How does AWS Snowball approach data transfer?

AWS Snowball approaches data transfer by using physical appliances for data migration, which is designed to securely transfer large volumes of data to and from the AWS cloud. This method is particularly effective for customers who need to migrate terabytes to petabytes of data but may face challenges with transferring that data over the internet due to bandwidth limitations, high costs, or lengthy transfer times.

Using physical appliances addresses these challenges by providing a secure, offline transfer solution. Customers can request a Snowball device from AWS, load their data onto it, and then ship the device back to AWS, where the data is uploaded directly to Amazon S3 or other specified services. This process ensures minimal disruption and accelerates the data transfer cycle while maintaining security through encryption both in transit and at rest.

Other options, such as automating server provisioning, offering high-speed internet transfer options, or only utilizing direct connect links, do not directly relate to the Snowball’s primary function of facilitating physical data transfer. Instead, they pertain to different aspects of cloud resource management and connectivity without addressing the specific need for physical migration of large datasets.