ebs

AWS Storage Solutions Focused on EBS

This guide is designed to help you deliver a hands-on training session about storage solutions in AWS, with a particular focus on Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) and its volume types. It covers an engaging agenda, demonstration steps, and tips to ensure your audience gains strong practical understanding.

Agenda

• Introduction to AWS Storage Solutions

• Deep Dive: Amazon EBS

• EBS Volume Types Overview

• Hands-On Lab: Using EBS Volumes

• Best Practices & Q&A

1. Introduction to AWS Storage Solutions

Briefly explain the storage offerings in AWS:

• Amazon S3: Object storage for any data, highly scalable.

• Amazon EBS: Block storage for EC2 instances (focus of session).

• Amazon EFS: Fully managed network file system.

2. Deep Dive: Amazon EBS

• What is EBS?

  • Persistent block storage designed for EC2.

  • Data persists beyond EC2 instance lifetime.

  • Use cases include databases, filesystems, and app boot volumes.

3. EBS Volume Types Overview

Explain the different EBS volume types and their use cases:

Volume Type	Description	Use Case	Key Features
gp3 (General Purpose SSD)	Latest general purpose, improved performance	Boot volumes, dev/test, databases	Cost-effective, flexible
gp2 (General Purpose SSD)	Previous generation, still widely used	Boot volumes, general workloads	Balanced price/performance
io2/io2 Block Express	Highest performance SSD	Critical apps, databases	High durability, high IOPS
st1 (Throughput Optimized HDD)	Magnetic, lower cost for scans	Big data, log processing	High throughput
sc1 (Cold HDD)	Magnetic, lowest cost, infrequent access	File servers, large archives	Low performance, cheap

4. Hands-On Lab: Working with EBS Volumes

Suggest everyone uses the AWS Free Tier or a test account.

1

Launch an EC2 Instance

• Go to the AWS Management Console.

• Choose EC2 > Launch Instance.

• Select Amazon Linux 2 or Ubuntu.

• Under "Storage", note the default EBS root volume.

2

Create and Attach New EBS Volume

• Navigate to EC2 > Volumes > Create Volume.

• Choose type (e.g., gp3) and specify size (e.g., 8GiB).

• Select same Availability Zone as your EC2 instance.

• Attach the volume to your instance via Actions > Attach Volume.

3

Connect and Format the Volume

• SSH into your instance:

  • ssh ec2-user@<public-ip-address>

• Identify the new disk (e.g., /dev/xvdf):

  • lsblk

• Create filesystem:

  • sudo mkfs -t ext4 /dev/xvdf

• Mount volume:

  • sudo mkdir /mnt/mydata

  • sudo mount /dev/xvdf /mnt/mydata

• Verify:

  • df -h

4

Test Performance Differences (Optional, advanced)

• Create both gp3 and io2 volumes, attach them, and use fio to benchmark read/write speeds.

• Discuss results and suitable applications for each.

5. Best Practices & Q&A

Tips:

• Always select the correct type for your workload.

• Use EBS snapshots for backup and disaster recovery.

• Monitor EBS performance with CloudWatch.

• Detach and delete unused volumes to avoid extra costs.

---

Real-Time Hands-On Scenarios for AWS EBS

These scenarios will engage your audience and show how EBS addresses actual cloud challenges.

1

Expanding a Running EBS Volume Without Downtime

Scenario: Your production server's disk space is running low during business hours. You need to expand storage without stopping the workload.

Hands-On Steps:

• Use the AWS Console to modify and increase the size of the EBS volume attached to a running EC2 instance.

• Connect to the instance (Linux: SSH, Windows: RDP).

• Use lsblk and df -h (Linux) or Disk Management (Windows) to verify the new volume size.

• Extend the filesystem with sudo growpart and sudo resize2fs (Linux) or expand the disk partition (Windows).

• Show that the application/data is uninterrupted throughout.

2

EBS Snapshots for Backup and Disaster Recovery

Scenario: Back up a database volume and restore data after accidental deletion.

Hands-On Steps:

• Take a snapshot of the active EBS data volume via Console or CLI.

• Simulate “disaster” by deleting files/data on the volume.

• Restore from the snapshot by creating a new volume, attaching to the same or different EC2 instance.

• Mount and recover the data.

3

EBS Volume Type Comparison with Benchmarking

Scenario: Selecting the right EBS volume type for different workloads.

Hands-On Steps:

• Create two EBS volumes of different types (e.g., gp3 vs io2).

• Attach both to a test instance.

• Use fio to benchmark read/write performance.

• Collect and compare results to demonstrate use-case suitability:

  • gp3: Balanced cost/performance.

  • io2: High IOPS for databases or transactional apps.

4

EBS Volume Performance Troubleshooting

Scenario: Your application is slower than expected and you suspect a storage bottleneck.

