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EC2 Storage Options ​

Summary ​

  • EC2 supports multiple storage options: Amazon EBS (persistent block storage), instance store (local ephemeral), and Amazon EFS (shared file system); each is ideal for different workload patterns.
  • Amazon EBS is the default choice for most workloads; you pick between gp3, io1/io2, st1, sc1 based on IOPS/throughput needs and cost.
  • Instance store offers extremely high performance but loses data when the instance stops or terminates, so it should only be used for temporary data.
  • Amazon EFS provides a scalable, shared POSIX file system that can be mounted by many EC2 instances, suitable for shared content and application data.

Storage options at a glance ​

mermaid
mindmap
  root((EC2 Storage Options))
    Amazon EBS
      gp3 (general purpose)
      io1/io2 (provisioned IOPS)
      st1 (throughput HDD)
      sc1 (cold HDD)
      Snapshots & Elastic Volumes
    Instance Store
      Local NVMe/HDD
      Ephemeral data
    Amazon EFS
      Shared file system
      NFSv4.1
      Regional & scalable

Best Practices ​

  • Use gp3 as the default volume type for most workloads; tune IOPS and throughput as needed instead of relying on older gp2.
  • Reserve io1/io2 for workloads that truly require high, consistent IOPS (typically relational or NoSQL databases), and monitor CloudWatch volume metrics to avoid over‑provisioning.
  • Never store critical data exclusively on instance store; back important data up to EBS or S3 and understand that data is lost when the instance stops or terminates.
  • Separate OS and data volumes, enable EBS encryption, and use Data Lifecycle Manager or AWS Backup to schedule snapshots with appropriate retention policies.
  • For workloads requiring shared file storage across instances, use Amazon EFS and select the right performance and throughput modes (General Purpose vs Max I/O, Bursting vs Provisioned).
  • Regularly clean up unused EBS volumes and snapshots and right‑size volumes to keep storage costs under control.

Exam Notes ​

  • Know when to choose each EBS type: gp3 (default, flexible IOPS/throughput), io1/io2 (databases/critical I/O), st1 (big data, logs, sequential I/O), sc1 (cold/archive data).
  • Remember that EBS is persistent, network‑attached block storage, while instance store is local, ephemeral storage that is lost on stop/terminate.
  • Understand snapshots: incremental, stored in S3 (not directly visible), can be copied across Regions and accounts, and used to create new volumes or golden images.
  • For use cases requiring shared POSIX file system across many EC2 instances with automatic scaling and multi‑AZ durability, EFS is often the correct answer (as opposed to S3 or plain EBS).

AWS documentation ​