AWS Storage Gateway is a hybrid cloud storage service that enables you to seamlessly integrate on-premises IT environments with Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud storage.
AWS Storage Gateway gives your applications on-premises and in-cloud access to virtually unlimited cloud storage. Bridge between on-premise data and cloud data in S3, Hybrid cloud service to allow on-premise seamlessly use the AWS Cloud.
Types of Storage:
File Gateway provides a file-based interface to Amazon S3 cloud storage, allowing you to store and retrieve files in S3 using the NFS or SMB protocols. It is ideal for applications that require file-based access but need to store data in the cloud for scalability, cost-efficiency, and durability.
Volume Gateway provides block-level storage volumes that are backed by Amazon S3, making it ideal for applications that need traditional block storage. It offers two configurations: Stored Volumes and Cached Volumes.
Tape Gateway allows you to integrate your existing tape-based backup systems with Amazon S3 and Amazon Glacier. It is designed to help businesses that are transitioning from physical tape storage to cloud-based storage for archival, backup, and disaster recovery purposes
Comparison
| Feature | File Gateway | Volume Gateway | Tape Gateway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage Type | File-based interface to Amazon S3 (NFS/SMB) | Block-level storage backed by Amazon S3 | Virtual Tape Library (VTL) to Amazon S3/Glacier |
| Use Cases | Backup, archiving, disaster recovery, media workflows | Block storage for databases, enterprise apps | Tape backup migration, long-term archival, disaster recovery |
| Cloud Integration | Direct integration with Amazon S3 | Stored Volumes or Cached Volumes in S3 | Integration with Amazon S3 and Glacier for long-term tape storage |
| Local Storage | Cached locally for low-latency access | Cached locally (Stored or Cached Volumes) | N/A (uses virtual tapes) |
| Data Tiering | Supports S3 and Glacier for archival | Supports S3 for backup and recovery | Archival to S3 Glacier or Glacier Deep Archive |
| Backup and Recovery | Supports cloud backup and recovery | Snapshots to S3 for backup and recovery | Supports backup with existing tools, VTL interface |
| Protocol Supported | NFS and SMB | iSCSI | VTL with existing backup software |
Use Cases for AWS Storage Gateway:
Backup and Archiving: Offload backup data to the cloud, leveraging the cost and durability benefits of Amazon S3 and Glacier, while maintaining quick access to frequently used data.
Disaster Recovery: Ensure business continuity with cloud-based backups and seamless integration with on-premises applications for quick data recovery.
Tape Migration: Transition from physical tape storage to cloud storage while keeping existing backup software.
File-Based Applications: Move on-premises file-based applications to the cloud for greater scalability, without changing the underlying application architecture.
Enterprise Applications: Use block storage (Volume Gateway) for applications that require low-latency access to data while leveraging the cloud for scalability.