The Ultimate Guide to Selecting the Perfect EBS Volume Types

?If you're using AWS, choosing the right Elastic Block Store (EBS) volume type is a game-changer for boosting performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. In this blog, we'll demystify the vast array of EBS volume options and highlight their ideal use cases. Whether it’s databases, analytics, or high-performance apps, you can confidently select the perfect EBS volume types to meet your specific workload demands!?

?Is Your Workload IOPs or Throughput Driven??

?Most workloads on AWS are either IOPS-driven where data is accessed in small chunks randomly. Or workloads can be throughput-driven where data is read or written in large sequential chunks. Knowing the input/output patterns of your unique workload is the key to selecting the correct type of EBS volume. But first, let’s walk through the different types of EBS volumes and their recommended use cases.??

?Amazon EBS Volume Types and Their Ideal Use Cases?

?AWS offers multiple elastic block storage volume options that allow you to optimize EBS cost and performance for a variety of workloads. They can be divided into two major categories:??

?Solid State Drives (SSD) for IOPS?

?Optimized for high-performance workloads that require high IOPS and low latency. They further include:?

Hard Disk Drives (HDD) for Throughput?

Best suited for frequently accessed data with high-volume and throughput intensive workloads.??

?Take a look at the IOPS vs throughput diagram to choose the right EBS volume type based on your workload requirements.?

?Best Practice for Selecting EBS Volume Types?

It's important to consider your workload priority when selecting an Amazon EBS volume. Here are some guidelines:

• Lower priority and general workloads: Use the cost-effective General Purpose SSD (gp3) for a broad range of workloads.?
• Medium priority workloads: Choose Throughput Optimized HDD (st1) for large sequential workloads such as data warehousing, log processing, and streaming media.??
• Mission-critical workloads: Utilize Provisioned IOPS SSD (io1, io2, or io2 Block Express) for workloads that are I/O intensive such as databases.

?Latest Innovations in EBS Volumes: gp2 vs gp3?

?With Elastic Volumes, you can dynamically change the capacity, increase or decrease the performance, and switch between EBS volume types without detaching them. A new feature from AWS enables you to change volume type from gp2 to gp3 which will automatically provision the target gp3 volume with IOPS and throughput equivalent to the original gp2 volume. This update eliminates the guesswork out of provisioning performance for your applications and makes it easier to switch to gp3 volumes.?

?Maximize Your Performance With the Right EBS Volume Types?

?By considering factors such as storage capacity, performance needs, and cost considerations, you can select the perfect type of EBS volume for your specific workloads.?

?As an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, Cloudelligent can accelerate your journey toward achieving the ideal storage solution. Let us optimize your AWS infrastructure and drive optimal performance for your applications and databases. Get in touch with us today!?

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