Storage Gateway
Key Points & Mini Project
AWS Storage Gateway is a hybrid cloud storage service that seamlessly connects on-premises environments with AWS cloud storage. In this article, we’ll dive into the intricacies of AWS Storage Gateway, highlighting essential concepts and considerations relevant for certification exams. Additionally, we’ll embark on a hands-on mini project to set up a hybrid storage solution using Storage Gateway, effectively extending on-premises storage to the cloud.
What is AWS Storage Gateway?
AWS Storage Gateway is a service that connects on-premises environments with cloud storage resources. It provides a bridge between your on-premises applications and cloud storage, allowing you to extend your local storage infrastructure seamlessly into the cloud.
Key Points for AWS Storage Gateway
Gateway Types
- Storage Gateway offers different gateway types: File Gateway, Volume Gateway, and Tape Gateway.
- File Gateway provides a file-based interface to store and retrieve objects in Amazon S3.
- Volume Gateway enables block storage, presenting cloud-backed volumes as iSCSI devices to on-premises applications.
- Tape Gateway emulates a physical tape library by creating virtual tapes for backup and archive.
Deployment Models
- Storage Gateway supports on-premises deployment (Hardware or Virtual) and cloud-only deployment (File Gateway and Tape Gateway).
- The on-premises deployment can be a hardware appliance or a virtual machine (VM) that you install on your infrastructure.
Data Transfer
- Data transfer between your on-premises environment and AWS is secure and efficient.
- File Gateway uses HTTPS for data transfer, while Volume Gateway uses the iSCSI protocol.
Data Caching
- Volume Gateway provides local caching of frequently accessed data.
- This minimizes latency and improves data retrieval times for on-premises applications.
Data Synchronization
- Data written to the gateway is asynchronously uploaded to AWS storage services, such as Amazon S3 or Amazon EBS.
- File Gateway provides real-time access to S3 data.
Mini Project
Setting Up a Hybrid Storage Solution
Project Objective
Establish a hybrid storage solution using AWS Storage Gateway, extending on-premises storage to the cloud.
Architecture Diagram
Steps
- Set Up AWS Storage Gateway:
- Sign in to your AWS Management Console.
- Navigate to AWS Storage Gateway and create a new gateway.
- Select the appropriate gateway type based on your requirements (e.g., File Gateway for file-based access).
2. Configure Gateway:
- Specify gateway details, such as the gateway name, region, and on-premises location.
- Configure networking settings, including the virtual private cloud (VPC) and security groups.
3. Activate the Gateway:
- Download and install the Storage Gateway software or deploy the hardware appliance in your on-premises environment.
- Activate the gateway by providing activation key details.
4. Create and Configure Storage:
- Define storage volumes or file shares, depending on your chosen gateway type.
- Configure access permissions and mappings to AWS resources.
5. Data Transfer and Synchronization:
- Start data transfer by writing data to the gateway.
- Observe how data is synchronized and stored in the AWS cloud storage service.
Conclusion
AWS Storage Gateway serves as a vital bridge between on-premises environments and cloud storage resources, enabling organizations to leverage the flexibility and scalability of AWS cloud storage. In this article, we’ve explored key concepts related to AWS Storage Gateway, which are invaluable for certification exams. Moreover, our mini project has demonstrated how to set up a practical hybrid storage solution using Storage Gateway.
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