The AWS Snow Family is a group of physical devices provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help businesses move large amounts of data between their on-premises environment and the AWS Cloud. These devices are designed for situations where transferring data over the internet is slow, expensive, or impractical.
If you're a beginner exploring AWS, this article will explain what the AWS Snow Family is, the services it offers, and how they can be used—step by step and in simple language.
What is AWS Snow Family?
The AWS Snow Family consists of physical devices that you can order from AWS to transfer or process data. These devices help you:
Migrate data to AWS when there’s too much to transfer over the internet.
Move data out of AWS if you need it on-premises.
Process data locally in remote or disconnected environments.
Why Use AWS Snow Family?
Here’s why AWS Snow Family is useful:
Transfer Large Data: Moving petabytes (PB) or terabytes (TB) of data over the internet can take months. Snow Family devices can transfer this data quickly.
Save Costs: Using Snow Family is often cheaper than paying for internet bandwidth.
Remote Locations: Snow Family works even where there’s no internet, like in ships, factories, or remote research sites.
Security: Data stored on Snow devices is encrypted and secured.
The AWS Snow Family Members
The AWS Snow Family includes three main services:
AWS Snowcone
AWS Snowball
AWS Snowmobile
1. AWS Snowcone
AWS Snowcone is the smallest and lightest member of the Snow Family.
Size: It’s about the size of a small lunchbox (weighs 4.5 lbs or 2.1 kg).
Use Cases:
Collecting and processing data in small remote environments.
Moving data to AWS when the internet connection is limited.
Storage Capacity: Up to 8 TB of usable storage.
Portability: Easy to carry, and it can run on battery power.
Example: If you’re working on a construction site without reliable internet, you can use Snowcone to collect and temporarily store sensor data before moving it to AWS.
2. AWS Snowball
AWS Snowball is larger and more powerful than Snowcone. It comes in two types:
Snowball Edge Storage Optimized
Snowball Edge Compute Optimized
Size: About the size of a large suitcase.
Storage Capacity:
- Up to 80 TB of usable storage.
Compute Power: Some Snowball devices allow you to run applications locally (like a mini data center).
Use Cases:
Transferring large datasets (like video libraries or medical records) to AWS.
Running data processing jobs in disconnected areas (e.g., on a ship).
Example: If a company needs to move hundreds of terabytes of video files from their on-premises servers to AWS, they can use a Snowball device to transfer the data efficiently.
3. AWS Snowmobile
AWS Snowmobile is the largest member of the Snow Family. It’s a massive physical device in the form of a shipping container mounted on a truck.
Size: A 45-foot-long container (about the size of a truck).
Storage Capacity: 100 PB of data per Snowmobile.
Use Cases:
- Moving extremely large datasets, such as entire data centers, to AWS.
Security: The Snowmobile is highly secure, with encryption, GPS tracking, and dedicated escorts during transport.
Example: If a large enterprise wants to migrate its entire data center with hundreds of petabytes of information to AWS, AWS Snowmobile provides a fast and secure way to do so.
How Does AWS Snow Family Work?
Here’s a step-by-step explanation of how the Snow Family works:
Order the Device:
- Go to the AWS Management Console and order a Snowcone, Snowball, or Snowmobile based on your needs.
AWS Ships the Device:
- AWS delivers the physical device to your location.
Transfer Your Data:
- Copy your data to the Snow device. You can also use it to process data locally.
Ship the Device Back:
- Once the data transfer is complete, you ship the device back to AWS.
AWS Uploads the Data:
- AWS uploads the data to your Amazon S3 bucket in the cloud.
Secure Deletion:
- AWS securely erases the data from the device to ensure your privacy.
When to Use AWS Snow Family?
You can use the AWS Snow Family in scenarios like:
Limited Internet Connectivity: When transferring large data is impractical due to slow or costly internet.
Data Migration: Moving large amounts of data to AWS during cloud migration.
Remote Workloads: Running applications or processing data in remote environments.
Disaster Recovery: Transferring data quickly to recover after a disaster.
Benefits of AWS Snow Family
Faster Data Transfers: Speeds up the process of moving huge datasets.
Cost-Effective: Saves money compared to high internet transfer costs.
Secure: Data is encrypted during transfer, and AWS securely deletes data once uploaded.
Reliable: Works in remote locations with little to no internet connectivity.
Scalable: Options like Snowcone, Snowball, and Snowmobile let you choose the right size for your needs.
Conclusion
The AWS Snow Family is a set of physical devices designed to help businesses transfer and process large amounts of data efficiently and securely. Whether you need to move a small dataset with Snowcone, a large dataset with Snowball, or an entire data center with Snowmobile, the Snow Family provides flexible solutions.
By understanding how each service works, you can choose the right tool for your needs and confidently manage your data migration or processing tasks—no matter how remote or large they may be.