AWS offers an array of storage solutions to cater to a wide range of user requirements. Their pricing varies not just by storage type, but also by other factors such as data transfer costs, retrieval costs, storage class, and region. This article explores various AWS storage options and their respective pricing tiers, ideal for those preparing for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) exam.
The key AWS storage services include Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service), Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store), Amazon EFS (Elastic File System), and Amazon Glacier.
1. Amazon S3:
Amazon S3 provides object storage and is built to store and retrieve virtually any amount of data from anywhere. It offers a range of storage classes designed for different use cases including S3 Standard for general-purpose storage of frequently accessed data; S3 Intelligent-Tiering for cost savings on rarely accessed data; S3 Standard-IA (Infrequent Access) and S3 One Zone-IA for long-lived, infrequently accessed data, etc.
Pricing for S3 is primarily based on the amount of data stored in your S3 buckets, data transferred “in” and “out” of the service, and the number of requests made to S3. For example, in the US-East (N. Virginia) region, the storage costs for the S3 Standard class are $0.023 per GB for the first 50 TB/month.
2. Amazon EBS:
Amazon EBS provides block-level storage volumes for use with Amazon EC2 instances. EBS volumes are best suited for data that changes relatively frequently and requires long-term persistence.
EBS pricing is based on provisioned storage and data transferred in and out of your volumes. For example, EBS General Purpose SSD (gp2) volumes cost $0.10 per GB-month of provisioned storage.
3. Amazon EFS:
Amazon EFS is a scalable file storage for Amazon EC2 and other AWS services. With EFS, storage capacity is elastic, growing and shrinking automatically as you add and remove files.
EFS pricing is straightforward – you pay for the storage used by your file system, measured in “gigabyte-months.” For example, in the US-East (N. Virginia) region, the EFS Standard storage class is charged at a rate of $0.08 per GB-month.
4. Amazon Glacier:
Amazon Glacier is a low-cost storage service for data archiving and long-term backup. It provides robust durability by storing data across multiple facilities and devices in a chosen AWS region.
With Glacier, you pay for what you use. Pricing is based on the amount of data you store, the duration you store it, and data retrieval costs. For example, in the US East (N. Virginia) region, pricing starts at $0.004 per GB/month.
It is important for AWS users to understand each storage option, including its characteristics and pricing model, to determine which one is most suitable for their specific needs. Doing so can result in significant cost savings and enhanced functionality. As for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam, understanding these storage services and their pricing options is crucial as it forms a significant part of the curriculum.
Practice Test
True or False: All storage classes in AWS S3 have the same price.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: AWS S3 pricing varies by storage class. Different storage classes are designed for different use cases and have different pricing models.
Which of the following factors does not affect the pricing of AWS EBS volumes?
- a. Volume type
- b. Region
- c. Time of day
- d. Volume size
Answer: c. Time of day
Explanation: AWS EBS pricing is determined by the volume type, volume size and the region where the volume is deployed. The time of day is not a factor.
True or False: In AWS, data transfer INTO S3 is free
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: AWS does not charge for data transfer INTO S3 from the internet. There are charges for data transfer OUT of S
Which of the following is more cost-effective for long-term storage: Amazon S3 or Amazon Glacier?
- Amazon S3
- Amazon Glacier
Answer: Amazon Glacier
Explanation: Amazon Glacier is designed for cheap, long-term archiving and backup and is more cost-effective than Amazon S3 for these use cases.
Which AWS storage service is designed for use as a file server?
- a. EBS
- b. EFS
- c. S3
- d. Glacier
Answer: b. EFS
Explanation: Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) is designed to be used as a simple, scalable file storage for use with Amazon EC2 instances.
True or False: In AWS, you are charged for provisioned storage, not the amount actually used.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: AWS charges you for the amount of storage you provision, regardless of how much you actually use.
Which AWS storage pricing factor refers to the cost for storing data in different AWS Regions?
- a. Request Pricing
- b. Data Transfer Pricing
- c. Storage Pricing
- d. Regional Pricing
Answer: d. Regional Pricing
Explanation: The cost for storing data in different AWS Regions is referred to as Regional Pricing.
Which AWS storage service charges you based on the number of requests?
- a. S3
- b. EFS
- c. EBS
- d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above
Explanation: All AWS storage services charge based on the number of requests as part of their pricing models.
True or False: In Amazon S3, the faster the data retrieval, the higher the cost.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: In Amazon S3, costs increase with faster retrieval times due to different storage classes tailored for specific types of access.
What type of pricing is employed by AWS S3 Standard Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA)?
- a. Flat-rate pricing
- b. Usage-based pricing
- c. Free-tier pricing
- d. Reserved pricing
Answer: b. Usage-based pricing
Explanation: For S3 Standard-IA, you pay for what you use. There is no minimum fee and no setup cost.
What is the minimum storage duration charge for S3 One Zone-IA?
