DJames617 Service Comparison
S3 vs EBS vs EFS vs FSx
These all store data, but they expose very different access models.
What They Have in Common
Each option can solve part of the scenario. The exam expects you to choose the one that satisfies the stated constraints with the right operational burden, security boundary, availability model, and cost behavior.
Key Differences
| Option | Primary model | Best use | Security | Availability | Operations and cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S3 | Object storage | Durable objects, logs, static assets, data lakes | Bucket policies, Block Public Access, KMS, access points | Regional service; replication optional | Low ops; watch requests, retrieval, and transfer |
| EBS | Block storage for EC2 | Boot volumes, databases on EC2, low-latency block I/O | Attach to EC2, encrypt volumes, snapshots | AZ-scoped; snapshots regional | You manage volumes and instance attachment |
| EFS | Managed NFS file system | Shared Linux file access across instances | Mount targets, security groups, POSIX permissions | Regional with mount targets in AZs | Throughput/storage mode affects cost |
| FSx | Managed specialized file systems | Windows File Server, Lustre, NetApp ONTAP, OpenZFS needs | AD integration, network access, encryption | Deployment type varies | Use when specific file-system behavior is required |
Typical Exam Clues
Practice After Studying
Return to the certification guide that includes this comparison and launch domain training from there.
Sources and Review Metadata
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