Import/Export

AWS Import/Export – Certification

~ Last updated on : ~ jayendrapatil ~ 11 Comments

⚠️ AWS Import/Export Disk – LEGACY SERVICE

AWS Import/Export Disk has been effectively replaced by the AWS Snow Family and newer data transfer services.

AWS has not accepted new Import/Export Disk jobs for several years. This content is maintained for historical reference and certification exam context.

Current Alternatives (2025-2026):

AWS Import/Export Disk

  • AWS Import/Export accelerates moving large amounts of data into and out of AWS using portable storage devices for transport
  • AWS transfers the data directly onto and off of storage devices using Amazon’s high-speed internal network, bypassing the Internet, and can be much faster and more cost effective than upgrading connectivity.
  • AWS Import/Export can be implemented in two different ways
    • AWS Import/Export Disk (Disk)
      • originally the only service offered by AWS for data transfer by mail
      • Disk supports transfers data directly onto and off of storage devices you own using the Amazon high-speed internal network
    • AWS Snowball
      • is generally faster and cheaper to use than Disk for importing data into Amazon S3
      • Note: AWS Snowball Edge is now only available to existing customers (as of November 7, 2025). New customers should use AWS DataSync or AWS Data Transfer Terminal.
  • AWS Import/Export supports
    • importing data to several types of AWS storage, including EBS snapshots, S3 buckets, and Glacier vaults.
    • exporting data out from S3 only
  • Data load typically begins the next business day after the storage device arrives at AWS and after the data export or import completes, the storage device is returned

Ideal Usage Patterns

  • AWS Import/Export is ideal for transferring large amounts of data in and out of the AWS cloud, especially in cases where transferring the data over the Internet would be too slow (a week or more) or too costly.
  • Common use cases include
    • first time migration – initial data upload to AWS
    • content distribution or regular data interchange to/from your customers or business associates,
    • off-site backup – transfer to Amazon S3 or Amazon Glacier for off-site backup and archival storage, and
    • disaster recovery – quick retrieval (export) of large backups from Amazon S3 or Amazon Glacier

AWS Import/Export Disk Jobs

  • AWS Import/Export jobs can be created in 2 steps
    • Submit a Job request to AWS where each job corresponds to exactly one storage device
    • Send your storage device to AWS, which after the data is uploaded or downloaded is returned back
  • AWS Import/Export jobs can be created
    • using a command line tool, which requires no programming or
    • programmatically using the AWS SDK for Java or the REST API to send requests to AWS or
    • even through third party tools
  • AWS Import/Export Data Encrption
    • supports data encryption methods
      • PIN-code encryption, Hardware-based device encryption that uses a physical PIN pad for access to the data.
      • TrueCrypt software encryption, Disk encryption using TrueCrypt, which is an open-source encryption application.
    • Creating an import or export job with encryption requires providing the PIN code or password for the selected encryption method
    • Although is is not mandatory for the data to be encrypted for import jobs, it is highly recommended
    • All export jobs require data encryption can use either hardware encryption or software encryption or both methods.
  • AWS Import/Export supported Job Types
    • Import to S3
    • Import to Glacier (Import to Glacier is no longer supported by AWS. Refer Updates)
    • Import to EBS
    • Export to S3
  • AWS erases the device after every import job prior to return shipping.

Guidelines and Limitations

  • AWS Import/Export does not support Server-Side Encryption (SSE) when importing data.
  • Maximum file size of a single file or object to be imported is 5 TB. Files and objects larger than 5 TB won’t be imported.
  • Maximum device capacity is 16 TB for Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) and Amazon EBS jobs.
  • Maximum device capacity is 4 TB for Amazon Glacier jobs.
  • AWS Import/Export exports only the latest version from an Amazon S3 bucket that has versioning turned on.

Current AWS Data Transfer Alternatives (2025-2026)

AWS has significantly evolved its data transfer portfolio. The original Import/Export Disk service has been superseded by multiple modern options:

AWS DataSync (Recommended for Online Transfers)

  • Online data movement service that simplifies and accelerates data migrations to AWS
  • Moves data securely between on-premises storage, edge locations, other cloud providers, and AWS Storage
  • Automates scheduling, monitoring, encryption, and data integrity validation
  • Supports transfers to/from Amazon S3, Amazon EFS, Amazon FSx, and more
  • Enhanced mode (2025) enables cross-cloud transfers without requiring a DataSync agent
  • Integrates with Amazon CloudWatch and Amazon EventBridge for monitoring
  • Best for: Most data migration workloads where network connectivity is available

