Storage | AWS Snowball Edge

Question 1

What is Snowball Edge?

General

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 1

Snowball Edge is a 100TB data transfer device with on-board storage and compute power for select AWS capabilities. In addition to transferring data to AWS, Snowball Edge can undertake local processing and edge-computing workloads. Features include an S3-compatible end-point on the device, a file interface with NFS support, a cluster mode where multiple Snowball Edge devices can act as a single, scalable, storage and compute pool with increased durability, and the ability to run Lambda functions as data is copied to the device.

Question 2

How does Snowball Edge work?

General

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 2

You start by requesting one or more Snowball Edge devices in the AWS Management Console based on how much data you need to transfer or process. The buckets and Lambda functions you select are automatically configured, encrypted and preinstalled on your devices before they are shipped to you. Once a device arrives, connect it to your local network and set the IP address either manually or automatically with DHCP. The same is true for setting up a cluster. Then use the Snowball Edge client software, job manifest, and unlock code to verify the integrity of the Snowball Edge device or cluster, and unlock it for use. The manifest and unlock code are uniquely generated and crypto-logically bound to a designated Snowball Edge to help ensure that both cannot be used with any other devices. Data copied to Snowball Edge is automatically encrypted and stored in the buckets you specify.

All logistics and shipping is done by Amazon so when copying is complete and the device is ready to be returned, the E Ink shipping label will automatically update the return address to help ensure that the Snowball Edge device is delivered to the correct AWS facility. Once the device ships, you can receive tracking status via messages sent by Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS), generated texts and emails, or directly from the console.

All of the management for your Snowball Edge resources can be performed in the AWS management console and these operations require no on-site system engineers.

Question 3

Who should use Snowball Edge?

General

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 3

Snowball Edge is the optimal data transfer choice if you need to securely and quickly transfer terabytes to petabytes of data to AWS. You can use Snowball Edge if you have a large backlog of data to transfer or if you frequently collect data that needs to be transferred to AWS and your storage is in an area where high-bandwidth Internet connections are not available or cost-prohibitive. You can also use Snowball Edge to run edge computing workloads such as performing local analysis of your data using Lambda functions, backed by a Snowball Edge cluster with increased durability and an S3-compatible endpoint. You can streamline it into existing workflows leveraging built-in capabilities such as the NFS file interface and migrate files to the device while maintaining file metadata. Snowball Edge can operate in remote locations or harsh operating environments, such as factory floors, oil & gas rigs, mining sites, hospitals, and on moving vehicles. Snowball Edge is pre-configured and does not have to be connected to the internet, so processing and data collection can take place within isolated operating environments. Snowball Edge allows you to run the same software at the edge and access select AWS capabilities as you do when you have full connectivity to AWS.

Question 4

Can I use Snowball Edge to migrate data from one AWS region to another AWS region?

General

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 4

No. Snowball Edge is intended to serve as a data transport solution for moving high volumes of data into and out of a designated AWS region. For use cases that require data transfer between AWS regions, we recommend using S3 Cross-Region Replication as an alternative.

Question 5

How much data can I transfer using Snowball Edge?

General

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 5

You can transfer virtually any amount of data with Snowball Edge, from a few terabytes to many petabytes. You can transfer up to 100TB with a single Snowball Edge and transfer larger data sets with multiple devices, either in parallel, or sequentially. For example, you can transfer 1PB of data with 10 Snowball Edge devices.

Question 6

How long does it take to transfer my data?

General

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 6

Data transfer speed is affected by a number of factors including local network speed, file size, and the speed at which data can be read from your local servers. The end-to-end time to transfer 100 TB of data into AWS with Snowball Edge is approximately a week, including the usual shipping and handling time in AWS data centers.

Question 7

How long can I have a Snowball Edge for a specific job?

General

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 7

Snowball Edge devices must be returned within 360 days of the Snowball Edge’s preparation.

Question 8

What are the specifications of the Snowball Edge?

