AWS Storage Gateway

AWS Storage Gateway

AWS Storage Gateway is a hybrid cloud storage service that gives you on-premises access to virtually unlimited cloud storage. It connects an on-premises software appliance with cloud-based storage to provide seamless integration with data security features between your on-premises IT environment and the AWS storage infrastructure.

Gateway Types

1. S3 File Gateway:

   • Interface: NFS (Network File System) and SMB (Server Message Block).
   • Backend: Amazon S3.
   • Use Case: Storing files as objects in S3 (e.g., PDF, JPG) while accessing them locally via standard file protocols. Good for content repositories, backups.
   • Local Cache: Keeps frequently accessed data local for low latency.

2. Volume Gateway:

   • Interface: iSCSI (Block storage).
   • Backend: Amazon S3 (as EBS Snapshots).
   • Modes:

     • Cached Volumes: Store all data in S3, keep frequently accessed data locally. (Cloud is primary).
     • Stored Volumes: Store all data locally, back up asynchronously to S3 as EBS snapshots. (On-prem is primary).

3. Tape Gateway (VTL):

   • Interface: iSCSI (Virtual Tape Library).
   • Backend: S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval / Deep Archive.
   • Use Case: Replace physical tape backup infrastructure with virtual tapes in the cloud. Works with NetBackup, Backup Exec, Veeam, etc.

Hardware Options

• Virtual Machine (VM): VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, Linux KVM.
• Hardware Appliance: Physical server you can buy from Amazon.
• EC2 Instance: Run the gateway inside AWS (for migration/DR).

Exam Tips

• Keyword "File access" / "NFS/SMB": Answer is S3 File Gateway.
• Keyword "Block storage" / "iSCSI": Answer is Volume Gateway.
• Keyword "Tape backup": Answer is Tape Gateway.
• "Low latency access to most recent data": Implies Cached Volumes or File Gateway (both have caching).

Common Use Cases

• Moving backups to the cloud.
• Tiering data to S3.
• Disaster recovery.
• Substituting physical tape libraries.