AWS Data Transfer Terminal (Physical Transfer)

  • Secure, physical locations where you bring your storage devices to upload data to AWS
  • Each terminal provides at least two 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100 GbE) ports
  • Reserve a time slot, bring your devices, and transfer data at high speed
  • Supports uploads to any AWS endpoint including Amazon S3, Amazon EFS, and others
  • You retain custody of your devices throughout the process
  • Available at multiple locations worldwide (expanding in 2026)
  • Best for: Large data sets where you want to retain device custody and need faster turnaround than shipping

AWS Snow Family (Limited Availability)

  • ⚠️ AWS Snowcone – Discontinued November 12, 2024. Support ended November 12, 2025.
  • ⚠️ AWS Snowmobile – Retired March 2024. No longer available.
  • ⚠️ Previous Generation Snowball Devices (80TB Storage Optimized, 52 vCPU Compute Optimized, GPU) – Discontinued November 12, 2024.
  • AWS Snowball Edge – Only available to existing customers as of November 7, 2025
    • Snowball Edge Storage Optimized 210TB – NVMe storage, up to 1.5 GB/s transfer speed
    • Snowball Edge Compute Optimized 104 vCPU – 416GB RAM, 28TB NVMe SSD storage
  • New customers should use AWS DataSync for online transfers or AWS Data Transfer Terminal for physical transfers
  • For edge computing needs, consider AWS Outposts

AWS Direct Connect

  • Dedicated network connection from on-premises to AWS
  • Consistent, low-latency performance for ongoing data transfers
  • Available in 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, and 100 Gbps port speeds
  • Best for: Ongoing, high-volume data transfers with dedicated bandwidth requirements

AWS Certification Exam Practice Questions

  • Questions are collected from Internet and the answers are marked as per my knowledge and understanding (which might differ with yours).
  • AWS services are updated everyday and both the answers and questions might be outdated soon, so research accordingly.
  • AWS exam questions are not updated to keep up the pace with AWS updates, so even if the underlying feature has changed the question might not be updated
  • Open to further feedback, discussion and correction.
  1. You are working with a customer who has 10 TB of archival data that they want to migrate to Amazon Glacier. The customer has a 1-Mbps connection to the Internet. Which service or feature provides the fastest method of getting the data into Amazon Glacier?
    1. Amazon Glacier multipart upload
    2. AWS Storage Gateway
    3. VM Import/Export
    4. AWS Import/Export (Normal upload will take ~900 days as the internet max speed is capped)

    Note: This is a legacy exam question. In current exams, the recommended answer for offline data transfer would be AWS Snowball Edge (for existing customers) or AWS Data Transfer Terminal (for new customers). AWS DataSync would be recommended if network bandwidth is available.

  2. A company needs to migrate 50 TB of data from an on-premises data center to AWS. The company has a 100 Mbps internet connection but cannot wait for a multi-week transfer. Which is the MOST appropriate current solution?
    1. Use AWS DataSync over the internet connection
    2. Use AWS Direct Connect with a dedicated 1 Gbps connection
    3. Reserve a session at an AWS Data Transfer Terminal and bring the storage devices (Data Transfer Terminal provides 100 GbE connectivity and you retain custody of devices. Fastest physical option for new customers.)
    4. Use Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
  3. Which AWS service is the PRIMARY recommended method for online data migration to AWS storage services? (Choose one)
    1. AWS Import/Export Disk
    2. AWS Snowball Edge
    3. AWS DataSync (DataSync is the primary online data transfer service, automating scheduling, encryption, and validation)
    4. AWS Data Transfer Terminal
  4. A media company frequently generates 20 TB of video content at remote filming locations with limited internet connectivity. They need to get this data into Amazon S3 within 24 hours for post-production. Which solution is MOST suitable?
    1. Use AWS DataSync over a satellite internet link
    2. Reserve an AWS Data Transfer Terminal session near the filming location (Data Transfer Terminal provides secure physical locations with 100 GbE ports for rapid upload, ideal for remote content production)
    3. Set up AWS Direct Connect at the filming location
    4. Ship data using AWS Import/Export Disk

References

Storage Options Whitepaper – Storage Gateway – Import/Export – AWS Certification

~ Last updated on : ~ jayendrapatil ~ 8 Comments

AWS Storage Options – Storage Gateway & Import/Export (Snow Family)

Provides a brief summary for the Ideal Use cases and Anti-Patterns for AWS Storage Gateway and AWS Snow Family (formerly Import/Export) storage options.

