Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) Reviews

Name: Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)
Brand: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rating: 4 (11 reviews)

4.2 out of 5

11 reviews
100% willing to recommend

325 followers

What is Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)?

Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) provides simple, scalable file storage for use with Amazon EC2 instances in the AWS Cloud. Amazon EFS is easy to use and offers a simple interface that allows you to create and configure file systems quickly and easily. With Amazon EFS, storage capacity is elastic, growing and shrinking automatically as you add and remove files, so your applications have the storage they need, when they need it.

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Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is the #6 ranked solution in top Cloud Storage solutions and #9 ranked solution in top File and Object Storage solutions. PeerSpot users give Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is most commonly compared to Red Hat Ceph Storage: Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs Red Hat Ceph Storage. Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 57% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a educational organization, accounting for 17% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

November 2024

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Featured reviews

Shailesh Tripathi

Senior Cloud Engineer at a tech consulting company with 10,001+ employees

The solution is useful for storing details of our internal projects The solution is pretty interesting. It is a very useful product for engineering. That is why we chose it. We can run code and deploy it whenever we want. I understand the configuration. The integration of EFS with other AWS…

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Vishal Somal

Senior Power BI Developer at RP tech India

I use the solution in my company for serverless containers. It was also useful for upscaling cloud services and managing EC2 instances The most valuable feature of the solution is in the area of data analysis. The product's stability has some shortcomings where improvements are required. The…

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Mahender Nirwan

Software developer at TAIGLE LLC

Our primary use case for the product involves mounting it with our EC2 instances for scalable storage needs. We utilize it in an environment that requires automated scaling and cost-effective storage management The solution has significantly improved our organization by reducing costs,…

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Valuable Features

Amazon EFS’s most valuable features are its elasticity, flexible pricing, and fast, stable performance. Users appreciate its scalability, easy EC2 integration, automatic scaling that reduces costs, and support for data analysis. Its lack of size limitations, ability to mount easily, and multi-server access make it effective for various applications. The interface is simple and intuitive, enhancing user experience.

"The first valuable thing is it is scalable."
"The platform is highly scalable."
"The product's initial setup phase is easy, as per the configurations."

Room for Improvement

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) needs better Windows Server instance connectivity, enhanced user activity and remote access, faster deployment with Python, more Windows features, improved stability and performance, quicker technical support, transparent costs, and better connectivity compared to S3 buckets. Users experienced issues with performance optimization, technical support delays, and perceived cost transparency. Some found on-premises solutions more effective in specific scenarios, and overall stability and performance improvements are desired.

"The deployment is definitely not an easy process."
"The platform's connectivity could be improved to be more comparable to S3 buckets, which offer better API availability."
"The product's stability has some shortcomings where improvements are required."

ROI

Amazon EFS provided substantial cost savings for data storage. Users appreciated the easy scalability and no upfront cost, leading to efficient data management. Performance improvements were noted due to consistent access speed, enhancing application responsiveness. Users highlighted the reduction in administrative overhead and the flexibility of seamlessly integrating with other AWS services, boosting operational efficiency. These features contributed to a positive return on investment.

Pricing

Amazon EFS offers a flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing model with charges based on storage amount, including different rates for hot and cold storage. While some find the pricing mid-range and the flexibility beneficial, others feel the high costs are challenging, especially for markets like India. Enterprise buyers note that costs depend on usage and business needs, with suggestions for more affordable options to encourage broader adoption.

"The product charges are based on the amount of data stored."
"Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) offers a pay-as-you-go model, so whenever you use its services, you need to pay."
"The product's price depends on the services and the size and capacity at which it is used in a business environment."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) for scalable storage needs, particularly for EC2 instances, NFS-based solutions, and serverless functions. It helps manage costs by expanding storage on demand. Linux servers hosting MySQL databases, high-availability setups, details of internal projects, and upscaling cloud services are common implementations. Universities are transitioning existing services to the cloud using Amazon EFS, and consultants architect solutions for clients incorporating it.

Service and Support

Many have not needed to contact customer support for Amazon EFS (Elastic File System). Those who did found Amazon's documentation helpful and support responsive, providing quick resolutions during critical incidents. Some rate the technical support eight out of ten and find the team helpful. Others rely on their own research to resolve issues but appreciate the availability of Amazon's support team when required. Experienced users note the support's high cost but acknowledge its responsiveness.

Deployment

Many find Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)'s initial setup straightforward, particularly with prior cloud experience. Some cite a quick deployment time, while others note a learning curve and complexities as usage increases. Timeframes for deployment vary, with some mentioning under ten minutes and others up to two hours. Initial ease is often balanced by configuration challenges requiring basic knowledge and organizational training. Certain features, like cross-region deployment, add time and complexity.

Scalability

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is highly scalable, rated up to 10 out of 10 in some cases. It supports a variable number of users with ease, from small businesses to larger organizations with hundreds of thousands of users. While some report occasional issues during traffic surges or pointer restoration, the platform generally enables fast scalability and efficient deployment, often requiring minimal personnel for setup. Users within organizations span from development teams to DevOps engineers.

Stability

Users find Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) mostly stable, with some rating it ten out of ten for reliability, though a few noted occasional glitches. Many praise its dependable performance over years of usage. However, not everyone shares this view, as some users rate its stability lower.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

17%

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Retailer

University

Healthcare Company

Insurance Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Comms Service Provider

Media Company

Non Profit

Construction Company

Transportation Company

Performing Arts

Legal Firm

Logistics Company

Hospitality Company

Consumer Goods Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Outsourcing Company

Engineering Company

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Learn more about Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

When mounted to Amazon EC2 instances, an Amazon EFS file system provides a standard file system interface and file system access semantics, allowing you to seamlessly integrate Amazon EFS with your existing applications and tools. Multiple Amazon EC2 instances can access an Amazon EFS file system at the same time, allowing Amazon EFS to provide a common data source for workloads and applications running on more than one Amazon EC2 instance.

It’s designed for high availability and durability, and provides performance for a broad spectrum of workloads and applications, including Big Data and analytics, media processing workflows, content management, web serving, and home directories.