Last updated on 15th Mar 2025| 4899
(5.0) | 19337 Ratings
E-mail this post
- Introduction
- What is AWS Snowmobile?
- How Does AWS Snowmobile Work?
- Site Requirements for AWS Snowmobile
- What is an AWS Snowmobile Job?
- Benefits of AWS Snowmobile
- AWS Snowmobile Specifications
- Snowmobile Vs. Snowball
- AWS Snowmobile Pricing
- Conclusion
Introduction
In the era of big data, organizations generate and store massive amounts of information, often reaching petabyte or even exabyte scale. Transferring such large datasets to the cloud using conventional network-based methods can be highly time consuming and costly. AWS Snowmobile offers a unique, exabyte scale data migration solution that enables enterprises to securely and efficiently transport vast amounts of data to Amazon Web Service (AWS)Training. AWS Snowmobile is a 45-foot ruggedized shipping container transported via a semi-trailer truck, capable of moving up to 100 petabytes (PB) of data in a single trip. Designed for organizations handling extensive datasets such as media archives, scientific research institutions, and government agencies Snowmobile provides a physically secure, high-speed transfer method that outperforms traditional data migration solutions. With robust encryption, GPS tracking, 24/7 surveillance, and optional security escorts, AWS ensures top-tier data security throughout the process. This guide explores the workings of AWS Snowmobile, its key benefits, site requirements, job workflow, pricing, and how it compares to AWS Snowball another data transfer service designed for smaller scale migrations. Whether you’re considering large-scale cloud migration, Cloud Application Development , or simply seeking a highly secure data transfer method, AWS Snowmobile presents a compelling solution. For professionals looking to optimize their use of AWS services, AWS Training provides valuable insights into managing large-scale data transfers efficiently and securely.
What is AWS Snowmobile?
- AWS Snowmobile is an exabyte-scale data transfer service designed to help organizations move massive amounts of data to Amazon Web Services (AWS) securely and efficiently.
- Traditional internet-based transfers can be time consuming and expensive, especially when dealing with petabytes or exabytes of data. AWS Snowmobile solves this challenge by physically transporting data in a secure, high-capacity storage system housed within a ruggedized 45-foot-long shipping container, which is pulled by a semi-trailer truck.
- Each AWS Snowmobile can carry up to 100 petabytes (PB) of data in a single trip, making it an ideal solution for large-scale cloud migrations. Organizations with vast data repositories—such as media archives, video libraries, scientific research institutions, financial firms, and government agencies can leverage AWS Snowmobile to seamlessly transfer their data to the AWS Cloud.
- This service is particularly beneficial for use cases involving data center migrations, disaster recovery planning, or large scale media content transfers, where speed, security, and efficiency are critical factors.
- AWS Snowmobile offers a high-speed, secure, and cost-effective alternative to traditional data migration methods. Instead of relying on high-bandwidth internet connections, which could take years to complete large data transfers, Snowmobile enables organizations to migrate exabyte-scale data in just weeks.
- The service also includes robust security features such as 256-bit encryption, GPS tracking, 24/7 video surveillance, and dedicated security escorts, ensuring data integrity and protection throughout the transportation process.
- By utilizing AWS Snowmobile, businesses can overcome the limitations of traditional network-based data transfers, streamline their cloud migration journey, and efficiently move their vast datasets to AWS without excessive costs or long wait times.
Excited to Obtaining Your AWS Certificate? View The AWS Certification Offered By ACTE Right Now!
How Does AWS Snowmobile Work?
A preliminary evaluation is completed before a Snowmobile is transported to information centers. Once the Snowmobile has reached the information middle, AWS employees configure it so it could be used as a goal for community storage. When the Snowmobile is at the site, the AWS employees begin operating with the group to attach a detachable high-pace community transfer from the Snowmobile to the nearby community. This initiates the system of high-pace information switches. This may be completed by reassessing diverse information in the middle. Once the information is transferred, the Snowmobile is taken again to AWS, where it is imported to Amazon S3. Snowmobile uses multi-layered safety to defend information. This includes safety employees, alarm monitoring, GPS tracking, 24/7 video surveillance, or even an escort safety vehicle. All information is encrypted using 256-bit encryption keys, which may be controlled through the AWS Key Management Service (kms) .