📌 2025/2026 Update: This post has been significantly updated to reflect current AWS service terminology and availability:

  • Storage Gateway now offers four gateway types: S3 File Gateway, FSx File Gateway (no longer available to new customers), Volume Gateway, and Tape Gateway.
  • AWS Import/Export was replaced by AWS Snowball (2015), and the Snow Family is being significantly reduced — Snowmobile retired (March 2024), Snowcone discontinued (Nov 2024), and Snowball Edge restricted to existing customers only (Nov 2025).
  • AWS Data Transfer Terminal is the new physical data transfer alternative for new customers.

AWS Storage Gateway

  • AWS Storage Gateway is a hybrid cloud storage service that provides on-premises access to virtually unlimited cloud storage.
  • Storage Gateway provides a standard set of storage protocols such as iSCSI, SMB, and NFS, which allow you to use AWS storage without rewriting existing applications.
  • It provides low-latency performance by maintaining frequently accessed data on-premises while securely storing all data encrypted in AWS.
  • For disaster recovery scenarios, it can serve as a cloud-hosted solution, together with EC2, that mirrors the entire production environment.
  • Storage Gateway can be deployed as a virtual machine (VM) within VMware, Hyper-V, or Linux KVM virtual environments, or as an Amazon EC2 instance within a VPC, or on a dedicated hardware appliance.
  • Storage Gateway offers four gateway types:
    • Amazon S3 File Gateway
      • Presents Amazon S3 objects as files accessible via NFS or SMB protocols.
      • On-premises applications read and write files to the gateway, which stores them as objects in S3 buckets.
      • Maintains a local cache of recently accessed files for low-latency retrieval.
      • Supports S3 Standard, S3 Intelligent-Tiering, S3 Standard-IA, and S3 One Zone-IA storage classes.
    • Amazon FSx File Gateway
      • Provides low-latency, on-premises access to fully managed Windows file shares in Amazon FSx for Windows File Server.
      • ⚠️ No longer available to new customers as of October 28, 2024. Existing customers can continue using the service. AWS recommends connecting directly to Amazon FSx for Windows File Server as an alternative.
    • Volume Gateway
      • Presents cloud-backed iSCSI block storage volumes to on-premises applications.
      • Operates in two modes:
        • Cached volumes (formerly Gateway-cached volumes) – Primary data stored in S3, with frequently accessed data retained locally in a cache. Minimizes the need to scale on-premises storage while providing low-latency access to frequently accessed data.
        • Stored volumes (formerly Gateway-stored volumes) – Complete primary data stored locally, while asynchronously backing up data to AWS as EBS snapshots. Provides low-latency access to entire datasets with durable, off-site backups.
      • Cached volumes can be up to 32 TiB; stored volumes can be up to 16 TiB.
    • Tape Gateway
      • Presents a virtual tape library (VTL) interface to existing backup applications using iSCSI.
      • Virtual tapes are stored in S3, and archived tapes are stored in S3 Glacier or S3 Glacier Deep Archive.
      • Compatible with leading backup software (Veeam, Veritas NetBackup, Commvault, etc.).

Ideal Usage Patterns

  • AWS Storage Gateway use cases include
    • Corporate file sharing and collaboration (S3 File Gateway)
    • Enabling on-premises backup applications to store primary backups in S3 (Volume Gateway, Tape Gateway)
    • Disaster recovery with cloud-backed storage
    • Data mirroring to cloud-based compute resources
    • Tiering on-premises data to cloud storage

Anti-Patterns

  • Database storage
    • For Database backup or storage, EC2 instances using EBS volumes or managed database services (RDS, Aurora) are better choices.

Performance

  • Performance depends on the speed and configuration of underlying local disks, network bandwidth between the iSCSI initiator and gateway VM, amount of local storage allocated to the gateway VM, and bandwidth between the gateway VM and AWS.
  • For cached volumes, providing enough local cache storage for recently accessed data is important for low-latency read access.
  • Storage Gateway efficiently uses Internet bandwidth by only uploading incremental changes (data that has changed), minimizing data sent over the Internet.
  • AWS Direct Connect can be used to increase throughput and reduce network costs by establishing a dedicated network connection between the on-premises gateway and AWS.
  • Storage Gateway supports bandwidth throttling to control the amount of network bandwidth used for data transfer.

Durability and Availability

  • AWS Storage Gateway durably stores on-premises application data by uploading it to S3.
  • S3 stores data across multiple facilities and on multiple devices within each facility, providing 99.999999999% (11 9s) durability.
  • S3 performs regular, systematic data integrity checks and is built to be automatically self-healing.

