File Gateway

AWS Storage Gateway's File Gateway caches local files.

Primary Storage:

• All data is stored in Amazon S3

• S3 is the authoritative source for all files

Local Cache:

• Frequently accessed data is cached locally

• Cache is maintained on the local File Gateway appliance

• Size of cache depends on the storage allocated to the gateway

• Only stores a subset of your data based on access patterns

• Cache can be refreshed or invalidated

Key features and details about AWS File Gateway:

1. Amazon S3 Integration: AWS File Gateway provides a file interface that allows you to store and retrieve objects in Amazon S3 using standard file protocols.

2. Supported Protocols: It supports both NFS and SMB protocols, making it compatible with a wide range of applications and operating systems.

3. Local Cache: The gateway maintains a local cache for low-latency access to recently used data.

4. File Locking: It supports file locking for the SMB protocol to help maintain data consistency in multi-user environments.

5. Lifecycle Management: You can use S3 lifecycle policies to automatically move data to lower-cost storage classes like S3 Glacier.

6. Security Features:

   • Data is encrypted in transit using SSL/TLS

   • Data stored in S3 is encrypted at rest

   • Integrates with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for access control

7. Hybrid Cloud Support: It allows for easy implementation of hybrid cloud architectures, combining on-premises systems with AWS cloud storage.

8. Backup and Disaster Recovery: Can be used as part of a backup or disaster recovery solution, storing copies of important data in S3.

9. Cost-Effective: Helps reduce storage costs by leveraging S3's pricing model and eliminating the need for large local storage arrays.

10. VMware Integration: Can be deployed as a virtual machine in VMware environments.

11. Monitoring: Integrates with Amazon CloudWatch for monitoring and alarming.

AWS File Gateway is particularly useful for organizations looking to extend their on-premises file-based applications to use S3 storage, enabling cloud-based workflows while maintaining local access speeds for frequently used data.

AWS is the provider of the VMs.