Hands-On Steps:

• Use CloudWatch to monitor EBS performance metrics (IOPS, throughput, latency).

• Generate load with a test script or app.

• Identify if volume or instance has hit performance limits.

• Adjust EBS type or switch to provisioned performance and re-measure impact.

5

Consistent Deployment Across Environments

Scenario: Dev uses less throughput, production requires high-performance EBS.

Hands-On Steps:

• Launch EC2 instances with different EBS configurations for dev and prod (size, type, or initialized from snapshot).

• Demonstrate how the same AMI can scale across environments by adjusting only EBS properties at deployment.

6

Automated Data Lifecycle Management

Scenario: Automate backup and cost-saving by managing EBS snapshots.

Hands-On Steps:

• Set up AWS Data Lifecycle Manager to automatically create, retain, and delete EBS snapshots.

• Show scheduled snapshot creation and automatic cleanup after retention period.

7

Testing Application Resiliency (Advanced/Optional)

Scenario: Evaluate how your application behaves if the EBS volume becomes unresponsive.

Hands-On Steps:

• Use AWS Fault Injection Simulator to pause I/O on an EBS volume.

• Observe application logs, OS responses, and monitoring tools.

• Discuss how to improve application resiliency and failover in production.

Tips for Maximizing Engagement

• Invite participants to run each scenario in their own accounts or follow along with a live demo.

• Provide CLI and Console steps, and encourage questions about which scenario suits which real AWS challenge.

• Tie each exercise back to common business cases: growth, disaster recovery, scaling, billing optimization, and security.

---

Expanding a Running AWS EBS Volume Without Downtime

Expanding an EBS volume attached to a running EC2 instance is a common AWS maintenance task that can be performed with zero downtime.

Step-by-Step Guide

1

Identify the Volume

• Log in to the AWS Management Console.

• Go to EC2 > Instances and select your running instance.

• Under the Storage tab, note the volume ID(s) attached to the instance.

2

Modify the EBS Volume

• Navigate to EC2 > Volumes.

• Find and select the volume you want to expand.

• Click Actions > Modify Volume.

• Enter the new, larger size for the volume.

• Click Modify, then Yes to confirm.

• Wait until the volume state is ‘optimizing’ or ‘available’.

3

Refresh the Volume in the Operating System (Linux example)

• Connect to your instance using SSH:

  ssh ec2-user@<your-instance-public-ip>

• Confirm the attached volumes and their sizes:

  lsblk

• If using a standard partition (not LVM), grow the partition:

  sudo growpart /dev/xvdf 1

  Replace /dev/xvdf and partition number 1 with your device name, if different.

• Extend the file system (for ext4 filesystem):

  sudo resize2fs /dev/xvdf1

  If using xfs, use:

  sudo xfs_growfs /mount/point

• Check the new size:

  df -h

4

Validate No Downtime

• Applications/data on the volume should remain available throughout.

• There is no need to restart the instance or detach the volume.

Notes

• This process works for both root and additional data volumes.

• For Windows instances, use Disk Management to rescan disks and expand the volume in the GUI.

• If using LVM or other filesystems, ensure to run the relevant resizing commands for your configuration.

Summary table:

Step	Console Action	CLI/OS Action
Identify	EC2 > Instances > Storage	lsblk
Modify Vol.	EC2 > Volumes > Modify Volume	N/A
Grow Part.	N/A	sudo growpart …
Expand FS	N/A	sudo resize2fs or xfs_growfs
Verify	Console shows new vol. state	df -h

Following these steps allows seamless expansion of EBS storage on live systems, ensuring continuous availability for your workloads.

---

Real-Time Scenario Questions on AWS Volumes

Below are practical, scenario-based questions tailored for Amazon EBS and other AWS volume storage solutions. These mirror real-world situations you might encounter during operations, troubleshooting, or design sessions.

1. Performance & Troubleshooting

• Scenario: Your application team reports slow performance, and you suspect the EBS volume is the bottleneck. Question: How do you monitor and diagnose if your EBS volume is running low on IOPS and throughput? Which AWS tools and metrics would you use to validate and resolve the issue? Reference: https://vamsi7894.hashnode.dev/mastering-aws-elastic-block-store-ebs-scenario-based-interview-questions-and-answers

• Scenario: One of your EBS volumes is in an impaired state. Question: What steps would you take to identify the root cause of the impaired status, and how do you restore the volume back to a healthy state? Which commands or console views aid in this process? Reference: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/ec2/describe-volume-status.html

2. Backup & Disaster Recovery

• Scenario: You are required to ensure a database stored on an EBS volume has strong backup and quick restore capabilities, with a maximum of 15 minutes of downtime allowed. Question: What backup strategy would you employ, and how would you automate recovery to meet this SLA? Discuss EBS snapshots and relevant automation. Reference: https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/aws-scenario-based-interview-questions