Cost Model

  • AWS Storage Gateway pricing components vary by gateway type:
    • S3 File Gateway: Storage (S3 pricing), requests, and data transfer
    • Volume Gateway: Volume storage usage (per GB per month), snapshot storage, and data transfer
    • Tape Gateway: Virtual tape storage, virtual tape shelf (archive) storage, and data retrieval
    • All types: No charge for the gateway software; charges apply for AWS storage used

Scalability and Elasticity

  • Storage Gateway stores data in Amazon S3, which provides virtually unlimited scalability and elasticity.
  • A single gateway supports up to 32 cached volumes (max 1,024 TiB total) or 32 stored volumes (max 512 TiB total).

Interfaces

  • AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, and AWS SDKs can be used to manage Storage Gateway.
  • Gateway VM images are available for VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Linux KVM.
  • Hardware appliance option is available for environments without virtualization infrastructure.
  • Volumes are attached as iSCSI devices; file shares are accessible via NFS or SMB protocols.

AL2 to AL2023 Migration (2025-2026)

  • AWS is transitioning Storage Gateway appliance OS from Amazon Linux 2 to AL2023.
  • This migration enables new hybrid cloud storage features and maintains optimal performance and security.
  • Gateway versions 1.x.x cannot be updated to 2.x.x — a new gateway deployment is required.

AWS Import/Export (Replaced by AWS Snow Family)

⚠️ SERVICE DEPRECATED & SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED

AWS Import/Export (the original ship-your-own-disk service) was fully replaced by AWS Snowball in 2015.

AWS Snow Family Current Status (2025):

  • AWS Snowmobile — Retired (March 2024). Service is no longer available.
  • AWS Snowcone (HDD & SSD) — Discontinued November 12, 2024. Support for existing customers ended November 12, 2025.
  • Previous generation Snowball devices (80TB Storage Optimized, 52 vCPU Compute Optimized, Compute Optimized with GPU) — Discontinued November 12, 2024.
  • AWS Snowball Edge (latest generation) — Only available to existing customers as of November 7, 2025. New customers cannot order Snowball Edge devices.

Alternatives for New Customers:

  • AWS DataSync — For online data transfers when network bandwidth is available
  • AWS Data Transfer Terminal — For secure physical data transfers at AWS-managed locations
  • AWS Partner solutions — Third-party data migration services

AWS Snow Family (Current Service)

  • AWS Snow Family provides secure, rugged devices for edge computing and offline data transfer.
  • AWS Snowball Edge is the primary device, available in two options:
    • Snowball Edge Storage Optimized (210 TB) — Primary device for large data transfers with high storage capacity and faster transfer speeds.
    • Snowball Edge Compute Optimized — For edge computing workloads requiring local processing power.
  • Data encryption is performed on the device itself, enabling higher data throughput and shorter transfer times.
  • Supports Amazon S3 compatible storage on the device for edge workloads.

AWS Data Transfer Terminal (New Alternative)

  • AWS Data Transfer Terminal is a secure, physical location where customers bring their storage devices to transfer data using a high-throughput connection directly to AWS.
  • Provides direct network connectivity to AWS services including Amazon S3, Amazon EFS, and others.
  • Available in multiple locations globally (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Munich, and more being added).
  • Customers reserve a date and time, visit the location, connect their storage devices, and transfer data.
  • No device shipping required — eliminates wait times associated with Snowball device logistics.
  • Ideal for customers who need frequent, high-volume physical data transfers.

Original AWS Import/Export (Historical Reference)

  • AWS Import/Export (now fully replaced) accelerated moving large amounts of data into and out of AWS using portable storage devices for transport.
  • AWS transferred data directly onto and off of storage devices using Amazon’s high-speed internal network, bypassing the Internet.
  • Supported importing into EBS snapshots, S3 buckets, and Glacier vaults, and exporting data from S3.

Ideal Usage Patterns (Snow Family / Data Transfer Terminal)

  • Ideal for transferring large amounts of data in and out of the AWS cloud, especially in cases where transferring the data over the Internet would be too slow (a week or more) or too costly.
  • Common use cases include:
    • Initial data migration to AWS (large-scale lift-and-shift)
    • Content distribution or regular data interchange with customers/business associates
    • Transfer to Amazon S3 for off-site backup and archival storage
    • Edge computing in disconnected environments (Snowball Edge only)
    • Disaster recovery with rapid data retrieval

Anti-Patterns

  • Data that is more easily transferred over the Internet in less than one week — use AWS DataSync or AWS Transfer Family instead.
  • For new customers needing physical data transfer (post Nov 2025) — use AWS Data Transfer Terminal or AWS Partner solutions.

