scalability: EFS scales automatically with the growth of data, ensuring dynamic adjustments to storage needs.
- Elasticity: It allows on-the-fly resizing of file systems to adapt to changing workloads.
- Access Across Instances: EFS supports NFS, enabling multiple EC2 instances to access the same file system concurrently.
- Use Cases: Ideal for content repositories, big data analytics, and collaborative development and testing environments.
Managed Service: EFS is a fully managed service, taking care of hardware provisioning, software configuration, and storage capacity management. This enables users to focus on application development without dealing with storage infrastructure intricacies.
Difference: EFS vs. EBS
EFS and EBS Distinction:
- Purpose: EFS is for shared file storage accessible by multiple instances. EBS is for personal block-level storage attached to individual EC2 instances.
- Access: EFS supports shared access via NFS, while EBS is attached to a single EC2 instance.
- Scalability: EFS scales dynamically for changing workloads, while EBS requires manual adjustments.
- Managed Service: Both are managed services, but EFS focuses on shared storage, and EBS is tailored for individual instances.
In summary, EFS is your collaborative file-sharing buddy, while EBS provides personalized storage apartments for each EC2 instance. The choice depends on your application’s needs for shared or individual access to files.
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