AWS Snowball Edge vs AWS Storage Gateway: What are the differences?

AWS Snowball Edge vs AWS Storage Gateway

AWS Snowball Edge and AWS Storage Gateway are both storage solutions provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that help organizations manage and transfer their data. Although they both serve the purpose of data storage, there are several key differences between the two:

1. Hardware vs. Virtual: AWS Snowball Edge is a physical device that combines storage and compute capabilities, allowing organizations to process, analyze, and store data at remote locations. On the other hand, AWS Storage Gateway is a virtual appliance that can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or both, providing a seamless bridge between on-premises storage infrastructure and AWS cloud-based storage services.

2. Edge Computing Capabilities: While both AWS Snowball Edge and AWS Storage Gateway have local storage capabilities, Snowball Edge also includes built-in compute capabilities. This means that Snowball Edge can perform compute tasks and run applications locally, enabling edge computing scenarios where data processing and analysis can be performed at the edge before being transferred to the cloud. In contrast, AWS Storage Gateway primarily focuses on storage gateway functionality and does not offer local compute capabilities.

3. Data Transfer Speed: AWS Snowball Edge is designed for large-scale data transfer and migration scenarios, providing high-speed data transfer using physical data import/export appliances. With Snowball Edge, organizations can transfer petabytes of data in a secure and efficient manner. AWS Storage Gateway, on the other hand, operates primarily over the network, leveraging internet connectivity for data transfer. While Storage Gateway can handle smaller-scale data transfers, it may not be as suitable for large-scale data migration scenarios.

4. Data Storage and Availability: Snowball Edge provides durable and secure storage by distributing data across multiple devices within a cluster, ensuring redundancy and enabling high availability. This makes it suitable for scenarios where data durability and availability are critical, such as remote locations with limited internet connectivity. In contrast, AWS Storage Gateway stores data in the cloud, leveraging AWS storage services like Amazon S3. While this offers scalability and durability, the availability of data depends on the internet connection and the selected AWS storage service.

5. Use Cases: AWS Snowball Edge is commonly used in scenarios where there is limited or no internet connectivity, such as remote field operations, scientific research, military deployments, or video production in remote filming locations. Its compute capabilities also make it suitable for edge computing scenarios, enabling data processing and analysis at remote locations. AWS Storage Gateway, on the other hand, is often used to extend on-premises storage infrastructure to the cloud, enabling hybrid cloud storage architectures, backup and restore, disaster recovery, and tiered storage.

In summary, AWS Snowball Edge is a physical device with built-in compute capabilities designed for large-scale data transfer, storage, and edge computing scenarios. On the other hand, AWS Storage Gateway is a virtual appliance that seamlessly connects on-premises storage infrastructure with AWS cloud-based storage services, providing storage gateway functionality and enabling hybrid cloud storage architectures.