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AWS Snow Family - Runbook & Reference

中文 · GitHub source Facts verified against official AWS documentation: 2026-08-19

Overview

The AWS Snow Family provides physical devices for offline data transfer and edge computing in environments without reliable connectivity. Note the current lifecycle: Snowcone (HDD/SSD) was discontinued on November 12, 2024, and AWS Snowball Edge is no longer available to new customers. For new online data transfers, use AWS DataSync; for offline transfer options, review the current Snowball Edge documentation.

Devices and current status

Device Purpose Status
Snowball Edge Storage Optimized (210 TB) Large-scale offline data migration, S3/EC2-compatible endpoints No longer available to new customers
Snowball Edge Compute Optimized Edge compute with local processing No longer available to new customers
Snowcone (HDD/SSD) Small edge compute/data transfer Discontinued November 12, 2024
Snowmobile Exabyte-scale data center transfer Retired March 2024

Key concepts

  • Job: an import/export job for moving data between your site and Amazon S3; create and manage jobs in the console or with the Snowball API.
  • Device configuration: Storage Optimized (210 TB, up to 40 vCPUs) vs. Compute Optimized (up to 104 vCPUs with GPU options).
  • Endpoints: Snowball Edge exposes S3- and EC2-compatible endpoints plus NFS, for local workloads.
  • Clusters: group 3-16 devices for local storage and compute with higher durability.
  • OpsHub / Snowball Edge client: tools for unlocking the device, configuring the network, and transferring data.

Common operations (AWS CLI)

# Create an import job (S3 destination)
aws snowball create-job --job-type IMPORT --resources '{"S3":{"S3ResourceArns":["arn:aws:s3:::bucket-name"]}}' \
  --address-id <address-id> --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/snowball-role \
  --snowball-capacity-preference T210 --shipping-option SECOND_DAY

# List and inspect jobs
aws snowball list-jobs
aws snowball describe-job --job-id <job-id>

# Update the shipping address or state
aws snowball update-job --job-id <job-id> --address-id <new-address-id>

# Cancel a job before the device ships
aws snowball cancel-job --job-id <job-id>

Best practices

  • For ongoing or online migrations, use AWS DataSync instead of physical devices where possible.
  • Estimate data volume and transfer time before ordering; choose the right device size to minimize shipping legs.
  • Set up the S3 bucket, IAM role, and shipping address before creating the job.
  • Use AWS OpsHub to unlock and monitor the device; keep the unlock code and manifest secure.
  • Enable encryption: data on Snow devices is encrypted at rest and in transit by default.
  • Track the device with the E Ink shipping label and follow import/export return procedures.
  • For edge compute, snapshot AMIs and plan for device replacement; AWS monitors connected devices and can ship replacements.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Checks and fixes
Device won't unlock Verify the job state and use the correct manifest/unlock code from the console.
Slow local transfer Check the local network between clients and device (10/25/40/100 GbE), and use the S3 adapter or NFS as appropriate.
Data not appearing in S3 Confirm the job completed and was processed by AWS after the device was returned.
Job cancelled after shipping Contact AWS Support; shipped jobs generally cannot be cancelled.
Edge compute instances fail Verify AMI compatibility with Snowball Edge (sbe1/sbe-c/sbe-g instance types).

Limits

Job counts per account, device counts in flight, and cluster sizes (3-16 devices) are constrained by AWS quotas and regional availability. Check the Service Quotas console and Snowball Edge documentation for current values.

Official references