General

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 8

Snowball Edge provides 100TB of storage in a ruggedized, rack mountable, shippable form factor. Additionally, it provides local compute capability that is approximately the equivalent of an EC2 m4.4xlarge instance that provides support for a number of additional functions. Check the Snowball Edge documentation page for a complete list of hardware specs, including network connections, thermal and power requirements, decibel output, and dimensions.

Question 9

What network interfaces does Snowball Edge support?

General

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 9

Snowball Edge includes a 10GBase-T network connection, 10/25Gb SFP28 and 40Gb QSFP+ copper, and optical networking for fast data transfer rates.

Question 10

What is Snowball Edge default shipping option? Can I choose expedited shipping?

Regional Availability

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 10

As a default, Snowball Edge uses two-day shipping by UPS. You can choose expedited shipping if your jobs are time-sensitive.

Question 11

In what regions is Snowball Edge available?

Regional Availability

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 11

Check the Regional Service Availability pages for the latest information.

We regret that we cannot provide the service at this time in all US states.

Question 12

Can a Snowball Edge be shipped to an alternate AWS region?

Security

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 12

No. Snowball Edge devices are designed to be requested and used within a single AWS region. It may not be requested from one region and returned to another. Snowball Edge devices used for imports or exports from an AWS region in the EU may be used with any of the 28 EU countries.

Question 13

Does Snowball Edge encrypt my data?

Security

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 13

Snowball Edge encrypts all data with 256-bit encryption. You manage your encryption keys by using the AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS). Your keys are never stored on the device and all memory on a Snowball is erased when it is disconnected and to be returned to AWS.

Question 14

How does Snowball Edge physically secure my data?

Security

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 14

In addition to using a tamper-resistant enclosure, Snowball Edge uses industry-standard Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) designed to detect any unauthorized modifications to the hardware, firmware, or software. AWS visually and cryptographically inspects every device for any signs of tampering and to verify that no changes were detected by the TPM.

Question 15

How does Snowball Edge help digitally secure my data?

Security

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 15

Snowball Edge is designed with security in mind for the most sensitive data. All data is encrypted by keys provided by you through AWS Key Management Service (KMS). The keys are not permanently stored on the device and are erased after loss of power. Applications and Lambda functions run in a physically isolated environment and do not have access to storage. Lastly, after your data has been transferred to AWS, your data is erased from the device using standards defined by National Institute of Standards and Technology. Snowball Edge devices are hardened against attack and all configuration files are encrypted and signed with keys that are never present on the device.

Question 16

Is there a way to easily track my data transfer jobs?

Import Data with Snowball Edge

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 16

Snowball Edge uses an innovative, E Ink shipping label designed to ensure the device is automatically sent to the correct AWS facility. When you have completed your data transfer job, you can track it by using Amazon SNS generated text messages or emails, and the console.

Question 17

How do I transfer my data to the Snowball Edge?

Import Data with Snowball Edge

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 17

After you have connected and activated the Snowball Edge, you can transfer data from local sources to the device through the S3-compatible endpoint or the NFS file interface, both available on the device. You can also use the Snowball client to copy data. To learn more, please refer to the Snowball Edge documentation.

Question 18

What do I do when the data has been transferred to the Snowball Edge?

Export Data with Snowball Edge

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 18

When the data transfer job is complete, the E Ink display on the Snowball Edge automatically updates the return shipping label to indicate the correct AWS facility to ship to. Just drop off the Snowball Edge at the nearest UPS and you’re all set. You can track the status of your transfer job through Amazon SNS generated text messages or emails, or directly in the AWS Management Console.

Question 19

What does it cost to export my data?

S3-compatible Endpoint

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 19

In addition to the Snowball Export job fees detailed on our pricing page, you will also be charged all fees incurred to retrieve your data from Amazon S3.

Question 20

What is the S3-compatible endpoint on Snowball Edge?

