Amazon EFS: Shared File Storage in the AWS Cloud
Learn how Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) provides scalable, managed file storage that multiple applications and compute resources can access.
Amazon EFS: Shared File Storage in the AWS Cloud
Description: Learn how Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) provides scalable, managed file storage that multiple applications and compute resources can access.
Introduction
Applications often need a place to store files such as documents, images, reports, and uploaded content. When several servers need access to the same files, managing separate copies can become complicated.
Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) helps solve this problem by providing a managed file system that can be shared across multiple compute resources.
What Is Amazon EFS?
Amazon EFS is a scalable, elastic file storage service designed for use with AWS cloud workloads.
Unlike object storage services such as Amazon S3, EFS provides a shared file system that applications can access through standard file operations.
It can be used with supported AWS compute services, including Amazon EC2, and can scale storage as files are added or removed.
How Does Amazon EFS Work?
Imagine a web application running on several EC2 instances. Each instance needs to access the same uploaded documents.
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Web Application
|
+------+------+
| |
v v
EC2 Server 1 EC2 Server 2
| |
+------+------+
|
v
Amazon EFS
Shared File SystemWith suitable network configuration and permissions, both servers can access files in the same EFS file system.
This helps keep shared files available to the application's compute resources without maintaining separate copies on each server.
Key Features of Amazon EFS
1. Elastic Storage: Storage capacity grows and shrinks as data is added or removed.
2. Shared Access: Multiple supported compute resources can access a common file system.
3. Managed Service: AWS manages the underlying storage infrastructure.
4. Availability and Durability Options: EFS offers storage configurations designed for different availability and resilience requirements.
5. Security Controls: Access can be managed using network security rules, file permissions, and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) where supported.
Amazon EFS vs. Amazon S3 vs. Amazon EBS
These services serve different storage needs.
- Amazon EFS: Shared file storage accessed through a file system.
- Amazon S3: Object storage commonly used for images, backups, documents, and static website assets.
- Amazon EBS: Block storage commonly attached to EC2 instances for operating systems, applications, and databases.
Choosing the right service depends on how the application needs to store and access data.
Student Project Idea
Build a Shared Document Management System.
Use a web application hosted on EC2 and Amazon EFS to store documents that multiple application instances need to access.
Explore how files are created, retrieved, and shared. Configure the required networking and permissions, and avoid storing sensitive documents without appropriate access controls.
Why Should Students Learn Amazon EFS?
Understanding EFS helps students learn the differences between file, block, and object storage. These concepts are important when designing applications that need shared files, scalable storage, or multiple application servers.
Final Thoughts
Amazon EFS makes shared file storage easier to manage for supported AWS workloads. Knowing when to use EFS instead of S3 or EBS is a valuable step toward making better cloud architecture decisions.
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