AWS simplifies the use of third-party block storage arrays with AWS Outposts

Posted on: Dec 1, 2024

Starting today, customers can attach block data volumes backed by NetApp® on-premises enterprise storage arrays and Pure Storage® FlashArray™ to Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances on AWS Outposts directly from the AWS Management Console. This makes it easier for customers to leverage third-party storage with Outposts. Outposts is a fully managed service that extends AWS infrastructure, AWS services, APIs, and tools to virtually any on-premises or edge location for a truly consistent hybrid experience.

With this enhancement, Outpost customers can combine the cloud capabilities offered by Outposts with advanced data management features, high density storage, and high performance offered by NetApp on-premises enterprise storage arrays and Pure Storage FlashArray. Today, customers can use Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS) and Local Instance Store volumes to store and process data locally and comply with data residency requirements. Now, with this enhancement, they can do so while leveraging the external volumes backed by compatible third-party storage. By leveraging the new enhancement, customers can maximize value from their existing storage investments, while benefiting from the cloud operational model enabled by Outposts.

This enhancement is available on Outposts racks and Outposts 2U servers at no additional charge in all AWS Regions where Outposts is available, except the AWS GovCloud Regions. See the FAQs for Outposts servers and Outposts racks for the latest availability information.

You can use the AWS Management Console or CLI to attach the third-party block data volumes to Amazon EC2 instances on Outposts. To learn more, check out this blog post.