S3-compatible Endpoint

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 20

The S3-compatible endpoint on Snowball Edge allows you to read and write data on the device using select S3 operations and client tools that support S3.

Question 21

What S3 operations are supported by the S3-compatible endpoint on Snowball Edge?

S3-compatible Endpoint

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 21

The S3-compatible endpoint supports the Get, Head, Put, Delete, List, and MultipartUpload operations of Amazon S3. You can execute these operations on the Snowball Edge as if you are accessing an S3 web service endpoint. In addition, you can point client tools that support S3 to the Snowball Edge to read and write data.

Question 22

Why would I use the S3-compatible endpoint?

S3-compatible Endpoint

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 22

The S3-compatible endpoint lets you transfer data programmatically using the S3 operations natively supported by the Snowball Edge. You can also seamlessly integrate Snowball Edge into your existing applications and workflows built for Amazon S3.

Question 23

How is my data secured when I use the S3-compatible endpoint?

S3-compatible Endpoint

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 23

Data transferred via the S3-compatible endpoint is protected by the same advanced security mechanism on the Snowball Edge, which encrypts all data with 256-bit encryption. You manage your encryption keys using the AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS). Your keys are never stored on the device and all memory on the Snowball Edge is erased when it is unplugged.

Question 24

Which programming languages does the S3-compatible endpoint support?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 24

The S3-compatible endpoint supports the REST interface which is language-agnostic.

Question 25

What is the file interface on Snowball Edge?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 25

The file interface enables you to store and retrieve objects on Snowball Edge through standard file storage protocols. When the Snowball Edge is shipped back to AWS for data import, these objects will be ingested into Amazon S3, and can be accessed directly through S3 as normal. You can also access the objects as files, including the original file system metadata, through AWS Storage Gateway.

Question 26

How do I use the file interface on Snowball Edge?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 26

Once the Snowball Edge arrives at your site and has been unlocked, each of the S3 buckets is made available to your applications as an NFS export visible on the network to which the Snowball Edge is connected. You can use the local LCD display on the Snowball Edge to disable/enable the file interface. You can mount these NFS exports on your server, and your applications can read and write files as they would any other network shared file system. You can monitor the file interface status, and open a support channel through the LCD display.

Question 27

What use cases does the file interface on Snowball Edge enable?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 27

The file interface enables multiple use cases. It lets you ingest existing files into Amazon S3 as objects using a common file protocol (NFS), and preserves associated file metadata as object metadata. This offline bulk data transfer enables you to seed file data into S3, and use it for in-cloud workloads, such as Big Data processing. Alternatively, the transferred file data can be accessed from your sites for hybrid applications or workflows by using AWS Storage Gateway.

Question 28

What are the benefits of the file interface on Snowball Edge?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 28

The file interface on Snowball Edge enables your existing file-based applications, devices, and workflows to write data through standard file protocols, while also preserving metadata.

Question 29

What file protocols are supported?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 29

Snowball Edge supports clients connecting using NFS v3 and v4.1. Microsoft Windows clients that support NFS v3 can connect to Snowball Edge.

Question 30

How are files stored on Snowball Edge?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 30

Files are stored as objects in buckets on an AWS Snowball Edge appliance. File system metadata, such as permissions, ownership, and timestamps, is stored as user-defined object metadata. All data and metadata is encrypted when stored on the Snowball Edge.

Question 31

How do I configure the file interface on the Snowball Edge?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 31

You can use the local LCD display on the Snowball Edge to disable/enable the file interface, monitor the file interface status, and open a support channel.

Question 32

Can I use both the file interface and the Amazon S3 Adapter for Snowball to write to a bucket on an AWS Snowball Edge appliance?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 32

We recommend against writing to buckets on an AWS Snowball Edge appliance both directly and through the file interface. If you directly overwrite or update an object previously written by the file interface, it will result in undefined behavior when the object is accessed through the file interface. Concurrent modification of the same object (e.g. via the file interface and the Amazon S3 Adapter for Snowball) will lead to unpredictable results.

