Traditional Data Storage Options

What are the traditional data storage options available and its alternative in AWS cloud

  1. File Storage Systems

    • Network-Attached Storage (NAS): A storage device connected to a network that allows storage and retrieval of data from a centralized location for authorized network users and heterogeneous clients.
    • Storage Area Network (SAN): A network that provides access to consolidated, block-level data storage. SANs are primarily used to enhance storage devices, such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optical jukeboxes, accessible to servers.

  2. Block Storage

    • Direct-Attached Storage (DAS): Storage directly connected to the computer, typically used for high-performance applications like databases and virtual machines.
    • Internal Hard Drives/SSDs: Physical drives within a server or computer.

  3. Object Storage

    • Content Addressable Storage (CAS): A type of storage that manages data as objects rather than as blocks or files, often used for archiving and backups.

  4. Tape Storage

    • Magnetic Tape: Used for offline, archival data storage, often for long-term storage due to its durability and cost-effectiveness.

  5. Database Storage

    • Relational Databases: SQL-based databases like Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.
    • NoSQL Databases: Databases like MongoDB, Cassandra, etc., for unstructured data.

AWS Cloud Storage Alternatives

  1. File Storage

    • Amazon Elastic File System (EFS): A scalable file storage service that can be mounted to Amazon EC2 instances, similar to NAS.
    • Amazon FSx: Managed file storage that supports various file systems such as Windows File Server and Lustre.

  2. Block Storage

    • Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS): Provides persistent block storage volumes for use with Amazon EC2 instances.
    • Instance Store: Provides temporary block-level storage for an Amazon EC2 instance, similar to DAS.

  3. Object Storage

    • Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3): Scalable object storage for a wide range of data types, similar to CAS.
    • Amazon S3 Glacier: Low-cost storage service for data archiving and long-term backup.

  4. Tape Storage

    • AWS Storage Gateway – Tape Gateway: Provides virtual tape infrastructure that enables you to backup and archive data to Amazon S3 Glacier.

  5. Database Storage

    • Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service): Managed relational database services supporting MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and SQL Server.
    • Amazon DynamoDB: Managed NoSQL database service.
    • Amazon Aurora: A MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud.

Summary

Traditional Storage vs. AWS Cloud Alternatives:

Traditional Storage AWS Cloud Alternative
NAS Amazon EFS, Amazon FSx
SAN Amazon EBS
DAS Amazon EBS, Instance Store
Internal Hard Drives/SSDs Amazon EBS, Instance Store
CAS Amazon S3
Magnetic Tape AWS Storage Gateway – Tape Gateway
Relational Databases Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora
NoSQL Databases Amazon DynamoDB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AWS provides scalable, flexible, and managed storage solutions that cater to various needs, effectively replacing traditional storage methods with cloud-based alternatives.