Site Requirements for AWS Snowmobile
AWS Snowmobile wishes to gain bodily access to the records center for ease of community connectivity. The Snowmobile includes a detachable connector rack that has as much as 1.24 miles of networking cable. The networking cable can immediately connect with the records center’s spine. The Snowmobile may be parked inside the record middle, in a blanketed place. It also can be parked in an exposed place; after the records middle, this is nearly sufficient for the networking cable. The parking place will want clearance for a general 45-foot box. This is approximately 1. eighty-three meters tall. The Snowmobile can paint at a temperature of as much as 85F earlier than an auxiliary chiller unit needs to be utilized. AWS commonly gives the chiller unit if required.
What is an AWS Snowmobile Job?
A Snowmobile Job is the method of cease-to-cease records migration through a Snowmobile. It includes five steps:
- Site Survey: In this step, the AWS employees work with the organization to comprehend their migration objectives, the surroundings of the middle of the record, and the specified community configurations to assist in creating a migration plan.
- Site Preparation: In this step, the consumer identifies and makes sure to be had the nearby offerings, which include parking space, strength source, etc.
- Dispatch and Setup: This step entails the AWS employees dispatching a Snowmobile to the site. The AWS Snowmobile is configured to access as a community garage target securely.
- Data Migration: In this step, the records are copied from numerous assets inside the records middle to the Snowmobile.
- Return and Upload: In this last step, the Snowmobile returns to a chosen AWS location, wherein the records are uploaded to the chosen AWS garage device(s).
- Fast Transfer, even at a Large Scale: Switching massive quantities of statistics can take many years regardless of high-velocity net connections. With AWS Snowmobile, we could circulate a hundred PB of statistics in only some weeks, plus the time taken for transport. If we had an instantaneous join line with a 1 Gbps connection, it might take more than two decades to switch this quantity of statistics.
- Strong Encryption: Your statistics may be encrypted; the use of the keys you’ve got supplied earlier than it’s been written to the Snowmobile. All the statistics are encrypted with 256-bit encryption. You can manipulate all of your encryption keys using AWS KMS. The encryption keys that can be utilized by encrypting servers at the Snowmobile aren’t written to the disk. If there’s ever a strength cut, the keys are erased securely.
- Rugged, Durable, and More Secure: Snowmobile is temperature-managed, water-resistant, and tamper-resistant. The field in which the statistics are saved is solely managed by AWS personnel. It may be bodily accessed best through safety entry to hardware tools. The Snowmobile is included through 24/7 video surveillance, alarm monitoring, and GPS tracking. Likewise, an optional layer of safety is available the Snowmobile is escorted through a safety car while at the circulate.
- Customized For Your Needs: Different bodily web sites could have distinct migration desires. AWS works with the organization to ensure all their desires are factored in before the Snowmobile reaches the physical site.
- Massively Scalable: One AWS Snowmobile permits the transportation of up to 100 PB of data in a single trip. To achieve the same capacity using AWS Snowball devices, a minimum of 1,200 such devices would be required. For professionals handling large-scale data migrations, AWS Training is essential to understand the best practices and security measures involved in using these services efficiently.
- Easy Data Retrieval: Many corporations are involved, and when they have moved all their statistics to the cloud, it will cost them a lot of money and time to retrieve the statistics after they want them. Snowmobile solves this trouble by transferring the statistics quickly inside and outside of AWS, guaranteeing a quick and less expensive statistics switch.
- AWS Snowmobile and Snowball are fact-switch solutions from Amazon Web Services (AWS) designed for migrating large quantities of data to AWS; however, they fluctuate considerably in scale and use cases.
- AWS Snowmobile is a petabyte-scale data migration carrier that uses a physically steady, 45-foot delivery box with a garage capability of as much as one hundred petabytes.
- It is designed for businesses that want to transport exabyte-scale data to AWS efficiently. Snowmobile is transported through a committed truck.
- It consists of high-stage security features such as encryption, GPS tracking, and temperature control, making it appropriate for authorities, organizations, and agencies coping with big datasets.
- On the other hand, AWS Snowball is a portable, ruggedized tool for Snowball Edge Storage Optimized and Snowball Edge Compute Optimized variations.