Question 33

Can I use both the file interface and the Amazon S3 Adapter for Snowball to read from the same bucket on an AWS Snowball Edge appliance?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 33

We recommend against using both the file interface and the Amazon Se Adapter for Snowball to read from the same bucket on an AWS Snowball Edge appliance. This may result in undefined behaviors.

Question 34

Should I use the file interface to load data into the Snowball Edge or the Amazon S3 Adapter for Snowball?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 34

You can use file interface when your existing workflow is file-based or you want to access objects in S3 as files using standard filesystem operations. You can use the Amazon S3 Adapter for Snowball when your application doesn’t require file system operations and can manage data transfer directly.

Question 35

How does the file interface on Snowball Edge compare with the AWS Storage Gateway?

File Interface

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 35

The file interface on Snowball Edge enables you to easily ingest data into S3 in an “off-line” mode. This is useful when you need to import sets of files that don’t need to be immediately available in S3, or from locations with insufficient bandwidth to transfer the data over the network.

AWS Storage Gateway enables you to put file data into S3 over the Internet or AWS Direct Connect, making your uploaded files instantly available.

Question 36

Can I access files migrated via the file interface on Snowball Edge from Amazon EFS?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 36

No. Files migrated via the file interface on Snowball Edge can be accessed directly as objects in S3 or as files through the AWS Storage Gateway.

General Information

Question 37

What is the clustering feature in Snowball Edge?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 37

The clustering feature in Snowball Edge allows you to aggregate many Snowball Edge devices together to create one logical compute and storage pool with increased durability and capacity.

Question 38

Why should I use the clustering feature in Snowball Edge?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 38

Clustering Snowball Edge devices together creates a more durable, scalable, local storage pool. Snowball Edge clusters allow you to access large amounts of local storage capacity by using multiple Snowball Edge devices.

Question 39

Can I use Snowball Edge in a clustered configuration to augment or replace my data storage solution on premises?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 39

Yes. The scalable storage that comes with Snowball Edge is designed to store your data safely and durably.

Question 40

What are some scenarios for using the Snowball Edge clustering feature?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 40

You can use the clustering feature in Snowball Edge when you have a need to use durable storage on-premises. Some customers occasionally face situations where they need durable storage in remote sites where it is difficult to have large amounts of data storage. For example, in manufacturing there are companies who want to have a pool of storage for every factory location; or in the military there are divisions that have shifting data storage requirements and need the flexibility to increase and decrease storage capacity for their vehicles.

Creating AWS Snowball Edge Clusters

Question 41

How do I get started using a Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 41

You can order a Snowball Edge cluster using the AWS Snowball API, AWS Console, AWS SDK or AWS CLI. Once you create a cluster, you will receive a cluster ID (beginning with CID) which you will use to refer to any operations on this particular cluster job.

Question 42

Is there a minimum size for my Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 42

Yes, the minimum size of a Snowball Edge cluster is 5 devices, or nodes.

Question 43

Is there a maximum size for my Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 43

Yes, the maximum size of a Snowball Edge cluster is 20 devices, or nodes.

Question 44

What is the usable space in a Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 44

The total size of a Snowball Edge cluster is based on the number of nodes and usable capacity per node, which is 45TB. For example, in a 5-device cluster with 500TB of physical capacity, you will effectively realize usable space of 225TB. After configuring your client, you can get the total used space and total available space in your cluster from the command line.

Question 45

Can I build a cluster from individually provisioned Snowball Edge devices?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 45

No. The only way to start using a cluster is to create a job of the type “AWS Snowball Edge cluster”.

Starting Up an AWS Snowball Edge Cluster

Question 46

Once the Snowball Edge devices arrive at my location, how do I setup the cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 46

Once the Snowball Edge devices have all arrived at your location, you need to power them on, connect them to the same network, download the manifest file and unlock code, download the Snowball client, and “unlock” the cluster.

