What is Amazon EFS?
Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) is a fully managed, elastic NFS file system for Linux-based workloads. It automatically scales from gigabytes to petabytes without provisioning and provides concurrent access for thousands of clients. EFS is ideal for applications where multiple compute instances need shared access to files.
Core Features
- Automatic Scaling: Storage capacity grows and shrinks automatically based on demand
- Multi-AZ Replication: Data is automatically replicated across multiple Availability Zones
- Lifecycle Management: Automatic movement of infrequently accessed files to cheaper storage classes
- Access Points: Application-specific entry points with their own POSIX permissions
- Throughput Modes: Bursting for variable workloads or Provisioned for consistent performance
Typical Use Cases
Shared Storage for Containers: EFS enables persistent storage for ECS, EKS, and Fargate. Multiple container instances access the same files, ideal for CMS systems or ML models.
Web Content Serving: Web server fleets can serve static content from a central EFS file system. Changes are immediately visible on all servers.
DevOps and CI/CD: Build artifacts, source code, and development environments can be stored in EFS to ensure consistent access across multiple build agents.
Benefits
- No provisioning required: Storage scales automatically
- High availability through Multi-AZ replication
- POSIX-compliant: Works with existing Linux applications
- Cost optimization through lifecycle policies and IA storage class
Integration with innFactory
As an AWS Reseller, innFactory supports you with Amazon EFS: architecture design, integration with container platforms, performance optimization, and cost management through storage class strategies.
Typical Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I use EFS instead of EBS?
EFS is suitable when multiple EC2 instances or containers need to access the same files simultaneously. EBS is better suited for single instances with block storage requirements.
What storage classes does EFS offer?
EFS offers Standard and Infrequent Access (IA) classes. With Lifecycle Management, files are automatically moved to the cheaper IA class when not accessed for a specified period.
Does EFS work with containers?
Yes, EFS can be used with ECS, EKS, and Fargate. Containers can store persistent data in EFS that persists across container restarts and scaling.
How secure is data in EFS?
EFS provides encryption at rest and in transit. Access control is managed through IAM policies, POSIX permissions, and optional Access Points for application-specific access control.