Cloud Technology and Services
Storage Models, Classes, Lifecycle, and Backup
CoreChoose object, block, or file storage; interpret S3 access patterns; and distinguish lifecycle automation, hybrid storage, and centralized backup.
Aligned to the current CLF-C02 exam guide, verified August 15, 2026.
Why this matters
AWS storage services can all hold data, but their access models and protection purposes are not interchangeable.
Must Know
- Amazon S3 is durable object storage for data in buckets, such as files, logs, static assets, backups, and data-lake objects.
- Amazon EBS provides persistent block volumes for EC2. EC2 instance store is ephemeral block storage on the host and is suitable only for replaceable data.
- Amazon EFS provides elastic shared file storage for Linux workloads. Amazon FSx provides managed file systems for specific engines and workload requirements.
- S3 storage classes trade storage price, access pattern, retrieval characteristics, and resilience. S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves eligible objects among access tiers as access changes.
- S3 Lifecycle rules transition or expire S3 objects. AWS Backup centrally manages backup policies for supported AWS resources. AWS Storage Gateway connects on-premises applications with AWS storage and can provide local caching.
Compare and Distinguish
- S3 vs EBS vs EFS: S3 is object storage, EBS is an EC2-attached block device, and EFS is a shared network file system.
- EBS vs instance store: EBS can persist independently of an instance; instance-store data is temporary and tied to its host lifecycle.
- EFS vs FSx: EFS offers NFS file storage for Linux-oriented workloads; FSx offers managed file systems for named engines and enterprise needs.
- S3 Standard-IA vs One Zone-IA: both suit infrequent access, but One Zone-IA stores data in one AZ and is for recreatable data.
- S3 Lifecycle vs AWS Backup: Lifecycle manages S3 object transitions and expiration; AWS Backup coordinates backups across supported resources.
Scenario examples
- Scenario: An application stores durable images as objects and retrieves them through an API. Think: Amazon S3.
- Scenario: Several Linux EC2 instances need to mount the same file system. Think: Amazon EFS.
- Scenario: Temporary processing data can be recreated after an EC2 host stops. Think: Instance store may fit; persistent data belongs on durable storage.
- Scenario: An organization wants one policy to schedule and retain backups for supported EBS and RDS resources. Think: AWS Backup.
Exam traps
- An S3 bucket is not mounted block storage for an EC2 boot volume.
- An archive class is not the correct answer when the data needs immediate frequent access.
- S3 Lifecycle is not a universal cross-service backup manager.
- Replication improves redundancy but does not by itself replace independent backup and retention decisions.
- At this level, focus on choosing a managed file service from the required file-system semantics rather than memorizing individual FSx engine details.
Key takeaways
- Object: S3. Persistent EC2 block: EBS. Ephemeral host block: instance store.
- Shared Linux files: EFS. Specialized managed file systems: FSx.
- S3 transitions: Lifecycle. Hybrid storage access: Storage Gateway. Central backup policy: AWS Backup.
How it works
- S3 stores an object and its metadata under a key in a bucket.
- EC2 sees EBS and instance store as block devices; compute mounts EFS or FSx through file-system protocols.
- Lifecycle rules evaluate S3 objects for transition or expiration, while AWS Backup applies scheduled plans to supported resources.
When to use it
- Use S3 for durable objects and choose a class from the access pattern.
- Use EBS for persistent EC2 block storage and instance store only for replaceable temporary data.
- Use EFS or FSx for shared file semantics.
- Use Storage Gateway for hybrid storage access and AWS Backup for centralized protection policies.
Security and governance implications
- Storage durability does not grant appropriate access automatically. Apply least privilege, encryption, and public-access safeguards.
- Backup access and deletion controls should be separated from routine workload permissions where practical.
Troubleshooting signals
- When a storage answer seems plausible, check the interface the application expects: object API, block device, or file-system mount.
- For missing archived data, distinguish object existence from the retrieval time and process of its storage class.
More detail
- S3 Standard is designed for frequently accessed data. Standard-IA and One Zone-IA trade lower storage cost for infrequent-access charges and constraints. Glacier classes address archive patterns with different retrieval expectations.
- EBS snapshots provide point-in-time protection for EBS volumes, while AWS Backup can apply centralized policies to EBS and other supported services.
- Storage Gateway exposes supported on-premises storage protocols while connecting data with AWS storage services.
Ready for the quiz?
- Can you distinguish object, block, and file access models?
- Which S3 class feature matters when access is unpredictable?
- When is instance store safe to use?
- How do S3 Lifecycle and AWS Backup solve different problems?
Related objectives
- D3.6