Question 47

Can I issue management commands and reads/writes to any node in a cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 47

Yes. Each Snowball Edge node in the cluster is capable of both reads and writes using S3 commands. You can also mount each node separately and perform simultaneous reads and writes across the cluster. Snowball Edge commands can be used across any node of a cluster to perform management functions like unlock, describe, etc.

Question 48

How do I unlock my Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 48

Before starting the unlock process, please ensure that you have at least N-2 nodes of your cluster available to you, where N is the maximum number of nodes in the cluster. Note the IP addresses of all the Snowball Edge devices from the LCD screen. To unlock the Snowball Edge cluster you will connect to any one of the nodes using the client software, configure your client, and type the unlock command.

Question 49

Do I need to unlock each node of my Snowball Edge cluster separately?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 49

No. You can unlock all nodes in a cluster by issuing the “unlock-cluster” command to a single node in your cluster.

Question 50

Can I unlock certain nodes of my Snowball Edge cluster before I receive all devices or do I need to wait until I have all devices in my possession?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 50

We do not recommend you start your Snowball Edge cluster with less than the number of nodes that the cluster job is provisioned with since you may, or may not, be able to read and/or write durably to the cluster depending on the number of nodes.

Question 51

How do I know what the total number of nodes are in my Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 51

After configuring your client, you can run a simple command to learn more about the number of nodes that are available in your Snowball Edge cluster.

Question 52

What are the different types of status that a particular device in a Snowball Edge cluster can be in?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 52

A device can report a few different statuses. Here is a brief description of the different types of status that a Snowball Edge can report:

Unlock Status: Indicates whether a node is unlocked.

Reachability Status: Indicates whether a device is reachable on the network.

Cluster Association Status: Indicates whether a device is associated with a cluster.

Extending Nodes in an AWS Snowball Edge Cluster

Question 53

Is my Snowball Edge cluster expandable in size by adding nodes?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 53

You can add a new node to your Snowball Edge cluster if you have removed an unhealthy node from the cluster, or if you are adding another node for increased local storage. To add a new node, you first need to order a replacement. Ordering a replacement node can be done from the console, from the AWS CLI, or from one of the AWS SDKs.

Replacing Nodes in an AWS Snowball Edge Cluster

Question 54

Can I remove a node from my Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 54

You can remove a node from your Snowball Edge cluster if you intend to replace it. You may want to do this if one of your nodes is unhealthy, is not powering on, or is defective. To remove a node, you can power it off and use a simple disassociate command.

Question 55

How do I replace a node in my Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 55

To order a replacement node in your Snowball Edge cluster, you can go to the AWS Console page, and order a replacement device. Once you receive the replacement device, you need to follow a few steps:

Remove the unhealthy device from the cluster by powering it off and use the “disassociate-device” command.

Plug-in the replacement Snowball Edge device and wait about 10 minutes for it to boot. If DHCP is being used then the device will obtain an IP address automatically. If you are using a static IP address then you will need to manually assign an IP address.

Add the replacement Snowball Edge device and “associate” it.

Question 56

What happens if I remove more than one Snowball Edge device from my Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 56

You cannot remove more than one Snowball Edge device from a Snowball Edge cluster at any time.

Question 57

Can I continue to use the Snowball Edge cluster while I am replacing a Snowball Edge device?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 57

Yes. You can continue to use the Snowball Edge cluster even when you are replacing a Snowball Edge device. Until all the nodes are ASSOCIATED and REACHABLE, the cluster will run in a reduced durability mode.

Question 58

What will happen to stored data once I replace a node from my Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 58

Once you replace a node, the Snowball Edge cluster will repartition the data amongst the remaining nodes so that it can still be used as durable storage.

Question 59

Can I choose different job settings (Address, Shipping speed, Lambda functions, IAM roles, KMS keys, SNS notifications) in my replacement node than what was set when I ordered the Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 59

No. Each replacement node is pre-configured to use the same job configurations that came with the Snowball Edge cluster.

