AWS Snowmobile
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| AWS Snowmobile | |
|---|---|
| Name | AWS Snowmobile |
| Developer | Amazon Web Services |
| Type | Data transfer appliance |
| Released | 2016 |
| Capacity | up to 100PB per unit |
| Connectivity | High-bandwidth fiber, ARM/Intel servers |
| Website | Amazon Web Services |
AWS Snowmobile Amazon Web Services offers a large-scale data transfer service delivered in a physical trailer that transports exabytes-level datasets between customer premises and Amazon data centers. The service is intended for organizations with extreme migration needs from enterprises like Netflix (service), NASA, General Electric, BP (British Petroleum), and national labs to cloud regions operated by Amazon (company). Snowmobile complements cloud services such as Amazon Simple Storage Service, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, and AWS Direct Connect for ingesting massive data volumes.
Overview
Snowmobile is a rack-based, portable data transfer solution built to move tens to hundreds of petabytes per deployment for customers such as Netflix (service), Comcast, Siemens, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Lockheed Martin. The offering targets migrations of large archives from institutions such as CERN, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Fermilab, and media libraries like Warner Bros., Disney (studio), and broadcasters including BBC and CNN. Snowmobile sits alongside other AWS edge devices such as AWS Snowball and AWS Snowcone in Amazon's edge product portfolio and integrates with services like Amazon S3 Glacier and Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive for long-term retention.
Design and Specifications
The Snowmobile platform is built within a hardened trailer chassis analogous in scale to logistics vehicles used by United Parcel Service and DHL Express (company), featuring enterprise storage arrays and rack-mounted servers from vendors such as Dell Technologies and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. It provides up to 100 petabytes per trailer and supports multi-petabit-per-second transfer rates over fiber, interoperating with networking standards established by Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, and Arista Networks. The architecture employs disk and SSD enclosures, hardware acceleration commonly used by Intel Corporation and NVIDIA accelerators, and orchestration layers comparable to Kubernetes control planes. Power and thermal characteristics reference industrial guidelines similar to those from ASHRAE data center standards.
Data Transfer Workflow
Customers begin with planning engagements coordinated by AWS professional services and channel partners like Accenture, Deloitte, Capgemini, and Rackspace Technology. On-site integration commonly coordinates with system integrators such as Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys. Data is ingested via rack-mounted servers and SAN/NAS attachments using protocols supported by EMC (now part of Dell Technologies), NetApp, or object interfaces compatible with Amazon S3 (service), then replicated to Snowmobile storage arrays. After transfer, data is shipped to an AWS data center where backend import processes hand off to services like Amazon S3, AWS Snowball Edge, and AWS DataSync for validation and lifecycle management. Project workflows often reference migration methodologies developed by Gartner analysts and standards from ISO/IEC.
Security and Compliance
Snowmobile incorporates physical security measures aligned with standards observed by SOCIETY FOR PROTECTION OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, including on-site security escorts and tamper-evident seals akin to practices used by Brink's. Cryptographic controls employ customer-managed keys via AWS Key Management Service and may align with certification frameworks like ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 1, SOC 2, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, and HIPAA for regulated industries such as healthcare providers like Mayo Clinic and financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase. Chain-of-custody and audit logging mirror practices from American Society for Quality and legal discovery processes used in litigation involving firms such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
Deployment and Logistics
Deployments require coordination with national and local authorities including port operators like Port of Los Angeles or rail logistics providers such as Union Pacific Railroad, and are scheduled in collaboration with cloud migration teams from Amazon Web Services. Transportation planning often mirrors enterprise relocation projects executed by IBM Global Services and involves route clearances similar to those used by United States Department of Transportation for oversized cargo. On-site prerequisites can include rack space, power provisioning consistent with Uptime Institute Tier guidance, and secure staging areas managed with the aid of facilities teams akin to CBRE Group.
Use Cases and Customers
Common use cases include large-scale media archive transfers for studios like Universal Pictures (company), scientific dataset consolidation for organizations such as European Organization for Nuclear Research, seismic and exploration data moves for energy companies like ExxonMobil and Schlumberger, and enterprise datacenter migrations for conglomerates such as Siemens AG and Honeywell. Snowmobile deployments have been cited in case studies alongside partners like Accenture and cloud migration specialists like Cloudreach working with telecommunications providers such as Verizon Communications and AT&T Inc..
Comparison and Alternatives
Alternatives to Snowmobile include physical shipping appliances like Google Transfer Appliance from Google LLC, tape-based logistics services used by Iron Mountain Incorporated, and high-capacity connectivity via subsea cables operated by consortia including MAREA and providers like SubCom. For smaller-scale transfers, competitive offerings include AWS Snowball, Microsoft Azure Data Box, and edge devices from vendors such as HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise) and Dell EMC. Organizations evaluate tradeoffs among throughput, cost, security controls, and operational logistics when deciding between solutions from Amazon (company), Google LLC, and Microsoft Corporation.