AWS Storage Gateway

AWS Storage Gateway is a hybrid cloud storage service that enables on-premises applications to seamlessly use AWS cloud storage. It provides low-latency access to data with local caching, while also allowing for secure backup and disaster recovery.

Key Features

• Hybrid Cloud Storage: AWS Storage Gateway bridges on-premises environments with the AWS cloud, providing a seamless integration between on-premises storage and AWS cloud storage.
• Low-Latency Access: By caching frequently accessed data locally, Storage Gateway ensures low-latency access to critical data.
• Data Backup and Archiving: It facilitates secure and efficient data backup and archiving to the cloud, enabling long-term data storage with minimal on-premises infrastructure.
• File, Volume, and Tape Gateway: Supports multiple configurations, including File Gateway for file storage, Volume Gateway for block storage, and Tape Gateway for tape backups.
• Seamless Integration: Integrates with AWS services like Amazon S3, Amazon S3 Glacier, and Amazon EBS for storage and data management.
• Data Encryption: Provides robust data encryption both in transit and at rest, ensuring data security.
• Scalability: Automatically scales storage capacity in the cloud as data grows, eliminating the need for upfront hardware investment.

Common Use Cases

• Backup and Restore: AWS Storage Gateway is commonly used for secure and cost-effective data backup and restore, ensuring data is protected and recoverable in case of failure.
• Hybrid Cloud Workloads: Ideal for hybrid cloud workloads where on-premises applications require low-latency access to data stored in the AWS cloud.
• Disaster Recovery: Facilitates disaster recovery by replicating data to the cloud, ensuring business continuity in case of on-premises failures.
• Data Archiving: Used for archiving data to Amazon S3 or S3 Glacier, providing long-term data storage at a low cost.
• Media and Entertainment: Often used in media and entertainment for storing and managing large media files, with integration to AWS cloud for processing and distribution.

Architecture Overview

The following diagram illustrates the architecture of AWS Storage Gateway:

• File Gateway: Provides a file interface to S3, allowing you to store and retrieve files as objects in S3, while caching frequently accessed data locally.
• Volume Gateway: Offers block storage volumes that are backed up to AWS, and can be mounted as iSCSI devices, with snapshots stored in S3 as EBS snapshots.
• Tape Gateway: Emulates a physical tape library, enabling tape-based backup systems to backup data to AWS, with tapes stored in S3 and archived in S3 Glacier.
• Local Cache: Frequently accessed data is cached locally, reducing latency and improving performance for on-premises applications.
• Cloud Storage: Data is securely stored in Amazon S3, S3 Glacier, or Amazon EBS, with automatic scaling and managed security.
• Data Transfer: Data is transferred securely between on-premises environments and AWS using encrypted connections, with optimized bandwidth management.

Integration with Other AWS Services

AWS Storage Gateway integrates with various AWS services to enhance its functionality and streamline data management:

• Amazon S3: Used for storing files and volumes from File Gateway and Volume Gateway, providing durable and scalable cloud storage.
• Amazon S3 Glacier: Ideal for archiving tapes from Tape Gateway, offering low-cost, long-term storage for infrequently accessed data.
• Amazon EBS: Snapshots from Volume Gateway are stored as Amazon EBS snapshots, providing reliable and scalable block storage.
• AWS Backup: Provides centralized management and automation of backups for AWS Storage Gateway, ensuring data is securely backed up across AWS services.
• AWS Lambda: Enables serverless functions to trigger actions based on events from AWS Storage Gateway, such as data transfer or processing.

Things to Remember for the Exam

• Types of Gateways: Be familiar with the three types of Storage Gateway:
  • File Gateway: For storing files as objects in S3, with local caching for low-latency access.
  • Volume Gateway: Provides block storage volumes backed by AWS, with snapshots stored as EBS snapshots.
  • Tape Gateway: Emulates a physical tape library, enabling backup applications to store data in AWS, with tapes stored in S3 and archived in S3 Glacier.
• Use Cases: Understand the common use cases for each type of gateway:
  • File Gateway: Ideal for file storage and retrieval, especially for hybrid cloud workloads requiring low-latency access.
  • Volume Gateway: Suitable for block storage use cases, such as backup and disaster recovery.
  • Tape Gateway: Used for tape backups, providing a cloud-based alternative to traditional tape storage.
• Data Transfer and Caching: Know how AWS Storage Gateway handles data transfer and caching:
  • Data is securely transferred between on-premises environments and AWS using encrypted connections.
  • Frequently accessed data is cached locally to reduce latency and improve performance.
• Integration with AWS Services: Be aware of how Storage Gateway integrates with other AWS services, such as Amazon S3, S3 Glacier, Amazon EBS, and AWS Backup.
• Security and Compliance: Understand the security features of AWS Storage Gateway, including data encryption in transit and at rest, and compliance with various regulatory standards.
• Scalability: Remember that AWS Storage Gateway automatically scales storage capacity in the cloud, eliminating the need for upfront hardware investment.