Balance Performance and Cost: Select the Right AWS Storage Solution for Your Applications

Storage Classes

Object Storage

1. Frequently accessed data: The Standard storage class is designed for frequently accessed data that requires low latency and high throughput performance. This storage class is ideal for use cases such as web and mobile applications, content distribution, and big data analytics.
2. Infrequently accessed data: S3 Standard-IA and S3 One Zone-IA are cost-effective storage classes for infrequently accessed data requiring fast access, such as backups and disaster recovery. They have lower storage costs than S3 Standard, but higher retrieval costs. S3 One Zone-IA is less expensive than S3 Standard-IA, but is not resilient to physical loss of Availability Zones due to disasters. Use S3 One Zone-IA if data can be recreated and for object replicas in S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR).
3. Archiving objects: Amazon S3's Glacier storage class archives rarely-accessed objects for long-term retention with low storage costs, though retrieval time is slower. It's suited for regulatory requirements, legal docs, and healthcare records. Three low-cost storage classes are offered: S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, for rare but quick access; S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval, for partially quick access with a 90-day minimum storage period; and S3 Glacier Deep Archive, the cheapest option for seldom-accessed data with a 180-day minimum storage period and longer default retrieval time.

File Storage

1. Amazon EFS: Amazon EFS is an ideal choice for use cases that require shared file storage accessed by multiple instances simultaneously. It provides scalable, highly available, and durable file storage, making it suitable for applications like content management, web serving, and data sharing. It's also well-suited for big data workloads, machine learning, and media processing applications that need to read and write large files quickly.
2. Amazon FSx: Amazon FSx lets you choose between four widely-used file systems: NetApp ONTAP, OpenZFS, Windows File Server, and Lustre. This choice is typically based on your familiarity with a given file system. Visit the Choosing an Amazon FSx File System for more information on these.

Block Storage

1. Amazon EBS: It is a suitable option for workloads that require long-term persistence of data, including databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Microsoft SQL Server, mission-critical enterprise applications such as ERP systems or CRM software, and for safeguarding transaction logs and financial records that demand data integrity and rapid access. EBS offers a range of volume types, including General Purpose SSD, Provisioned IOPS SSD, and HDDs, to meet different performance needs.
2. Instance Store: It is perfect for short-term storage needs like caching, temporary data from processing tasks, scientific simulations, and computational workloads. It offers exceptional performance and low latency compared to EBS but lacks data persistence; information is lost when the instance stops or terminates. Therefore, it's fitting for scenarios where data loss isn't critical or data recreation is feasible

Choosing the Right AWS Storage Solution

1. Understand requirements: Analyze data type, growth rate, performance levels, durability, availability, access patterns, and compliance/regulatory needs.
2. Determine storage options: Familiarize yourself with AWS storage services like S3, EBS, EFS and FSx. Understand their strengths and limitations to choose the most suitable service for your needs. This blog acts as a good starting point and it's always best practice to refer to official document.
3. Evaluate performance requirements: For low-latency persistent block storage, choose Amazon EBS. For high-throughput file storage, consider Amazon FSx or Amazon EFS. Evaluate each service's performance capabilities for your workload demands.
4. Evaluate the durability and availability requirements: Amazon S3 offers 99.999999999% (11 nines) durability and replication across Availability Zones. Services like Amazon EBS and Amazon FSx have different characteristics. Assess these aspects to ensure data protection and accessibility as needed.
5. Consider cost implications: Review storage pricing based on data volume, storage type, data transfer, and additional features. Examine pricing models for different services and calculate anticipated costs. Consider both upfront and ongoing operational costs to make an informed decision. As an example Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive provides the cheapest storage on AWS, but pricing may increase exponentially if data is accessed frequently. This storage is best suited for long term archival where data is rarely accessed. Also, with S3 and EFS you are charged only for amount of data stored where as with EBS you are charged for amount of storage provisioned.
6. Consider security and compliance: Ensure the chosen storage service meets specific security and compliance requirements. AWS offers security features like encryption at rest and in transit, access controls, and compliance certifications. Evaluate these features to align with security and compliance needs. Example, With S3 Object Lock, you can store objects using a write-once-read-many (WORM) model. Object Lock can help prevent objects from being deleted or overwritten for a fixed amount of time or indefinitely.
7. Consider future storage needs and growth projections: Determine if your storage requirements will increase over time. Ensure the chosen storage service can scale without disruptions. AWS's elasticity and scalability features can accommodate evolving storage needs. Both EFS and S3 are petabyte scale storage with high elasticity. Whereas, EBS provides storage up to few TBs.
8. Leverage online resources, customer reviews, and use cases to gain insights into real-world experiences. Visit platforms like AWS Customer Success Stories and AWS This is My Architecture to gather valuable information for an informed decision.
9. Experiment and iterate before committing to a particular storage service, consider running a small-scale proof of concept (POC) or pilot project to validate your assumptions and evaluate the service's performance and suitability for your specific use case. This allows you to make adjustments and iterate before scaling up.
10. Remember that storage requirements can evolve, and it's always a good idea to periodically reassess your storage needs to ensure you're utilizing the most appropriate storage solution on AWS.

Conclusion