Question 60

Can I choose a different Lambda function in my replacement node?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 60

Yes. You can choose a different Lambda function as long as it uses the same S3 bucket that was originally configured with the Snowball Edge cluster.

Question 61

Can I use the same Snowball Edge cluster manifest key and unlock code as before after ordering a replacement node?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 61

No. A new cluster manifest and unlock code is generated after your order of a replacement device which must be used with any future operations of the Snowball Edge cluster.

AWS Snowball Edge Cluster Management

Question 62

What happens if one of my nodes is not available?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 62

You can continue to use the Snowball Edge cluster even if it runs in a reduced durability level. Immediately order a replacement Snowball Edge device so that you can replace this node with a newer device.

Question 63

What happens if two of my nodes are not available?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 63

You can continue to use the Snowball Edge cluster but note that it will be running in a read-only mode and existing data on the cluster is at risk. Immediately order two replacement devices so that you can replace these nodes with newer Snowball Edge devices.

Question 64

What happens if three or more of my nodes are not available?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 64

You cannot use the Snowball Edge cluster anymore and existing data on the cluster is at risk. Contact AWS support immediately if three or more Snowball Edge devices are non-functional.

Question 65

How long can I keep a Snowball Edge cluster on premise at my location?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 65

The maximum duration a Snowball Edge cluster can be kept on premise at your location is 360 days from the day the order was created. After that, the certificates in the cluster expires and either all the Snowball Edge devices in the cluster must be returned or you should order new devices.

Question 66

Can I pre-order replacement devices for my Snowball Edge cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 66

Yes. To pre-order replacement devices, you need to create a Snowball Edge cluster job and then create a job to order replacement Snowball Edge devices. The replacement devices do not need to be connected to the original Snowball Edge cluster until one of the devices is unhealthy. Once a Snowball Edge device is unhealthy, you can remove the device and then add the replacement device.

Ingesting Data with AWS Snowball Edge Clustering

Question 67

Can a Snowball Edge cluster come preloaded with data from an existing S3 bucket?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 67

No. However, you can place an order for two Snowball jobs – one cluster job and one export job. The Snowball Edge cluster will come empty from AWS but the export job can be a Snowball (or a Snowball Edge) device that can be used to import data into the Snowball Edge cluster.

Question 68

Can I ingest data from the entire Snowball Edge cluster back to AWS using individual nodes of my cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 68

No. A Snowball Edge cluster can only be used for on-premise storage and compute. It cannot be used to import data into AWS. To import data from your cluster, you will need to order additional AWS Snowball (or AWS Snowball Edge) devices and then connect them to the same network as the Snowball Edge cluster and transfer your data from the cluster. Depending on the total amount of data used in the cluster, you may have to order multiple import devices to ship the data back to AWS.

Question 69

When writing data into a cluster, does the network throughput of data transfer increase depending on the number of nodes?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 69

Yes. The read and write throughput can be higher if you read and write from several devices in parallel.

Using Compute with AWS Snowball Edge Clustering

Question 70

Does compute capacity scale as I scale my cluster?

Clustering

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 70

Yes. With more devices, you increase the compute capacity of your cluster.

Question 71

Can I update my Lambda function in my Snowball Edge cluster while it is on premise?

AWS Greengrass

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 71

No. You cannot update your Lambda function on premise.

Question 72

What is AWS Greengrass?

AWS Greengrass

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 72

Snowball Edge comes with an embedded version of AWS Greengrass which allows you to execute Python-language AWS Lambda functions in response to S3 PUT object events.

Question 73

What AWS Greengrass features are available on Snowball Edge?

