AWS Snow Family

Despite its small size, Snowcone has enough processing power (2 virtual CPUs and 4 GB of memory) to run basic applications like those used in edge computing. It can also leverage Amazon EC2 instances for additional processing needs. In essence, Snowcone offers a compact and versatile solution for data collection, processing, and transfer in situations with limited resources or challenging environments.

Snowball

Snowball is a data transfer solution offered by AWS designed to handle massive amounts of data (petabytes). It uses secure physical devices to transfer data to and from the AWS Cloud. Snowball can be significantly cheaper than transferring data over high-speed internet, potentially costing as little as one-fifth the price. It offers faster transfer speeds compared to traditional internet methods. These devices are designed with security in mind to protect the data during transfer.

Snowball Edge

Snowball Edge is a device within the AWS Snow Family, similar to Snowball but with added capabilities. It offers both data transfer and on-board processing power, allowing us to run select AWS services locally on the device itself. In addition to transferring data, Snowball Edge can process it locally. This is useful for situations where immediate analysis is needed, or where internet connectivity is limited. While the data is ultimately shipped physically, Snowball Edge can process and potentially compress it before transfer, leading to faster effective transfer speeds compared to relying solely on internet bandwidth.

Snowball Edge comes in the following configurations:

• Storage Optimized: Prioritizes storage capacity for large data transfers.

• Compute Optimized: Offers more processing power for local data analysis.

• Compute Optimized with GPU: Similar to Compute Optimized, but with an additional Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for tasks requiring intensive processing, like machine learning or video analysis.

In essence, Snowball Edge expands on the data transfer capabilities of Snowball by adding local processing power, making it a versatile tool for edge computing and large data migrations, especially in situations with limited internet connectivity.

Snowmobile

It is the heavy-duty option used for moving huge datasets (up to 100 petabytes) ideal for large-scale data migrations or data center shutdowns. Snowmobile acts like a giant, secure network-attached storage device for on-site data transfer that transfers data at a high speed.

How Snow Family devices work

The general workflow of using an AWS Snow Family device is given below:

1. Depending on the data size and processing needs, we select the appropriate Snow Family device (Snowcone, Snowball, or Snowball Edge) from AWS.

2. We then order the device through AWS and it gets shipped to our location.

3. Write the data we want to transfer in the device and then transfer it. The data transfer can happen in the following ways:

   1. Offline: We transfer the data to the device and then ship it back to AWS for processing or storage in the cloud.

   2. Online (Snowball and Snowball Edge): We can also use AWS DataSync to transfer data over the internet (if connectivity allows).

4. If using Snowball Edge, we can process data locally on the device itself before or after transferring it to the cloud.

5. After data transfer is complete, we securely return the device to AWS following their instructions.

Benefits

The AWS Snow Family offers a range of benefits for data transfer and processing, especially when dealing with large datasets or challenging environments. Here’s a breakdown of some key advantages:

• Secure data transfer: All Snow Family devices prioritize secure data transfer with encryption features, ensuring the data remains protected throughout the process.

• Scalability: The Snow Family provides various device options (Snowcone, Snowball, and Snowball Edge) with different storage capacities and processing power. We can choose the device that best suits the data volume and processing needs, offering scalability for different situations.

• Flexibility for online and offline transfer: Snowball and Snowball Edge devices offer both online and offline data transfer options. We can use a high-speed internet connection for online transfer (with Snowball and Snowball Edge) or choose the offline option of shipping the device back to AWS (applicable to all devices). This flexibility allows us to adapt to the network connectivity situation.

• Offline processing with Snowball Edge: Snowball Edge stands out by offering local processing capabilities (edge computing) in addition to data transfer. This allows us to analyze data directly on the device before sending it to the cloud, which is beneficial for:

• Cost-effective for large data transfers: Snowball can be significantly cheaper than transferring massive datasets over traditional high-speed internet, especially for Snowmobile, which handles petabytes of data.