- a. 30 days
- b. 60 days
- c. 90 days
- d. No minimum charge
Answer: a. 30 days
Explanation: S3 One Zone-IA storage has a minimum storage duration charge of 30 days
True or False: S3 Intelligent-Tiering has a monitoring and automation fee.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: S3 Intelligent-Tiering charges a small monthly monitoring and automation fee per object.
How are request costs determined in AWS Storage?
- a. Based on the amount of data retrieved
- b. Based on the number of requests made
- c. Based on the type of storage class used
- d. Based on the size of each object retrieved
Answer: b. Based on the number of requests made
Explanation: In AWS Storage, request costs are determined by the number of requests made, not the size or type of data.
True or False: Transferring data between S3 buckets in the same region is free.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: AWS charges for data transfer between S3 buckets, even if they are in the same region.
Which of the following does not influence the cost of AWS EBS snapshots?
- a. Size of the volume
- b. Type of the volume
- c. Number of changed blocks
- d. Duration of data storage
Answer: b. Type of the volume
Explanation: For AWS EBS snapshots, costs are determined by the size of the volume, the number of changed blocks, and the duration of data storage. The volume type does not influence snapshot cost.
Interview Questions
What are the main factors that determine the cost of Amazon S3 storage?
The cost of Amazon S3 storage is primarily determined by the amount of storage used, the level of data transfer or data request, and the type of storage class or tier selected.
What are the different Storage Classes available in AWS S3?
AWS S3 offers several storage classes including S3 Standard for general-purpose storage of frequently accessed data, S3 Intelligent-Tiering for data with unknown or changing access patterns, S3 Standard-IA and S3 One Zone-IA for long-lived, but less frequently accessed data, and Amazon S3 Glacier and S3 Glacier Deep Archive for long-term archival storage.
How does AWS charge for data transfer?
AWS charges for data transfer in two ways. Inbound data transfer to AWS is typically free, while outbound data transfers (from AWS to other destinations) involve charges that vary depending on the destination and the volume of data being transferred.
Why would someone use S3 infrequent access storage class?
S3 infrequent access storage class (Standard IA and One Zone IA) is a good choice when data is less frequently accessed, but requires rapid access when it’s needed. It is cheaper than S3 Standard but charges a retrieval fee for data accessed.
What is the purpose of the AWS S3 Glacier storage class?
AWS S3 Glacier is a secure, durable, and extremely low-cost storage class for data archiving and long-term backup. It’s designed to deliver 99.999999999% durability and provide comprehensive security and compliance capabilities.
Can you move data between different storage options or tiers?
Yes, AWS provides options to move data from one storage class to another using lifecycle policies. This functionality can help to optimize costs.
How is data transfer between AWS services charged?
Data transfers between AWS services within the same region are usually free. However, data transfers between services in different regions do incur charges.
What is the main feature of the S3 Intelligent-Tiering storage class?
The main feature of the S3 Intelligent-Tiering storage class is that it automatically moves objects between two access tiers — a frequent access tier and a lower-cost infrequent access tier — based on changing access patterns.
How can you reduce your AWS S3 costs?
You can reduce your AWS S3 costs by using a storage class that matches your use case, deleting unnecessary data, compressing data before storing, and using lifecycle policies to automatically transition data to lower-cost storage classes.
What is the pricing model for S3 Standard storage class?
For S3 Standard storage, AWS charges for the volume of data stored per month, the number of requests (put, get, etc.), and data transfer out of Amazon S3. Prices are also dependent on the region.
Which S3 storage class is the cheapest for data that is not accessed for months?
The S3 Glacier Deep Archive storage class will be the cheapest for data that is not accessed for months. It offers the lowest cost storage in the cloud and is designed for long-term retention of data that is accessed once or twice in a year.
What costs are associated with the S3 Glacier Deep Archive?
With the S3 Glacier Deep Archive storage class, you pay for the amount of data you store and the duration for which you store it. There are also fees for retrieving data and for expedited retrievals.
Are there any costs associated with deleting data in AWS S3?
Deleting data in S3 Standard, S3 Intelligent-Tiering, S3 One Zone-IA, and Amazon S3 Glacier Storage classes is free. However, there can be a small fee for deleting objects in the S3 Standard-IA and S3 Glacier Deep Archive storage class within 30 days and 180 days of uploading respectively.
What is the AWS Free Tier for Amazon S3?
The AWS Free Tier offers new AWS customers 5GB of Amazon S3 storage in the S3 Standard storage class, 20,000 GET Requests, 2,000 PUT Requests, and 15GB of data transfer out each month for one year.
What is Amazon S3 data transfer pricing?
Charges for data transfer out from Amazon S3 to the internet vary according to the amount of data transferred. Rates are tiered, so larger volumes of data are charged at a lower rate. Data transfer to other AWS services or local zones within the same region and inbound data transfer to Amazon S3 are free.
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