Working with EFS (Elastic File System)
Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) is an AWS file storage service that allows the same file system to be mounted across multiple servers. It provides shared storage without requiring administrators to manage storage separately on each instance.
Introduction
EFS can be used in scenarios where multiple servers need access to the same files and directories. Similar to NFS, an EFS file system can be mounted on multiple instances within the same AWS Region.
Prerequisites
- AWS account with permission to create EFS resources
- EC2 instance running Ubuntu or CentOS
- Access to the AWS Management Console
- VPC with appropriate Availability Zones
- Security group configured to allow NFS traffic
- Root or sudo access to the instance
Limitations
- EFS is available only in supported AWS Regions.
- An EFS file system can be mounted within its AWS Region and cannot be directly mounted from another Region.
Implementation
Step 1: Create an EFS File System
Log in to the AWS Management Console.
Navigate to EFS and select Create File System.
Step 2: Configure the EFS File System
Select the required VPC.
Under Create mount targets, select the required Availability Zones and Security Groups.
Step 3: Select the Performance Mode
Provide a name for the EFS file system.
Select General Purpose as the performance mode.
After creating the file system, AWS provides a DNS name for the EFS file system.
Step 4: Install the NFS Utility
The EFS file system can be mounted on Linux servers using NFS.
For Ubuntu, install nfs-common:
apt-get install nfs-common
For CentOS, install nfs-utils:
yum install -y nfs-utils
Step 5: Create the Mount Directory
Create a directory or use an existing directory as the EFS mount point.
For example:
mkdir -p /var/www/html
Step 6: Mount the EFS File System
Use the EFS DNS name to mount the file system.
mount -t nfs4 -o nfsvers=4.1,rsize=1048576,wsize=1048576,hard,timeo=600,retrans=2 EFS-DNSNAME:/ /var/www/html
Replace EFS-DNSNAME with the DNS name of the EFS file system.
Step 7: Configure Permanent Mounting
To automatically mount the EFS file system after a server reboot, edit /etc/fstab.
vi /etc/fstab
Add the following entry:
EFS-DNSNAME:/ /var/www/html nfs4 nfsvers=4.1,rsize=1048576,wsize=1048576,hard,timeo=600,retrans=2 0 0
Replace EFS-DNSNAME with the EFS endpoint.
Step 8: Verify the Mount
After mounting the EFS file system, verify that it is mounted successfully.
df -h
The EFS file system should appear with /var/www/html as the mount point.
Conclusion
AWS EFS provides shared file storage that can be mounted across multiple Linux servers within the same AWS Region. By configuring the appropriate NFS utilities, mounting the EFS endpoint, and adding the entry to /etc/fstab, the shared file system can remain available across server reboots.
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