• Scenario: A developer accidentally deletes critical data on a production EBS volume. Question: How would you recover the lost data using AWS capabilities, and how can you minimize data loss in similar situations in the future? Reference: https://aws.plainenglish.io/unraveling-the-power-of-amazon-elastic-block-store-ebs-in-the-cloud-4b6f235f89ff

3. Volume Management & Expansion

• Scenario: Your EC2 instance is running low on space, but stopping the server is not allowed. Question: Explain the process, step-by-step, to increase the EBS volume size and make the additional space available to the application without any downtime. Reference: https://vamsi7894.hashnode.dev/mastering-aws-elastic-block-store-ebs-scenario-based-interview-questions-and-answers

• Scenario: You need to migrate large EBS volumes between availability zones without losing data. Question: What migration steps and AWS services would you use to ensure data integrity and minimal downtime?

4. Cost Optimization & Data Lifecycle

• Scenario: You notice increasing AWS costs attributed to unused or underutilized volumes. Question: How do you identify and clean up orphaned or wasted EBS volumes to lower your AWS bill? Reference: https://vamsi7894.hashnode.dev/mastering-aws-elastic-block-store-ebs-scenario-based-interview-questions-and-answers

• Scenario: Your organization wants to automate the backup retention and deletion policy for EBS volumes. Question: Which AWS tools or features would you use to automate EBS snapshot management and lifecycle policies?

5. Security & Access

• Scenario: You need to encrypt sensitive data stored on EBS volumes for compliance reasons. Question: What options do you have to encrypt data at rest and in transit for EBS, and how would you ensure that your encryption settings are enforced at scale?

• Scenario: Multiple EC2 instances need simultaneous, read-only access to the same data. Question: Is EBS appropriate for this use case? If not, which AWS storage service should be used instead, and why?

6. Advanced — Failure and Recovery

• Scenario: An underlying EBS volume experiences host-level failure and enters an impaired state, with risk of data corruption. Question: What are your immediate actions to assess and restore volume integrity? How do you leverage volume status checks and tools like fsck or chkdsk? Reference: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/ec2/describe-volume-status.html

---

File System Types

A file system defines how data is stored, organized, and accessed on a disk or storage device. On AWS (and in general Linux and Windows environments), the type of file system you use impacts performance, features, compatibility, and suitability for applications.

Common File System Types

ext4 (Fourth Extended File System)

• Most widely used on modern Linux distributions.

• Supports large files and volumes (up to 1EB, with file sizes up to 16TB).

• Journaling support for crash recovery.

• Efficient and reliable for databases, web servers, and general use.

XFS

• High-performance 64-bit journaling file system.

• Excellent scalability for both large files and many files.

• Advanced features: online resizing, defragmentation, delayed allocation for better performance.

• Preferred for high-throughput workloads and when large data volumes are needed.

NTFS (New Technology File System)

• Primary file system for Windows.

• Supports large files and volumes, security features like encryption and permissions (ACLs).

• Journaling for reliability.

• Used when launching Windows EC2 instances.

FAT32 and exFAT

• FAT32 is supported by almost all operating systems but limited to 4GB file size and 8TB volume size.

• exFAT is suitable for larger files and compatibility across OSes.

• Not recommended for production servers due to lack of features like journaling and permissions.

Btrfs

• Advanced Linux file system (not as widely used as ext4 or XFS).

• Supports snapshots, checksumming, and self-healing features.

• Effective for use cases requiring data integrity and snapshotting.

EFS (Elastic File System) on AWS

• Uses the NFSv4 protocol under the hood.

• Managed, elastic file system for use with AWS EC2.

• Allows simultaneous mount by multiple EC2 instances for shared access.

Comparison Table

File System	OS Compatibility	Max File Size	Journaling	Common Use
ext4	Linux	16TB	Yes	General purpose, databases
XFS	Linux	8EB	Yes	High-throughput applications
NTFS	Windows, Linux*	16EB+	Yes	Windows servers, apps
FAT32	All	4GB	No	Flash drives, cross-platform
exFAT	All	Large	No	Large flash drives, SD cards
Btrfs	Linux	16EB	Yes	Snapshotting, redundancy

*Modern Linux can read/write NTFS with the right drivers.

How This Relates to AWS EBS

• When attaching a new EBS volume to an EC2 instance, you choose and format the volume with one of these file systems depending on your performance, capacity, and compatibility requirements.

• For Linux servers, ext4 (default) and XFS are most common.

• For Windows, NTFS is standard.

• File system choice affects management tasks like snapshotting, backup, and recovery.

Choosing the right file system ensures reliability, performance, and the right feature set for your application's needs.