AWS Academy Module 7: Storage – Questions with
Answers
🔹 Storage Types in Simple Words
1. Object Storage (Amazon S3)
Think of it like a big online cupboard where each file is kept with a label/tag (key
+ metadata).
Each file becomes an object with its name and data.
You can directly pick the object from the cupboard when you need it.
Use Case → Storing photos, videos, backups, documents.
2. Block Storage (Amazon EBS)
Similar to your computer’s hard disk. Data is divided into small blocks, and the
system pieces them together to use.
Very fast, and suitable for operating systems, databases, and applications.
In the cloud, when an EC2 instance needs a “disk,” it uses EBS.
Use Case → Running databases, installing an operating system.
3. File Storage (Amazon EFS)
Works like a shared network drive that multiple computers can access at the same
time.
Data is arranged in folders and files (like C:/, D:/ or My Documents).
In the cloud, many EC2 instances can mount the same EFS to share files.
Use Case → Teams or servers needing access to the same files.
Final Summary
Object Storage = Online cupboard (S3).
Block Storage = Hard disk (EBS).
File Storage = Shared drive (EFS)
Part A: Conceptual Questions
1. Q1. What is the difference between Object Storage, Block Storage,
and File Storage? Give one AWS service example of each.
Answer: - Object Storage: Stores data as objects with metadata and
unique keys (e.g., Amazon S3).
- Block Storage: Stores data in fixed-sized blocks, used like a hard drive
(e.g., Amazon EBS).
- File Storage: Stores data in hierarchical file/folder structure (e.g.,
Amazon EFS).
2. Q2. How is Amazon S3 different from Amazon EBS?
Answer: - S3: Object storage, scalable, internet accessible.
- EBS: Block storage, works like a disk attached to EC2, limited to one
AZ.
3. Q3. Why is EBS called block storage?
Answer: - Because it stores data in fixed-sized blocks, similar to
traditional hard drives.
4. Q4. What is an EBS Snapshot and where is it stored?
Answer: - A point-in-time backup of an EBS volume.
- Stored in Amazon S3 internally.
5. Q5. One real-world use case for each:
Answer: - S3 → Store images, videos, backups.
- EBS → Run databases or operating system on EC2.
- EFS → Shared file storage for multiple EC2 instances.
6. Q6. What is the main advantage of Amazon EFS compared to EBS?
Answer: - EFS can be mounted by multiple EC2 instances
simultaneously, EBS can attach to only one (in most cases).
7. Q7. Which storage option would you choose for storing archival data
that is rarely accessed?
Answer: - Amazon Glacier (or S3 Glacier).
Part B: Multiple Choice (MCQs)
8. Q1. Which of the following is an object storage service?
a) Amazon EBS
b) Amazon S3
c) Amazon EFS
d) Amazon RDS
Answer: b) Amazon S3
9. Q2. Amazon EBS volumes are tied to:
a) An AWS Region
b) An Availability Zone
c) A VPC
d) A Security Group
Answer: b) An Availability Zone
10. Q3. Which storage is best suited for a shared file system accessible
by multiple EC2 instances?
a) S3
b) b) EBS
c) c) EFS
d) d) Glacier
Answer: c) EFS
11. Q4. Amazon Glacier is mainly used for:
a) Real-time analytics
b) Archival storage
c) Hosting web apps
d) Databases
Answer: b) Archival storage
12. Q5. Which AWS storage service automatically scales to petabytes
of data?
a) EBS
b) DynamoDB
c) S3
d) EFS
Answer: c) S3
Part C: Short Practical Questions
13. Q1. If a student wants to upload images and videos for a website,
which storage service should they use and why?
Answer: Amazon S3, because it provides scalable object storage and can
serve files over the internet.
14. Q2. If a company runs a relational database on EC2, which storage
service is recommended and why?
Answer: Amazon EBS, because block storage gives fast and consistent
performance for databases.
15. Q3. How can you take a backup of your EBS volume?
Answer: By creating an EBS Snapshot (stored in S3).
16. Q4. Can you attach the same EBS volume to multiple EC2
instances at the same time? Why/why not?
Answer: Generally No (except multi-attach feature with specific types).
Because EBS is designed for one-to-one attachment to ensure data
consistency.
17. Q5. What will happen to data stored in EBS if the EC2 instance is
stopped?
Answer: Data remains safe (persistent storage). It is not deleted when
instance stops.
