Snow Family in AWS

The AWS Snow Family is a suite of physical devices and services that help customers transfer large amounts of data into and out of AWS. These devices are designed to facilitate data migration for on-premises storage, addressing scenarios where network bandwidth is insufficient or unavailable. The Snow Family also includes devices for edge computing and temporary storage solutions.

The Snow Family includes several products, each tailored for different use cases:

1. AWS Snowcone

• Purpose: Snowcone is the smallest member of the Snow Family, designed for edge computing and edge data transfer in environments with limited space.

• Storage Capacity: 8 TB of usable storage.

• Use Cases:

  • Edge Computing: Ideal for environments where cloud access is limited, such as remote locations, vehicles, or mobile operations.

  • Data Transfer: For transferring smaller datasets into AWS, especially when network bandwidth is constrained.

  • Offline Processing: Can be used for collecting and processing data locally before transferring it to the cloud.

• Connectivity: Snowcone is designed to work offline, with data transferred to AWS when connectivity is available.

• Physical Size: Portable, lightweight (about 4.5 pounds), and rugged for tough environments.

2. AWS Snowball

• Purpose: Snowball is a larger device designed for high-capacity data transport and edge computing.

• Storage Capacity: Available in two configurations:

  • Snowball Edge Storage Optimized: 80 TB of usable storage.

  • Snowball Edge Compute Optimized: 42 TB of usable storage, with additional compute capabilities for running edge applications.

• Use Cases:

  • Data Transfer: Ideal for transferring petabytes of data from on-premises data centers to AWS in a secure and efficient manner.

  • Edge Computing: Snowball Edge devices can run local compute workloads using EC2 instances, making them ideal for processing data on-premises before sending it to AWS.

  • Disaster Recovery: Can be used to transfer backup and disaster recovery data to AWS for safe storage.

• Connectivity: Snowball devices can be used offline and connected to AWS once physical transport is complete.

3. AWS Snowmobile

• Purpose: Snowmobile is a massive data transfer solution designed for large-scale migrations, capable of moving petabytes or even exabytes of data.

• Storage Capacity: Up to 100 PB of usable storage per Snowmobile.

• Use Cases:

  • Large-Scale Data Migrations: Ideal for enterprises or organizations that need to move massive volumes of data (e.g., video archives, scientific data) to the cloud, where network bandwidth would be insufficient for such a transfer.

  • Data Center Decommissioning: Helps organizations decommission on-premises data centers by moving their entire data footprint to AWS in a secure manner.

• Connectivity: Snowmobile is delivered to the customer site via a 45-foot shipping container that is transported by a semi-trailer truck.

• Security: The device includes physical security with GPS tracking and tamper detection, ensuring that the data is safe during transit.

4. AWS DataSync

• Purpose: While not a physical device like the other Snow Family products, AWS DataSync is a managed data transfer service designed to move data between on-premises storage and AWS.

• Use Cases:

  • Online Data Migration: Ideal for continuously syncing data to AWS from on-premises file systems, NAS devices, or on-prem servers.

  • Data Replication: Can be used for backing up data to AWS or for replication between data centers.

  • Low-Latency Transfer: It’s designed to move data quickly, even for large datasets, using high-speed, secure protocols.

• Capacity: Supports transferring data from on-premises storage directly into S3, EFS, or FSx for Windows File Server.

Key Benefits of the Snow Family

1. Efficient Data Migration:

   • The Snow Family is ideal for customers who need to move large amounts of data to AWS where network transfer would be slow or impractical.

   • The devices offer a secure and highly efficient method for migrating data without the need for an internet connection during the transport phase.

2. Edge Computing:

   • With the Snowball Edge devices, customers can process data at the edge before sending it to the cloud. This is useful for remote locations with limited bandwidth or for scenarios where immediate action is required.

   • Customers can run compute workloads locally using AWS services such as EC2, Lambda, and others, enabling real-time processing.

3. Security:

   • All Snow Family devices come with robust physical and data security features, including encryption, tamper-proof enclosures, and secure data transfer.

   • Encryption at rest and in transit ensures that sensitive data is protected throughout the process.

4. Scalability:

   • The Snow Family products scale to meet the needs of various use cases, from small data migrations with Snowcone to massive, large-scale migrations with Snowmobile.

5. Portability:

   • The Snowcone and Snowball devices are portable and rugged, designed to be used in harsh environments or remote locations where traditional internet access is unavailable.

Summary of AWS Snow Family Products

When to Use AWS Snow Family

• Limited Bandwidth: When you have a large amount of data to transfer but bandwidth is insufficient to move the data over the internet.

• Remote Locations: For environments where internet connectivity is not reliable or available.

• Edge Computing: When processing data locally is required, and you need compute power at the edge before uploading it to the cloud.

• Massive Data Migrations: For organizations looking to migrate petabytes or even exabytes of data to AWS in a secure and efficient manner.