3.1.1.3. EFS Performance Considerations

💡 First Principle: EFS performance considerations ensure shared file storage meets the throughput and IOPS demands of multiple EC2 instances, optimizing for concurrent access and varying workloads.

EFS performance considerations ensure shared file storage meets the throughput and IOPS demands of multiple EC2 instances, optimizing for concurrent access and varying workloads.

Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) provides a simple, scalable, elastic, cloud-native NFS (Network File System) file system for use with AWS Cloud services and on-premises resources. Its performance depends on the chosen mode and throughput.

Key EFS Performance Modes:

• Performance Modes:
  • General Purpose: (Default) Suitable for most file system workloads, like web serving, content management systems, and home directories. Balances latency and throughput.
  • Max I/O: Ideal for highly parallel applications that require maximum aggregate throughput and IOPS, such as big data analytics, media processing, or genomics. Can have higher latency for single operations.
• Throughput Modes:
  • Bursting: Throughput scales with the amount of data stored in the file system. As your file system grows, so does your baseline and burst throughput.
  • Provisioned: Allows you to provision a specific throughput level for your file system, independent of the amount of data stored. Ideal for applications with consistent or specific throughput needs that don't fit the bursting model.

Scenario: For a highly concurrent web application requiring maximum parallel access to shared files, selecting the 'Max I/O' performance mode for EFS is crucial to handle peak demands efficiently.

Visual: EFS Performance Modes and Throughput Modes

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⚠️ Common Pitfall: Using General Purpose mode for highly parallel, I/O intensive workloads. While default, it might not provide the necessary aggregate throughput for demanding applications.

Key Trade-Offs:

• Performance (Max I/O, Provisioned) vs. Cost (General Purpose, Bursting): Max I/O and Provisioned Throughput modes offer higher performance but come at a higher cost. Bursting is more cost-effective for smaller file systems but has limits.

Reflection Question: How does choosing the correct EFS performance mode (General Purpose vs. Max I/O) and throughput mode (Bursting vs. Provisioned) directly impact application scalability and cost-effectiveness for shared file storage workloads?