AWS Snowmobile
AWS Snowmobile is a 45-foot shipping container pulled by a semi-truck that transfers up to 100PB of data to AWS. Yes, this is real — a literal truck full of storage that drives to your datacenter. Think of it like the ultimate file transfer — when your internet is too slow for exabytes of data, AWS sends a truck.
What is Snowmobile? (Simple Explanation)
Snowmobile is an AWS service in the Storage category. AWS Snowmobile is a 45-foot shipping container pulled by a semi-truck that transfers up to 100PB of data to AWS.
When Would You Use Snowmobile?
- Datacenter migration and shutdown
- Exabyte-scale archive transfer
- Genomic data library migration
- Media and entertainment content archives
- Government data center consolidation
Who Uses Snowmobile?
From startups to enterprises, Snowmobile powers:
What Makes Snowmobile Powerful
Snowmobile Pricing & Free Tier
Free Tier: 5GB Standard storage, 20,000 GET requests, 2,000 PUT requests (12 months). After that, ~$0.023/GB/month.
Snowmobile Best Practices
- 1Block all public access by default (never grant s3:* to *)
- 2Enable versioning and MFA delete on critical buckets
- 3Use lifecycle policies to automatically tier to Glacier after 90 days
- 4Encrypt at rest with SSE-KMS (not SSE-S3)
- 5Enable S3 Access Logs or CloudTrail data events for audit trail
Getting Started with Snowmobile in 5 Minutes
- 1Open the AWS Console and navigate to Snowmobile
- 2Click "Create bucket" or "Create file system"
- 3Name your resource (globally unique for S3) and choose a region
- 4Configure public access settings (block all public access by default) and click "Create"
Snowmobile CLI Quick Reference
2 production-ready commands. Full CLI Library (225+ services) →
aws snowmobile helpView all Snowmobile CLI v2 commands and subcommandsaws snowmobile describe-snowmobile --helpView options for describing Snowmobile resourcesPros & Cons of Snowmobile
Pros
- 100PB capacity per Snowmobile (multiple available for larger transfers)
- GPS tracking, alarm monitoring, 24/7 video surveillance
- NIST 800-88 compliant data destruction available
- AWS personnel manage transport logistics
- Encrypted with 256-bit KMS keys
Cons
- ✕Storage costs compound over time — data tends to grow, not shrink
- ✕Cross-region replication adds latency and egress costs
- ✕Inexperienced users can accidentally expose data publicly (misconfigured bucket policies)
Snowmobile vs Alternatives
Snowmobile vs S3
Choose Snowmobile for Datacenter migration and shutdown and Exabyte-scale archive transfer. It excels at 100pb capacity per snowmobile (multiple available for larger transfers).
Choose S3 as an alternative when your requirements differ. Each service in the Storage category serves different architectural patterns.
Services That Work with Snowmobile
Snowmobile is rarely used alone. It is typically combined with:
Compliance & Security
How AWS Snowmobile fits into major compliance standards. Browse all 41 frameworks →
Snowmobile configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults.
NIST 800-53Snowmobile access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families.
PCI DSS 4.0Snowmobile encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments.
SOC 2Snowmobile security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria.
ISO 27001Snowmobile configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.
Frequently Asked Questions About Snowmobile
What is AWS Snowmobile?
AWS Snowmobile is a 45-foot shipping container pulled by a semi-truck that transfers up to 100PB of data to AWS. Yes, this is real — a literal truck full of storage that drives to your datacenter. Think of it like the ultimate file transfer — when your internet is too slow for exabytes of data, AWS sends a truck.
What is Snowmobile used for?
Snowmobile is commonly used for: Datacenter migration and shutdown; Exabyte-scale archive transfer; Genomic data library migration; Media and entertainment content archives; Government data center consolidation. It's a core service in the storage category of AWS.
Is Snowmobile free?
Free Tier: 5GB Standard storage, 20,000 GET requests, 2,000 PUT requests (12 months). After that, ~$0.023/GB/month.
What are the key features of Snowmobile?
Snowmobile's most important capabilities include: 100PB capacity per Snowmobile (multiple available for larger transfers). GPS tracking, alarm monitoring, 24/7 video surveillance. NIST 800-88 compliant data destruction available. AWS personnel manage transport logistics. Encrypted with 256-bit KMS keys. Each of these is designed to help teams datacenter migration and shutdown.
How does Snowmobile compare to alternatives?
Snowmobile competes with both AWS-native alternatives (S3, Glacier, KMS) and third-party equivalents. The right choice depends on your specific requirements for scalability, cost, and operational overhead. See the comparisons section below for detailed guidance.
Which compliance frameworks apply to Snowmobile?
CIS AWS v3.0: Snowmobile configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults. NIST 800-53: Snowmobile access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families. PCI DSS 4.0: Snowmobile encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments. SOC 2: Snowmobile security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria. ISO 27001: Snowmobile configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.
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