AWS Greengrass

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 73

Greengrass Core running on Snowball Edge enables you to deploy Python-based Lambda functions to Snowball Edge devices and trigger those Lambdas through MQTT messages. When you create a job for a Snowball Edge with at least one Lambda function pre-loaded, the Snowball Edge is provisioned as a Greengrass Core device by default. Whenever the Snowball Edge is connected to the internet, you can update, add, or remove Lambda functions on the device through the Greengrass console. You can even host Lambda functions that are triggered by MQTT messages other than an S3 PUT. Additionally, you can also update the associated Greengrass group in the Greengrass console and use the device in your group as any other Greengrass Core device.

Question 74

What are some possible use cases for Greengrass on Snowball Edge?

AWS Greengrass

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 74

Using Greengrass Core on Snowball Edge, you can write custom Lambda functions to provide local processing or pre-processing of data as it is written to the Snowball Edge device via S3 PUT operations and the S3-compatible endpoint available. You can also use the Snowball Edge as the core of your Greengrass group of IoT things. This allows you to do things like collect and analyze sensor data streams or compress images in-real time.

Question 75

How do I use Greengrass on Snowball Edge?

AWS Greengrass

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 75

Using the AWS Snowball Management Console or the Job Management API, you can map new or existing Lambda functions to pre-configured S3 buckets on a Snowball Edge device before it is shipped to you. Once the device arrives, unlock it and connect it to the internet so Greengrass in the cloud can send the Snowball Edge the certificates it needs to operate as the core of your Greengrass group.

Question 76

What happens if I use AWS Greengrass on a Snowball Edge cluster?

AWS Greengrass

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 76

You can use Greengrass on a Snowball Edge cluster just as you would with a single Snowball Edge, with each cluster node being its own unique AWS Greengrass core device.

Question 77

How many Lambda functions can there be for each job?

AWS Greengrass

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 77

At job creation, each Lambda function can be associated with a single S3 bucket on the Snowball Edge. Once you’ve received the device, unlocked it, and connected it to the internet, you can add, remove, or update Lambda functions as you see fit. If you allocated 128 MB of memory to each of your functions, you could have up to 7 Lambda functions at a time.

Question 78

Can I use Greengrass on Snowball Edge from any AWS Region?

Billing

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 78

Currently, you must use Greengrass on a Snowball Edge in the regions are supported by the Greengrass service. For a list of Greengrass supported regions, see the Region Table. In regions that only support AWS Snowball Edge and not AWS Greengrass, you can still create jobs for Snowball Edge devices, however they won’t have access to the compute functionality.

Question 79

How much does it cost to use Snowball Edge?

Billing

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 79

Each Snowball Edge job costs a flat fee of $300 for device handling and operations at AWS data centers. The $300 job fee includes 10 day of use at your site. The day that the device is received and the day that the device is shipped are not counted towards these 10 days. Beyond that, a Snowball Edge costs $30/day for each extra day that it is at your site. Data transferred into AWS does not incur any data transfer fees, and Standard Amazon S3 pricing applies for data stored. Exporting data starts at $0.03/GB. In addition, shipping charges are calculated based on standard carrier rates for the shipping location and shipping option (e.g. 2-day, overnight) you choose. The default shipping option is 2-day.

Pricing Example:

The pricing example below illustrates what you can expect to pay for a 90TB data transfer into AWS using a single 100TB Snowball Edge device, where you kept the device for a total of 15 days (received the device on day 1 and returned the device on day 15).

The day the device is received and the day the device is shipped back to AWS are considered shipping days, and are not counted toward the 10 free days in this case. This means you had the device onsite for a total of 13 days, and 10 out of those days are free. Therefore you used 3 extra days to transfer your data.

Service fee: $300

Daily charges (3 days x $30/day): $90

Shipping charges: vary by distance

Data transfer cost: $0

Question 80

Am I charged for Amazon S3 usage if I use the S3-compatible endpoint on Snowball Edge?

Billing

AWS Snowball Edge | Storage

Answer 80

No, you don’t incur additional charges for using the S3-compatible endpoint on Snowball Edge. If your Snowball Edge transfers data into Amazon S3, standard S3 request and storage charges will apply.