Small AWS edge computing data transfer device is secure, rugged
Weighing under 5 lbs and able to fit in a standard mailbox or a small backpack, AWS Snowcone is the smallest member of the AWS Snow Family of edge computing, edge storage, and data transfer devices. It enables customers to collect data, process it locally, and move it to AWS either offline (by shipping the device to AWS) or online (by using AWS DataSync to send the data to AWS over the network).
AWS Snowcone is built to withstand harsh conditions and, says the company, is designed for a variety of use cases in environments outside of the traditional data center that lack consistent network connectivity and/or require portability, including healthcare, industrial IoT, drones, tactical edge computing, content distribution, data migration, video content creation, and transportation.
“Thousands of our customers have found AWS Snowball devices to be ideal for collecting data and running applications in remote and harsh environments,” says Bill Vass, VP of Storage, Automation and Management Services, AWS. “Since 2015, customer use of Snowball devices has greatly increased, as has their need for an even smaller device with even greater portability. With more applications running at the edge for an expanding range of use cases, like analyzing IoT sensor data and machine learning inference, AWS Snowcone makes it easier to collect, store, pre-process, and transfer data from harsh environments with limited space to AWS for more intensive processing.”
AWS Snowcone measures 9 x 6 x 3 inches (23 x 15 x 8 cm) and weighs 4.5 lbs (2.1 kg). The device can easily fit in a backpack or messenger bag, standard mailbox, or any type of vehicle, and is light enough to be carried by drone. It can move data to AWS offline by shipping the device (using its E Ink shipping label) and online using Ethernet or Wi-Fi with AWS DataSync, which are integrated into the device.
The device features two CPUs, 4 GB of memory, 8 TB of storage, and USB-C power (or optional battery), and is designed to operate in extreme environments or disconnected remote sites (including oil rigs, first responder vehicles, military operations, factory floors, remote offices, hospitals, or movie theaters) for long periods of time without traditional data center conditions. With support for AWS IoT Greengrass, the ability to run Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances, and ample local storage, says the company, AWS Snowcone can be used as an IoT hub, data aggregation point, application monitor, or lightweight analytics engine.
All data on AWS Snowcone is encrypted using military grade 256-bit keys that customers can manage using the AWS Key Management Service (KMS). Additionally, AWS Snowcone contains anti-tamper and tamper-evident features to help ensure data on the device stays secure during transit.
Setting up an AWS Snowcone takes only three clicks, and once set up, the device is easily used and managed through a simple-to-use graphical interface. AWS Snowcone is available in the US East (Northern Virginia) and US West (Oregon) AWS Regions, with availability planned in additional AWS Regions in the coming months.
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