- It can store tens of terabytes to petabytes of facts and helps on-tool processing. Businesses regularly utilize Snowball with moderate-scale facts migration desires or facet computing requirements.
- Unlike Snowmobiles, its miles are shipped through trendy logistics carriers, making them more excellent and available for many businesses.
- In summary, Snowmobile is right for ultra-big facts transfers (petabytes to exabytes), whilst Snowball is more sensible for smaller, greater bendy workloads that also require massive garages; however, without the want for a commitment primarily based on a total answer.
Thrilled to Achieve Your AWS Certification? View The AWS Online Course Offered By ACTE Right Now!
Benefits of AWS Snowmobile
Interested in Pursuing a AWS Master’s Program? Enroll For AWS Master Course Today!
AWS Snowmobile Specifications
Let us check the fundamental technical and bodily specs of a Snowmobile. The AWS Snowmobile is a massive, 45-foot-long data transfer solution designed for moving extremely large amounts of data to the cloud. To accommodate its size, it requires a clearance of approximately 1.83 meters. With a scaled-back weight of about 68,000 pounds, the Snowmobile is a robust and secure option for high-capacity data migration. It is equipped with a cluster of AWS Snowball Edge devices, offering an impressive 100 petabytes (PB) of HDD storage. However, it does not provide usable RAM, virtual CPUs (vCPUs), or SSD storage. For connectivity, the Snowmobile features a powerful 6×40 Gbps network interface, ensuring high-speed data transfers, and includes mobile connector racks that allow direct integration with the network backbone. Additionally, to ensure proper operation in various environmental conditions, an auxiliary chilling unit is available when the Snowmobile is stationed in an exposed location, helping to maintain optimal temperatures for the hardware. This combination of massive storage capacity, secure transport, and high-speed networking makes the Snowmobile an essential tool for enterprises requiring large-scale data migration to the cloud.
Snowmobile Vs. Snowball
Getting Ready for a AWS Job Interview? Check Out Our Blog on AWS Interview Questions & Answer
AWS Snowmobile Pricing
AWS Snowmobile follows a usage-based pricing model, costing $0.005 per GB per month for data storage. However, the total cost depends on various factors, including cloud storage, data transfer, and request costs when moving data to AWS. While transferring data to Snowmobile itself is free, standard AWS fees apply for data retrieval, API requests, and storage based on the chosen Amazon S3 class. Snowmobile is available in select AWS regions, so alternatives like AWS Snowball or Direct Connect may be required for unsupported locations. Designed for petabyte- or exabyte-scale migrations, AWS Snowmobile is best suited for enterprises dealing with large data center migrations, media archives, disaster recovery, regulatory compliance, or scientific research datasets. Each Snowmobile can transport up to 100 petabytes of data in a single trip, significantly reducing transfer times compared to traditional network-based transfers. To ensure data security and integrity, Snowmobile includes military-grade encryption (256-bit encryption), GPS tracking, climate control, and 24/7 security monitoring. It also features dedicated security escorts and chain-of-custody protocols to protect data during transit. AWS Snowmobile is ideal for organizations needing high-speed, secure, and cost-effective bulk data migration to AWS Cloud while minimizing downtime and operational disruption.
Conclusion
AWS Snowmobile needs corporations to address significant volumes of facts. It facilitates making the technique of fact migration easier. AWS Snowmobile affords a convenient, steady, and less expensive manner of facts switch. AWS Snowmobile is a distinctly scalable and steady facts switch answer designed for businesses that want to efficiently transport significant volumes of facts (as much as one hundred PB) to AWS. It benefits companies handling exabyte-scale migrations, including media corporations, study institutions, authorities, and organizations. By using a committed, bodily steady truck-primarily based total transport, Snowmobile guarantees quicker facts transfers compared to standard internet-primarily based total techniques whilst keeping top-tier protection through encryption, GPS tracking, and weather control. Though it isn’t always an answer for regular data transfers, AWS Snowmobile provides an unrivaled level of efficiency, protection, and scalability for businesses undertaking large-scale cloud migration projects. For professionals looking to leverage this service effectively, AWS Training can help develop the necessary skills to manage and implement high-volume data transfers securely.
