Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS)

Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) is a block storage service provided by AWS that allows you to create persistent block storage volumes and attach them to EC2 instances. EBS volumes are designed to provide low-latency, high-performance storage that can be used for a variety of use cases, such as database storage, file systems, and boot volumes.

Here are some examples of how EBS can be used:

  1. Database storage: EBS volumes can be used to store database data and log files for high-performance, durable storage. EBS volumes can be attached to an EC2 instance running a database server, such as MySQL or Oracle, and provide low-latency access to the data. EBS volumes can also be configured for snapshot backups and disaster recovery.

Example: A company running an e-commerce website uses EBS volumes to store the data for its MySQL database. They create an EBS volume and attach it to an EC2 instance running MySQL. They configure the EBS volume for snapshot backups and replication to a remote region for disaster recovery.

  1. File systems: EBS volumes can be used as block devices for file systems such as EXT4, NTFS, and XFS. EBS volumes can be attached to an EC2 instance running a file server, such as NFS or SMB, and provide scalable and durable storage for file-based workloads.

Example: A media company uses EBS volumes to store its video files in a file server running NFS. They create an EBS volume and attach it to an EC2 instance running NFS. They mount the EBS volume as a block device and configure it as a shared file system. They also use EBS snapshots to back up the data and create a disaster recovery plan.

  1. Boot volumes: EBS volumes can be used as boot volumes for EC2 instances, providing persistent and scalable storage for operating systems and applications. EBS boot volumes can be created from EBS snapshots, making it easy to deploy pre-configured images.

Example: A software development company uses EBS boot volumes to deploy new EC2 instances with pre-configured environments. They create an EBS snapshot of a pre-configured instance and use it to create new EBS volumes for booting new instances. They also use EBS volumes for storing application data and logs.

EBS is a versatile and scalable block storage service provided by AWS that can be used for a variety of use cases, including database storage, file systems, and boot volumes. EBS volumes provide low-latency, high-performance storage that is durable and scalable, making them an ideal choice for running critical workloads in the cloud.

Author: tonyhughes