EFS
Definition
Elastic File System (EFS) is an AWS shared file storage service that allows multiple servers to access files simultaneously, enhancing collaboration and
Use Cases
- Amazon: Shared storage for containerized and microservice workloads on AWS — Uses Amazon EFS with Amazon ECS and Amazon EKS to provide a shared, persistent file system that multiple tasks/pods can mount concurrently for shared content and stateful components. (Simplifies operations by avoiding self-managed NFS servers, enables multiple services to share the same files, and supports elastic scaling of compute without re-architecting storage.)
- Autodesk: Shared file storage for build, render, or batch processing fleets on AWS — Uses Amazon EFS as a shared file system mounted by multiple EC2 instances so distributed workers can read common assets and write outputs to a central location. (Improves collaboration between distributed workers, reduces data duplication across instances, and streamlines scaling worker fleets while keeping a consistent shared workspace.)
Provider Equivalents
- AWS: Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)
- Azure: Azure Files
- GCP: Filestore
- OCI: OCI File Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between EFS and EBS?
- EBS (Elastic Block Store) is block storage typically attached to one EC2 instance at a time (like a virtual hard drive). EFS is a shared file system that many instances can mount simultaneously over the network (like a shared drive). Use EBS for single-instance databases or low-latency block storage; use EFS when multiple servers need to read/write the same files.
- When should I use EFS?
- Use EFS when you need shared, POSIX-style file storage for multiple compute instances or containers—common examples include shared web content across a fleet, user-upload directories, shared application configuration, CI/CD build artifacts, media processing pipelines, and home directories. If only one server needs the data or you need very high-performance block storage, consider EBS instead; for object storage and static assets, consider S3.
- How much does EFS cost?
- EFS pricing is mainly based on how much data you store (GB-month) and, depending on the throughput mode, how much you read/write (throughput). Costs can also vary by storage class (for example, lifecycle policies that move infrequently accessed files to a lower-cost tier) and by region. Data transfer charges may apply in some scenarios (such as cross-AZ or cross-region patterns). Check the AWS EFS pricing page for current regional rates.
Category: data
Difficulty: intermediate
Related Terms
See Also