AWS Snowball is a physical data transport solution designed to help organizations migrate large amounts of data into and out of Amazon Web Services (AWS). It addresses the challenge of transferring petabyte-scale data when network-based transfers would be too slow, expensive, or impractical.
Snowb…AWS Snowball is a physical data transport solution designed to help organizations migrate large amounts of data into and out of Amazon Web Services (AWS). It addresses the challenge of transferring petabyte-scale data when network-based transfers would be too slow, expensive, or impractical.
Snowball devices are ruggedized, secure hardware appliances that AWS ships to your location. These devices come in different storage capacities, typically ranging from 50TB to 80TB. The process is straightforward: you request a device through the AWS Management Console, AWS ships it to you, you connect it to your local network, transfer your data using the Snowball client software, and then ship it back to AWS where the data is uploaded to your specified S3 buckets.
Key benefits of AWS Snowball include:
1. Speed: Physical transport can be faster than internet transfer for large datasets. Moving 100TB over a 1Gbps connection could take weeks, while Snowball can complete this in days.
2. Security: Devices feature tamper-resistant enclosures, 256-bit encryption, and an industry-standard Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Data is encrypted before being written to the device.
3. Cost-effectiveness: For large-scale migrations, Snowball often proves more economical than paying for high-bandwidth network transfers.
4. Simplicity: The service eliminates the need to write custom code or manage complex networking configurations.
AWS also offers Snowball Edge, which includes onboard computing capabilities for edge processing, and Snowmobile, an exabyte-scale data transfer service using a shipping container.
Common use cases include data center migrations, disaster recovery scenarios, content distribution, and situations where organizations need to move historical archives to the cloud. Snowball is particularly valuable for organizations in remote locations with limited network connectivity or those facing time-sensitive migration deadlines.
AWS Snowball for Migration - Complete Guide
What is AWS Snowball?
AWS Snowball is a petabyte-scale data transport solution that uses physical storage devices to transfer large amounts of data into and out of AWS. It is designed to address challenges of large-scale data transfers including high network costs, long transfer times, and security concerns.
Why is AWS Snowball Important?
Snowball is crucial for several scenarios:
• Large Data Migrations: When you need to move terabytes or petabytes of data to AWS, traditional internet transfers could take weeks or months • Limited Bandwidth: Organizations with slow or unreliable internet connections benefit from physical data transfer • Cost Efficiency: Transferring massive datasets over the network can be expensive; Snowball provides a more economical alternative • Security Requirements: Snowball devices feature tamper-resistant enclosures and 256-bit encryption for data protection
How AWS Snowball Works
1. Request a Device: You order a Snowball device through the AWS Management Console 2. Receive the Device: AWS ships the ruggedized appliance to your location 3. Connect and Transfer: You connect the device to your local network and copy your data using the Snowball client 4. Ship Back: Return the device to AWS using the provided shipping label 5. Data Import: AWS imports your data into the specified S3 bucket 6. Device Sanitization: AWS securely erases the device following NIST guidelines
Key Features to Remember
• Storage capacity: 80TB per device (usable) • Data is encrypted with 256-bit encryption keys managed through AWS KMS • Tamper-evident and waterproof case • E-ink shipping label for automatic tracking • Data transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps
AWS Snowball vs Other Snow Family Members
• Snowball Edge: Includes compute capabilities for local processing • Snowcone: Smaller device for edge computing and data transfer (8TB) • Snowmobile: Exabyte-scale data transfer using a shipping container
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on AWS Snowball for Migration
• Think Snowball when: Questions mention transferring large amounts of data (terabytes or petabytes) with limited time or bandwidth • Remember the threshold: Snowball is typically recommended when data transfer would take more than one week using your available internet connection • Security focus: Snowball provides end-to-end encryption and physical security features • S3 destination: Data transferred via Snowball goes into Amazon S3 • Not for real-time: Snowball is for batch data transfers, not ongoing synchronization • On-premises to cloud: Snowball is ideal for data center migrations and disaster recovery scenarios • Cost consideration: When questions compare data transfer costs for large datasets, Snowball is often the most economical choice
Common Exam Scenarios
• A company needs to migrate 50TB of data with a 100 Mbps connection - Answer: Snowball • An organization requires secure physical data transfer - Answer: Snowball • Moving data from an on-premises data center to S3 quickly - Answer: Snowball • Exabyte-scale migration needs - Answer: Snowmobile