| Scenario | Best AWS Service |
|---|---|
| Migrate 1 PB of data from a remote data center with no reliable internet | AWS Snowmobile |
| Incremental backups from on-premises NAS to Amazon S3 | AWS DataSync |
| Secure file transfer from a partner’s system using SFTP | AWS Transfer Family |
| Process and analyze IoT data in a disconnected oil rig | AWS Snowball Edge |
| Syncing multiple databases from hybrid environments to AWS | AWS DataSync |
| Moving a video archive to AWS Glacier | AWS Snowball Edge |
| Hosting a legacy FTP server in the cloud | AWS Transfer Family |
AWS Transfer Family vs. AWS DataSync vs. AWS DMS
| Feature | AWS Transfer Family | AWS DataSync | AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Secure file transfer (SFTP, FTPS, FTP) to/from AWS | Large-scale data movement & synchronization | Migrate & replicate databases |
| Best For | Business partners, legacy apps, external file transfers | Bulk file transfer & sync across on-prem, AWS, or regions | Database migration & continuous replication |
| Data Type | Files (structured/unstructured) | Files (structured/unstructured) | Structured database data (schemas, tables) |
| Transfer Type | SFTP, FTPS, FTP | NFS, SMB, S3, EFS, FSx | Relational & NoSQL databases |
| Storage Target | Amazon S3, Amazon EFS | Amazon S3, EFS, FSx, on-prem storage | RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, on-prem databases |
| Real-time Sync | No (manual or scheduled transfers) | Yes (incremental sync supported) | Yes (Change Data Capture for continuous replication) |
| Automation & Events | Supports AWS Lambda, Step Functions, SNS notifications | Scheduled transfers, incremental sync | Keeps source & target databases in sync |
| Security & Compliance | IAM, encryption (TLS, KMS) | IAM, encryption in transit & at rest | IAM, encryption, secure connections |
| Scalability | Good for small-to-medium file transfers | Optimized for petabyte-scale file migration | Optimized for high-volume structured data |
| Pricing Model | Pay per active hour & data transfer | Pay per GB transferred | Pay per migration/replication instance |
| Common Use Cases | Secure file sharing, legacy FTP replacement, B2B transfers | Data migration between on-prem/AWS, region-to-region sync | Database migration, hybrid cloud database replication |
Choosing the Right Service
- AWS Transfer Family: Best for secure FTP/SFTP/FTPS file transfers to AWS, especially for partner integrations or legacy system migrations.
- AWS DataSync: Best for moving or syncing large amounts of unstructured file data between on-prem and AWS at scale.
- AWS DMS: Best for migrating structured data from one database to another, including real-time replication.
AWS DataSync can transfer data to on-prem storage that supports the following protocols:
| Storage Type | Protocol | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Network File Systems (NFS) | NFS v3, v4 | Linux file servers, NAS devices (NetApp, Dell EMC, Synology) |
| Windows File Shares | SMB v2, v3 | Windows file servers, NAS devices, FSx for Windows |
| Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) | HDFS | On-prem Hadoop clusters |
| S3-Compatible Object Storage | S3 API | MinIO, Cloudian, Ceph |
📌 Common Use Cases:
✅ Disaster Recovery (Backup AWS data to on-prem).
✅ Hybrid Cloud Workflows (Sync AWS data to local servers).
✅ Data Compliance (Store copies locally for regulatory reasons).
AWS DMS
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/dms/latest/userguide/CHAP_Introduction.Sources.html
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/dms/latest/userguide/CHAP_Introduction.Targets.html
