AWS Storage Gateway offers several solutions to seamlessly extend on-premises storage infrastructure to the cloud. These solutions allow businesses to benefit from the scalability, durability, and cost efficiency of AWS while retaining the necessary on-premises storage for critical use cases. Among the Storage Gateway options are Gateway Cached Volumes, Gateway Stored Volumes, and Tape Gateway. Each provides different benefits depending on how much data is stored on-premises versus in the cloud, and how data is accessed and backed up.

This article explores these three types of Storage Gateways, detailing how each works and identifying when one is better suited over another.

Gateway Cached Volumes

Gateway Cached Volumes enable organizations to minimize their on-premises storage needs by primarily storing data in Amazon S3, while maintaining a local cache for frequently accessed data. This approach allows businesses to leverage the cloud for the bulk of their data storage, but ensures low-latency access to the most critical and frequently used data through the local cache.

In this configuration, the local storage acts as a cache for only the most recently or frequently accessed data. When users request data that is not cached locally, the Storage Gateway retrieves it from Amazon S3, which may result in slightly higher latency compared to locally stored data. This method is particularly advantageous when organizations need to reduce the amount of on-premises storage while still ensuring fast access to key datasets.

Gateway Cached Volumes are ideal for businesses looking to optimize bandwidth and reduce costs associated with maintaining large amounts of on-premises storage infrastructure. Since most of the data is stored in S3, organizations gain the ability to scale storage to petabytes without expanding their on-premises infrastructure.

Use Case: If your company primarily wants to store data in the cloud but requires frequent access to certain data locally, Gateway Cached Volumes provide an efficient and scalable solution. This setup works well for environments where the majority of the data is rarely accessed, but some critical files need fast, local access.

Gateway Stored Volumes

In contrast to Cached Volumes, Gateway Stored Volumes store the entire dataset locally on-premises, with backups of the data asynchronously stored in Amazon S3. This configuration ensures that all data is available with low-latency access at all times from the local storage infrastructure. Meanwhile, the data is continuously backed up to AWS for disaster recovery and data durability.

This approach is beneficial for organizations that require instant access to their entire dataset on-premises but want to take advantage of cloud backups for data protection. In the event of local storage failure, the data stored in Amazon S3 can be restored, providing a robust disaster recovery solution.

Gateway Stored Volumes are well-suited for environments where compliance, security, and local performance are key factors. Since the data is always stored locally, applications can benefit from fast access speeds, while backups to the cloud provide an additional layer of data protection.

Use Case: If your organization needs low-latency, on-premises access to all data but also requires cloud backups for disaster recovery, Gateway Stored Volumes is the right choice. It’s ideal for businesses that need to ensure continuous access to their entire dataset locally while leveraging AWS for reliable, offsite backups.

Tape Gateway

Tape Gateway provides a way for organizations to move from traditional physical tape-based backups to a cloud-based virtual tape library (VTL) using AWS. For companies that rely on tape backups but want to modernize their storage systems, Tape Gateway offers a seamless path to adopt cloud technology without changing their existing tape-based workflows.

With Tape Gateway, businesses can continue using their existing backup applications while storing virtual tapes in the cloud. The virtual tapes are stored in Amazon S3 for active backups and can be archived to Amazon S3 Glacier or Glacier Deep Archive for long-term, cost-effective storage. By utilizing AWS, organizations can eliminate the need for physical tapes, reducing storage costs, and enhancing data durability.

Since Tape Gateway integrates easily with traditional backup software, businesses can migrate from physical tapes to virtual tapes without the need for significant changes in their processes. Virtual tapes stored in Glacier offer a highly durable, scalable, and affordable solution for long-term data retention.

Use Case: Tape Gateway is ideal for organizations that still use physical tape backups but want to transition to a more modern, cloud-based solution without disrupting their backup workflows. It’s particularly useful for long-term data archiving, where tapes are frequently stored in cost-effective cold storage solutions like Glacier or Glacier Deep Archive.

Comparing the Gateway Options

While each Storage Gateway option offers unique benefits, the right choice depends on the organization’s specific needs for data access, storage location, and performance requirements.

Gateway Cached Volumes primarily store data in Amazon S3, minimizing the need for on-premises storage while maintaining a local cache for frequently accessed data. This solution is ideal for businesses that want to reduce their storage footprint but still require low-latency access to key files. Cached Volumes optimize bandwidth and make scaling simple, as most of the data is stored in the cloud.

On the other hand, Gateway Stored Volumes store the entire dataset locally and back it up to Amazon S3 asynchronously. This is beneficial when organizations need constant, low-latency access to all of their data on-premises but want cloud backups for disaster recovery. It offers the performance of local storage while ensuring that data is replicated in the cloud for safekeeping.

Finally, Tape Gateway is a cloud-based alternative to physical tape libraries, enabling businesses to maintain their existing backup software and processes while storing virtual tapes in Amazon S3 and archiving them in Glacier for long-term storage. This option is excellent for companies that rely on tape-based backup systems but want to shift to cloud storage for cost and durability benefits.

Conclusion

AWS Storage Gateway offers a variety of solutions to fit different business needs. Gateway Cached Volumes are ideal when the majority of your data can be stored in the cloud, while Gateway Stored Volumes are better when local access to all data is required. For companies still reliant on tape backups, Tape Gateway provides a virtual, cloud-based solution that integrates with existing workflows while offering the benefits of cloud storage.

Each option ensures seamless integration between on-premises infrastructure and AWS, enabling businesses to scale, back up, and protect their data more effectively. By choosing the right Storage Gateway solution, organizations can optimize their storage strategy to balance performance, cost-efficiency, and data durability while taking full advantage of cloud technology.