Performance

  • Snowball Edge Storage Optimized 210TB devices provide up to 100 Gbps network connectivity.
  • Data transfer rate is bounded by the read/write speed of the storage device and network connectivity.
  • AWS Data Transfer Terminal provides high-throughput direct connections for fast transfers.

Durability and Availability

  • Durability and availability characteristics of the target storage (S3, EBS, EFS) apply after data has been imported.
  • Snowball Edge devices use 256-bit encryption and tamper-resistant enclosures for data security during transit.

Cost Model

  • AWS Snowball Edge pricing includes: service fee per job, shipping costs, and per-day charges for device use beyond included days.
  • Standard Amazon S3, EBS, and other storage pricing applies for the destination storage.
  • AWS Data Transfer Terminal pricing is based on reservation time and data transferred.

Scalability and Elasticity

  • Multiple Snowball Edge devices can be used in parallel for petabyte-scale transfers.
  • Large Data Migration Manager available in the AWS Console for managing multi-device migration projects.
  • For Amazon S3, individual objects may range up to 5 terabytes in size.
  • Aggregate total amount of data that can be imported is virtually unlimited.

Interfaces

  • AWS Snowball is managed through the AWS Management Console (OpsHub), AWS CLI, and SDKs.
  • AWS OpsHub provides a graphical interface for managing Snow devices.
  • AWS Data Transfer Terminal is managed through the AWS Management Console for reservations.

AWS Certification Exam Practice Questions

  • Questions are collected from Internet and the answers are marked as per my knowledge and understanding (which might differ with yours).
  • AWS services are updated everyday and both the answers and questions might be outdated soon, so research accordingly.
  • AWS exam questions are not updated to keep up the pace with AWS updates, so even if the underlying feature has changed the question might not be updated
  • Open to further feedback, discussion and correction.
  1. You are working with a customer who has 10 TB of archival data that they want to migrate to Amazon Glacier. The customer has a 1-Mbps connection to the Internet. Which service or feature provides the fastest method of getting the data into Amazon Glacier?
    1. Amazon Glacier multipart upload
    2. AWS Storage Gateway
    3. VM Import/Export
    4. AWS Import/Export (Now: AWS Snowball)

    Note: This question uses legacy service names. AWS Import/Export has been replaced by AWS Snowball Edge. As of Nov 2025, Snowball Edge is only available to existing customers — new customers should use AWS Data Transfer Terminal.

  2. A company needs to provide on-premises applications with low-latency access to frequently used data while storing the complete dataset in AWS for disaster recovery. Which Storage Gateway configuration is most appropriate?
    1. S3 File Gateway with local cache
    2. Volume Gateway in cached mode
    3. Volume Gateway in stored mode
    4. Tape Gateway

    Answer: C. Volume Gateway in stored mode keeps the complete primary data locally for low-latency access to the entire dataset, while asynchronously backing up data to AWS as EBS snapshots for disaster recovery.

  3. A company wants to minimize on-premises storage costs while maintaining low-latency access to frequently accessed data. The full dataset is several hundred terabytes. Which Storage Gateway solution is most suitable?
    1. S3 File Gateway
    2. Volume Gateway in cached mode
    3. Volume Gateway in stored mode
    4. Tape Gateway

    Answer: B. Volume Gateway in cached mode stores primary data in S3 while retaining frequently accessed data locally in a cache, minimizing on-premises storage requirements.

  4. A new customer needs to physically transfer 50 TB of data to AWS but cannot use AWS Snowball Edge (no longer available to new customers as of November 2025). What is the recommended alternative?
    1. AWS Snowcone
    2. AWS Snowmobile
    3. AWS Data Transfer Terminal
    4. AWS Import/Export with customer-owned devices

    Answer: C. AWS Data Transfer Terminal provides secure, physical locations where customers can bring their storage devices and transfer data using high-throughput connections to AWS. Snowcone and Snowmobile are discontinued, and Import/Export was replaced by Snowball in 2015.

  5. Which AWS Storage Gateway type would you recommend for a company that wants to replace their physical tape backup infrastructure with cloud-based backup while keeping existing backup software?
    1. S3 File Gateway
    2. Volume Gateway
    3. Tape Gateway
    4. FSx File Gateway

    Answer: C. Tape Gateway presents a virtual tape library (VTL) interface compatible with existing backup applications, allowing companies to replace physical tape infrastructure while maintaining their current backup workflows.