Episode 8: EBS vs EFS vs S3: The Complete Storage Decision Guide | AWS Solutions Architect Prep

🎁 Free SAA-C03 cheat sheet for this series - link at the bottom.

EBS vs EFS vs S3 - The complete comparison! Which storage should you use? This 40-minute episode answers it definitively with decision frameworks, real architectures, and exam traps.

📦 THE THREE STORAGE TYPES

- Block (EBS): Virtual hard drive for ONE instance

- File (EFS): Shared network drive for MANY instances

- Object (S3): API-accessed unlimited storage

💾 EBS - 6 VOLUME TYPES

1. gp3 - Default choice: 3K IOPS, $0.08/GB

2. io2 Block Express - 256K IOPS! Databases

3. st1 - HDD for big data: 500 MB/s

4. sc1 - Cheapest option

CRITICAL: EBS is AZ-locked. Use snapshots to move across AZs. Only SSD can boot. Multi-Attach: max 16 instances, same AZ, io2 only.

📁 EFS - MULTI-AZ FILE SHARING

- Linux only (exam trap!)

- 3x more expensive than EBS (~$0.30/GB vs $0.08/GB)

- Works across multiple AZs

- Automatic scaling

- One Zone-IA: 90% savings for dev!

🔍 COMPARISON

- EBS: $0.08/GB, AZ-locked, one instance, high IOPS

- EFS: $0.30/GB, multi-AZ, many instances, Linux only

- S3: $0.023/GB, regional, infinite scale, HTTP API

DECISION FRAMEWORK:

✓ Choose EBS: Single instance, database, boot volume

✓ Choose EFS: Multiple instances, shared files, Linux

✓ Choose S3: Objects, HTTP access, infinite scale

🏗️ 5 REAL ARCHITECTURES

1. E-commerce: EBS for OS, EFS for shared images, S3 for uploads

2. WordPress: EFS for wp-content, all servers see uploads instantly

3. ML Training: S3 datasets → EBS io2 training → S3 models

4. Hybrid App: EBS OS, EFS config, Instance Store cache, S3 logs

5. Dev/Prod: One Zone-IA for dev (90% cheaper), Multi-AZ for prod

⚠️ 12 EXAM TRAPS

1. EBS is AZ-locked (snapshot to move)

2. EFS is Linux only (Windows = FSx)

3. S3 not mountable as file system

4. HDD cannot boot (only SSD)

5. Multi-Attach: max 16, same AZ, io2 only

6. EFS performance mode permanent

7. Delete on Termination (root deleted by default)

8. Snapshots during peak = bad performance

9. Instance Store vs EBS (ephemeral vs persistent)

10. EFS cost - use One Zone-IA for dev

11. S3 for DR backups (not Deep Archive - too slow)

12. S3 for static websites (not EBS)

Perfect for SAA-C03 exam prep and real-world architecture decisions!

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📚 FREE STUDY HELP FOR SAA-C03

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✅ Free cheat sheet pack - one page per exam domain, incl. S3 storage classes, EBS vs EFS & lifecycle rules. No catch.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/Zv5hd

🎯 Learned the concepts? Now test yourself.

104 exam-style scenario questions that explain why the right answer is right AND why every wrong option is wrong - the fastest way to find your gaps before exam day. Works on your phone or laptop.

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#AWS #EBS #EFS #S3 #Storage #SolutionsArchitect #SAAC03 #CloudArchitecture #BlockStorage #FileStorage #ObjectStorage

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🔗 Resources: docs.aws.amazon.com/ebs | docs.aws.amazon.com/efs | docs.aws.amazon.com/s3

📱 Questions? Share your storage architecture challenges!