Amazon EBS, short for Amazon Elastic Block Store, is a cloud-based block storage service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It allows users to create persistent block storage volumes and attach them to EC2 instances to store data that requires frequent and rapid access. Amazon EBS is designed for applications that require durable and low-latency storage, offering a reliable way to store data in the cloud and easily backup or snapshot volumes for data protection.
In the realm of Cloud Storage, Amazon EBS falls under the category of block storage, a type of storage that is allocated in fixed-sized blocks. This contrasts with object storage, which stores data as objects. Block storage is well-suited for applications that require high-performance storage with specific input/output operations per second (IOPS) requirements. Amazon EBS provides functionality similar to a physical hard drive, offering consistent and low-latency performance for applications hosted on AWS.
Amazon EBS was launched by Amazon Web Services in August 2008, aiming to provide scalable and reliable block storage for EC2 instances. The service was introduced to address the need for persistent and high-performance storage in the cloud, enabling customers to easily create and manage storage volumes for their EC2 instances. Over the years, Amazon EBS has evolved to offer different volume types catering to various use cases, such as General Purpose SSD (gp2), Provisioned IOPS SSD (io1), and Throughput Optimized HDD (st1).
As of the latest data available, Amazon EBS holds a significant market share in the cloud storage category, thanks to its robust and feature-rich offering that caters to a wide range of storage requirements. With the continuous growth of cloud adoption across industries, it is forecasted that Amazon EBS will continue to expand its market share and solidify its position as a leading cloud storage solution in the foreseeable future.
