AWS offers a range of storage options that let businesses easily store and access data to process their cloud workloads. Included in this group are Amazon S3, Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS), Amazon Elastic File System (EFS), and Amazon Glacier. Each of these services has a unique pricing structure and is tailored for certain purposes in terms of data storage. Understanding the many storage solutions available and how to reduce costs is essential for businesses using AWS workloads.
Companies may choose the storage solution that is the most cost-effective for their particular use case by knowing the various storage classes and using that knowledge to guide their decisions. In this article, we will explore the different types of AWS storage, their pricing, and overall cost optimization best practices.
What are the different types of AWS Storage Tiers?
Knowing the differences between the storage tiers, their pricing, and applicability is crucial for ensuring proper utilization of your organization’s AWS expenditure. These are the following types of AWS Storage Tiers:
Amazon S3
Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is an object storage service that allows companies to store and retrieve data in the cloud. It is designed for storing large amounts of unstructured data, such as images, videos, and documents. S3 is a highly durable and scalable service, with built-in redundancy and automatic backups.
Amazon S3 Uses & Pricing (US East)
S3 is ideal for storing and retrieving large amounts of unstructured data, such as images, videos, and documents. It is suitable for a wide range of use cases, such as data archiving, backups, and content distribution.
- S3 storage pricing is based on the amount of data stored, the amount of data transferred, and the number of requests made.
- S3 storage costs vary based on the storage class chosen, such as S3 Standard or S3 Infrequent Access.
- S3 Standard storage costs $0.023 per GB per month, while S3 Infrequent Access storage costs $0.0125 per GB per month.
- Data transfer costs vary based on the amount of data transferred and the region it is transferred to.
Amazon EBS
Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store) is a cloud-based block storage solution that allows businesses to store and retrieve data. It is intended to store frequently accessed data, including databases and file systems. EBS volumes may be utilized as an EC2 instance’s primary storage and are easily resized and backed up.
Amazon EBS Uses & Pricing (US East)
EBS is perfect for storing and retrieving data from file systems and databases that must be accessed often. It is appropriate for use cases including application storage, data volumes, and boot volumes.
- EBS pricing is based on the amount of data stored, the number of IOPS (input/output operations per second) needed, and the amount of data transferred.
- EBS storage costs vary based on the volume type chosen, such as General Purpose SSD or Provisioned IOPS SSD.
- General Purpose SSD costs $0.10 per GB per month, while Provisioned IOPS SSD costs $0.125 per GB per month and $0.065 per provisioned IOPS per month.
Amazon Glacier
Amazon Glacier, an archive storage service enables businesses to store and access data in the cloud. It is intended for the long-term storage of archives and backups of data that is not commonly accessed. Although retrieval fees are greater than storage prices, Glacier is a cost-effective solution.
Amazon Glacier Uses & Pricing (US East)
Glacier is ideal for storing and retrieving infrequently accessed data, such as backups and long-term archives. It is suitable for use cases such as disaster recovery, regulatory compliance, and data archiving.
- Glacier pricing is based on the amount of data stored and the amount of data transferred.
- The storage cost for Glacier is $0.004 per GB per month.
- Retrieval fees vary based on the retrieval option chosen, such as Standard retrieval or Expedited retrieval.
- Additionally, there are costs associated with data transfer, such as data transfer into or out of Glacier.
Amazon EFS
Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is a file storage solution that allows businesses to store and retrieve data from their Amazon Web Services infrastructure. It is intended for data storage that numerous EC2 instances need to access, like shared file systems. EFS is a service that is extremely scalable, redundant, and has built-in automated backups.
Amazon EFS Uses & Pricing (US East)
- EFS pricing is based on the amount of data stored, the number of operations performed, and the amount of data transferred.
- EFS storage costs $0.30 per GB per month and $0.01 per million operations.
- Data transfer costs vary based on the amount of data transferred and the region it is transferred to.
Cost Optimization Tips with AWS Storage Tiers
There are several simple cost optimization strategies that companies can implement after gaining knowledge of the different AWS storage tiers. A few of them are listed below:
- Choosing the right storage classes
Companies should evaluate the access patterns of their data and choose the appropriate storage class. For example, S3 Standard is suitable for frequently accessed data, while S3 Infrequent Access is suitable for infrequently accessed data. By choosing the appropriate storage class, companies can save on storage costs for applications that meet certain data access requirements. - Implementing Lifecyle Policies
AWS offers lifecycle policies that allow companies to automatically transition data to lower-cost storage classes as it ages. For example, data can be transitioned from S3 Standard to S3 Infrequent Access after a certain period of time. This can help companies save on storage costs over time, as their storage pricing will match their operational requirements. - Using Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering
According to changing access patterns, this service dynamically switches assets between two access levels, which may help businesses cut storage expenses. - Using AWS Pricing Calculator
With the use of this service, businesses can estimate their predicted costs according to services & usage, and look at the cost estimations to make an effective FinOps strategy. - Monitoring Data Transfer Costs
To cut down on data transmission expenses, businesses may utilize Amazon CloudFront to distribute content or create a dedicated link between their on-premises infrastructure and AWS. - Monitoring Storage and Usage Costs
Companies can find areas where they can minimize expenses and make well-informed storage decisions by using Amazon S3 storage analytics and CloudWatch to monitor storage consumption and pricing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is critical for businesses using AWS workloads to comprehend the various forms of AWS storage and their price structures. Companies may choose the storage solution that is the most cost-effective for their particular use case by knowing the many storage alternatives that are available.
Additionally, businesses may optimize their savings on AWS storage charges by putting cost optimization tactics into practice. And keep in mind that it’s crucial to stay “cool as a glacier” and avoid letting your costs “heat up like an EBS volume” when it comes to cost minimization!
