Technology - Storage Services

Question 1

What is Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)?

Answer 1

A storage service in the cloud that is highly available.

Files are called ‘Objects’
Directories are called ‘Buckets’

Objects can be public or private and can be uploaded to the cloud.

Question 2

At which level (bucket or object) can the security / access controls be set in AWS S3?

Answer 2

Both - Using access control lists (ACLs), bucket policies, or access point policies.

Question 3

Which feature in AWS S3 allows you to create multiple versions of your file in order to protect against accidental deletion or to restore to a previous version?

Answer 3

Versioning

Question 4

What are S3 access logs useful for?

Answer 4

To track access to your buckets and objects to track down the root causes of issues or look for suspicious activity.

Question 5

True or False: Bucket names in S3 must be globally unique

Answer 5

True - Unless a bucket is deleted. No one else may use the same bucket name.

Question 6

What are the two core principles around Data Accessibility in AWS S3 storage?

Answer 6

1. Durability - Will my data always persist and be there tomorrow? (99.999999999%)
2. Availability - Will I have access to my data when I need it? 99.99%)

Question 7

What are the 9 types of S3 Storage Classess?

Answer 7

1. S3 Standard
2. S3 Intelligent-Tiering
3. S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (IA)
4. S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (IA)
5. S3 Glacier
6. S3 Glacier Deep Archive
7. S3 Outposts

Question 8

What is S3 Standard?

Answer 8

General Purpose storage for any type of data. (Frequently accessed data)

Question 9

What is S3 Intelligent-Tiering?

Answer 9

Automatically moves your data to the most cost-effective storage class. Automatic cost savings. No retrieval Fees. Data-Stored across multiple availability zones. (Data with unknown or changing access pattern)

Question 10

What is S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (IA)?

Answer 10

Data is accessed less frequently but requires rapid access when needed. Data is stored across multiple availability zones. Cheaper than S3 standard. (Long-lived data, infrequently accessed, but millisecond access when needed)

Question 11

What is S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (IA)?

Answer 11

Like Standard-Infrequent Access but only stored in ONE availability zone. Costs 20% less than S3 standard. Data stored in this storage class can be lost. (Used for data that you can recreate, where durability and availability aren’t essential) - 99.5% availability

Question 12

What is S3 Glacier?

Answer 12

Long-Term data storage and archival for lower costs. Data retrieval takes longer. Three retrieval options:
1-5 minutes
3-5 hours
5-12 hours
Data is stored across multiple Availability zones. (Ideal for long-term back ups and is a cheaper storage option)

Question 13

What is S3 Glacier Deep Archive?

Answer 13

Like S3 Glaicer but has longer access times. Only two retrieval options:
12 Hours
48 Hours

Ideal for long-term data backups that are accessed once or twice a year. Retaining data for regulatory or compliance requirements.

Question 14

What is S3 Outposts?

Answer 14

Provides Object storage on-premise. (Not in cloud). Store data across multiple devices and servers. (For Data that must be kept local and for demanding application performance needs)

Question 15

How is S3 Deployed in the Real-World?

Answer 15

1. Static Websites
2. Data Archives
3. Analytic Systems
4. Mobile Applications

Question 16

What is an Elastic Block Store (EBS) & What is it used for?

Answer 16

EBS is a storage device (called volume) that can be attached to (or removed from) one instance.

Features:
Data Persists when the instance is not running
Can ONLY be attached to ONE instance in the same AZ
Can ONLY be tied to ONE AZ.

Recommended for
Quick, Accessible Data
Running a Database
Long-Term data Storage

Question 17

What is EC2 Instance Store?

Answer 17

An instance store is local storage that is physically attached to the host computer and cannot be removed.

Features:
Storage on disks physically attached to the instance
Faster speeds with higher I/O speeds
Storage is temporary and data loss occurs when the EC2 instance is stopped.

Recommended for:
Temporary Storage Needs
Data replicated across multiple instances

Question 18

What is Elastic File System (EFS)?

Answer 18

EFS is a serverless network file system for sharing files (i.e. DropBox and Google Drive)

Features
Only Supports the Linux File System
More expensive than EBS
Accessibility across different AZ in the same Region

Recommended for:
Main directories for business-critical apps
Lift-&-Shift existing enterprise apps

Question 19

What is Storage Gateway?

Answer 19

A hybrid storage service when you need both local and cloud storage.

Features
Connect on-premise and cloud data
Supports a hybrid model

Recommended for:
Moving Back Ups to the Cloud
Reducing costs for hybrid cloud storage
Low latency access to data

Question 20

What is AWS BackUp?

Answer 20

A catch-all utility tool that integrates with EC2, EBS, EFS, and more. Creates a backup plan that includes frequency and retention.