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Difficulty: HardHigh-Performing and Scalable Storage Solutions

A company runs a containerized data analytics engine on AWS using Amazon ECS with AWS Fargate. The engine executes batch jobs twice a day. During these runs, the tasks require concurrent, read-write access to a shared file system that must support up to 2 GB/s2\text{ GB/s} of read throughput and high IOPS with sub-millisecond latencies for file metadata operations. For the rest of the day, the tasks are stopped, and the storage remains idle with no active throughput. Which storage configuration meets these requirements most cost-effectively?

  1. Amazon EFS using General Purpose performance mode and Elastic throughput.Answer
  2. B
    Amazon EFS using Max I/O performance mode and Provisioned throughput configured for 2 GB/s2\text{ GB/s}.
  3. C
    Amazon EBS io2 volumes with Multi-Attach enabled, mounted as shared storage across the ECS tasks.
  4. D
    Amazon FSx for Lustre persistent SSD storage, mounted using native ECS task volume definitions.

Answer

Amazon EFS using General Purpose performance mode and Elastic throughput
The configuration using Amazon EFS with General Purpose performance mode and Elastic throughput satisfies all requirements. AWS Fargate natively supports EFS for shared file systems. General Purpose mode offers the lowest latency for file metadata operations. Since the workload runs only twice a day and is idle otherwise, Elastic throughput automatically scales to handle the 2 GB/s2\text{ GB/s} burst and does not charge for throughput when idle, making it highly cost-effective.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify compute platform and storage access model.
The application runs on AWS Fargate and needs concurrent read-write access to a shared file system. Note that AWS Fargate natively supports Amazon EFS but does not support Amazon EBS Multi-Attach or Amazon FSx for Lustre natively in task definitions.
This rules out non-EFS solutions since alternative shared storage integrations are not supported on the Fargate serverless container platform.
2
Determine the optimal EFS performance mode based on latency constraints.
EFS General Purpose mode is designed for latency-sensitive applications and provides sub-millisecond latencies for metadata operations, whereas Max I/O mode results in higher latencies.
Matching the sub-millisecond metadata latency requirement narrows the choice to General Purpose mode.
3
Compare EFS throughput modes based on cost and workload patterns.
The workload is highly spiky, running only twice a day and remaining idle otherwise. Elastic throughput automatically scales to meet the 2 GB/s2\text{ GB/s} peak and charges only for data transferred, whereas Provisioned throughput charges for the full capacity 2424 hours a day.
Elastic throughput is the most cost-effective option because it eliminates payment for unused throughput capacity during the idle periods of the day.

Key Concept

Selecting and configuring high-performing shared storage systems for containerized workloads on AWS Fargate
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

High-Performing and Scalable Storage Solutions

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