AWS Cloud EBS

Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) is a scalable block storage service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that is designed for use with Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances. EBS volumes provide persistent and high-performance block-level storage, allowing you to attach them to EC2 instances to store data. Here are key features and considerations regarding Amazon EBS:

Key Features of Amazon EBS:

1. Block Storage:

   • Description: EBS provides block-level storage volumes that can be attached to EC2 instances.
   • Purpose: Used for storing data that requires high durability and persistence.

2. Volume Types:

   • Types: Amazon EBS offers different volume types optimized for various use cases, including General Purpose (SSD), Provisioned IOPS (SSD), Cold HDD, and Throughput Optimized HDD.
   • Performance Characteristics: The performance characteristics (e.g., IOPS, throughput) vary based on the selected volume type.

3. Snapshots:

   • Definition: EBS volumes can be backed up by taking point-in-time snapshots.
   • Use Cases: Snapshots are used for backup, recovery, and migration purposes.

4. Encryption:

   • Encryption at Rest: EBS volumes can be encrypted at rest using AWS Key Management Service (KMS) keys.
   • Security: Encryption enhances the security of data stored on EBS volumes.

5. Elastic Volumes:

   • Description: Elastic Volumes allow you to dynamically adjust the size, performance, and type of an EBS volume without detaching it from the associated EC2 instance.
   • Flexibility: Enables you to adapt storage resources to changing workload requirements.

6. High Availability and Durability:

   • Replication: EBS volumes are replicated within the Availability Zone (AZ) to ensure high availability.
   • Durability: Designed for high durability with an annual failure rate (AFR) of 0.1% - 0.2%.

7. Attachment to EC2 Instances:

   • Attachment: EBS volumes can be attached to EC2 instances, providing additional storage capacity to the instances.
   • Detachment: Volumes can be detached from one instance and attached to another.

Volume Types:

1. General Purpose (SSD):

   • Description: Balances both price and performance for a wide variety of workloads.
   • Use Cases: Suitable for most workloads, including boot volumes.

2. Provisioned IOPS (SSD):

   • Description: Designed to provide high-performance storage for I/O-intensive workloads.
   • Use Cases: Critical business applications that require sustained high I/O performance.

3. Cold HDD:

   • Description: Offers low-cost magnetic storage for infrequently accessed data.
   • Use Cases: Ideal for large, sequential, and throughput-oriented workloads.

4. Throughput Optimized HDD:

   • Description: Provides low-cost magnetic storage with high throughput for frequently accessed, throughput-intensive workloads.
   • Use Cases: Big data and data warehousing applications.

Use Cases and Considerations:

1. Boot Volumes:

   • Use Case: EBS volumes are commonly used as boot volumes for EC2 instances.
   • Snapshot Backups: Snapshots of boot volumes can be used for backup and recovery.

2. Databases and Applications:

   • Use Case: EBS volumes are suitable for storing databases, applications, and other data requiring persistent and reliable storage.
   • Performance Considerations: Volume type selection is based on the performance requirements of the workload.

3. Backup and Recovery:

   • Use Case: Snapshots are used for creating point-in-time backups for disaster recovery and data migration.
   • Automated Backups: Regularly schedule automated snapshots for data protection.

4. High-Performance Workloads:

   • Use Case: Provisioned IOPS (SSD) volumes are designed for high-performance, I/O-intensive workloads.
   • Critical Applications: Applications with stringent I/O performance requirements benefit from this volume type.

5. Dynamic Scaling:

   • Use Case: Elastic Volumes allow for dynamic scaling of storage resources based on changing workload requirements.
   • Cost Efficiency: Optimize storage costs by adjusting volume size and type as needed.