AWS Snowcone, AWS Snowball, and AWS Snowmobile make up the AWS Snow family. The family includes physical objects with built-in computing power and capacity points. They aid with the movement of data both into and out of AWS. Customers of AWS can migrate data securely and affordably to AWS using members of the Snow family. How much data you need to move will determine which Snow family member to use. The Snow family integrates with AWS’s computing and security procedures because it is run and owned by AWS.
In this blog we are going to cover the following topics on the snow family:
- Overview of the Snow Family
- Key features
- Service model
- AWS snow cone
- AWS snowball
- AWS Snowmobile
- Comparison Between Service Models
- Frequently Asked Questions
Overview of the Snow Family
AWS Snow Family moves and processes petabytes of data at the edge. The Snow family’s goal is to create low-cost devices that move data offline. To move our data to the cloud, we can rent a snow device.
Snow devices are rigorously tested in the most extreme conditions. It integrates high security and ruggedization into computing and storage devices.
Snow devices offer a variety of options, including optimization for space or weight constraints, portability, and flexible networking options.
Key features of the Snow family
- It offers users convenient management and monitoring.
- Applications can use snow devices as NFS (network file system) endpoints.
- With current on-premises systems and file base applications, snow devices can be used.
- All transferred data is automatically 256-bit encrypted.
- It provides a Trusted Platform Module that aids in maintaining data secrecy.
- It makes device tracking simple.
- For AWS IoT Greengrass functionality, it provides built-in computation and storage resources.
Service models
AWS snow family service model is of three types:
- AWS snow cone: AWS Snow cone is the most compact and portable device weighing in at 4.5 pounds (2.1kg). It is available in HDD and SDD options. Snowcone is ruggedized, secure, and purpose-built for use outside of a traditional data center.
- AWS snowball: AWS snowball is available as compute optimized device and storage-optimized device. These devices are suited for extreme conditions, tamper-proof, and highly secure.
- AWS snowmobile: AWS snowmobile is an Exabyte-scale data migration device that is used to move extremely large data. It migrates up to 100PB in a 45-foot-long ruggedized shipping container, pulled by a semi-trailer truck.
What is AWS Snowcone?
AWS Snowcone is a lightweight edge computing and data transfer system. It is the most portable item owned by the Snow family. Rugged, secure, and reliable Snowcone is built for use outside of traditional data centers.
After being collected and processed, the data is either sent to AWS for offline transfer or sent using AWS Data Sync. We can deploy a portable device almost anywhere and get the processing, storage, and network accessibility we need from it.
How does AWS Snowcone work?
AWS Snowcone is a portable, secure, tiny device that provides edge computing, data storage, and data transport in remote locations with limited or no connectivity.
Use cases of AWS Snowcone
- Accelerate fleet data collection and analysis: It has a tiny form factor, a ruggedized design, a power option, and better security, making it simple to collect terabytes of data each day from a huge fleet of vehicles.
- Gather IoT data in extreme conditions: It sets up an edge computer and storage system built for places with little room, restricted bandwidth, and harsh weather, such as factories, mines, and oil fields.
- Improve patient outcomes: It provides patients with enhanced treatment while they are traveling or on the go, and it communicates vital data in real-time via built-in Wi-Fi and AWS DataSync.
- Expedited content distribution: It gathers and analyses content, including high-resolution photos, and enhances team performance in a hectic, confined setting.
- Edge processing: Gathering and processing data for real-time insights, followed by both online and offline transfers of the data to AWS.
What is AWS Snowball?
AWS Snowball, which has no storage or processing power constraints, can be used to send terabytes of data to the cloud quickly. It speeds up the transport of data to the cloud from offline or distant storage. Furthermore, it speeds up application performance in far, sterile edge regions and manages computing duties with little to no connectivity. Your data is protected while it is in transit by Snowball’s ruggedized chassis, integrated organization, and tamper-evident box, which also quickly delivers it to the intended location.
How does AWS Snowball work?
- Choose your favorite device from either the snowball edge compute or the snowball edge storage optimization options.
- Utilize Amazon S3 to create a job (simple storage services).
- To track the device, choose SNS (Simple Notification Services).
- Set up a GPU and some other choices, such as Amazon EC2 AMIs.
- We got the device, which AWS ships for us, in 4-6 days.
- When you get there, turn it on and utilize AWS OpsHub to unlock it.
- Join the LAN to the snow gadget.
- Now launch the Ec2 instance, operate the device, and send data using AWS OpsHub.
- Following a complete device shutdown, go back to AWS.
- The E-link screen immediately displays the shipping label.
- Any data saved in the snowball is transferred when devices arrive in the AWS Region.
Use Cases of AWS Snowball
- Migrate data at petabyte-scale: In particular, when network circumstances are constrained, it moves databases, backups, archives, healthcare records, analytics datasets, IoT sensor data, and media assets to the cloud.
- Process and analyze data locally: Run Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) on Amazon EC2 and distribute AWS Lambda code using machine learning (ML) or other applications on Snowball Edge devices.
- Optimize manufacturing data: It gathers and examines data from the factory itself to hone procedures and boost production, efficiency, and safety.
What is AWS Snowmobile?
Massive amounts of data are moved to AWS using exabyte-scale data migration tools like AWS Snowmobile. Up to 100PB of data can be transported using a semi-trailer truck pulling a ruggedized 45-foot shipping container. Snowmobiles can easily transport large volumes of data to the cloud, including video libraries, image repositories, or even a full data center transfer. More rapid, cost-effective, and secure data transfer is provided by Snowmobile.
How does AWS Snowmobile Work?
- A first evaluation will be followed by the delivery of a snowmobile to our data center.
- It will be set up for us by AWS staff so that it can be used as a network storage target.
- AWS staff will work with our team to get in touch with us when a snowmobile is present.
- It communicates to our local network from the snowmobile using a transportable, high-speed network switch.
- We can now start transferring high-speed data to snowmobiles from a variety of sources inside our data centers.
- The Snowmobile is driven back to AWS after the data has been loaded, where it is then imported into Amazon S3.
Benefits of AWS Snowmobile
- Fast transfer even at a massive scale: Extremely big data transfers can take decades, even with a high-speed internet connection. However, with AWS Snowmobile, we are able to transmit 100 petabytes of data in a few weeks, plus the time required for the transport.
- Strong encryption: A 256-bit encryption key that KMS manages is used to encrypt the data. Before the information is written to the snowmobile, these keys are given. The encryption server on the snowmobile does not write encryption keys to the disk.
- Customize for our needs: AWS will work with you to make sure that all of your needs are taken into account before Snowmobile arrives on-site because physical sites can have different migration requirements.
- Massively Scalable: Up to 100 petabytes of data can be transported by a Snowmobile in a single trip, which is around 1,250 AWS Snowball devices.
- Easy data retrieval: Many businesses worry that after moving all of their data to the cloud, it will be costly and time-consuming to get the data back if needed. All customers have access to Snowball and Snowmobile, which guarantee speedy data entry and exit into and from AWS.
- Rugged, durable, & more secure: Snowmobile is temperature-controlled, water-resistant, and impervious to tampering. Only AWS employees are authorized to operate the data container, and security access hardware measures restrict physical access. Snowmobiles are guarded by constant video surveillance, alarm monitoring, GPS tracking, and the option to have a security vehicle accompany them.
Comparison between Service Models
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some example use cases?
AWS Snow Family services are available for data transport and sporadic on-site pre-processing. Cloud migration, disaster recovery, data Centre relocation, and/or remote data collection initiatives are a few examples of big data transmission. These projects often call for you to migrate huge amounts of data in the quickest, most affordable manner possible.
Why do I need Snow Family services?
Large amounts of data can be slow to transport across the line, and other places have no connectivity at all. The Snow Family facilitates faster, more cost-efficient, and more secure data transmissions. Each service has a pre-determined capacity level to make it simple for you to select the best choice. Further assisting in bringing computing applications closer to the data source to improve analysis and provide real-time findings are Snowcone and Snowball Edge.
How do I choose between Snow Family and other AWS data migration services?
When there are no network capacity restrictions, the services offered by AWS Storage Gateway and AWS Direct Connect are appropriate choices. Whether linked to a network or not, the Snow Family of Services offers suitable options for the most effective data transfer methods. To assist you in moving data via networks, highways, and technological partners, AWS provides a variety of solutions. To choose which service is ideal for you, look at the pages below.
Related Links/References
- AWS Free Tier Limits
- AWS Free Tier Account Details
- How to create a free tier account in AWS
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate SAA-CO3
- Amazon Elastic File System User Guide
- AWS Free Tier Account Services
- AWS Route 53 Introduction
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