Question: How do you upload a hundred terabytes of data to Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3) within a couple of days? Answer: You arrange for a pick-up with FedEx. Launched yesterday, the new Amazon Web Services (AWS) Import/Export for S3 service allows data transfers or migrations of large volumes of data to or from Amazon's S3 service via means of portable storage devices.

As noted on the S3 product page, "AWS Import/Export is often faster than Internet transfer and more cost effective than upgrading your connectivity. You can use AWS Import/Export for migrating data into the cloud, distributing content to your customers, sending backups to AWS, and disaster recovery." Ironically for an cloud-based service, Amazon describes the service as allowing users to "bypass the Internet."

The U.S. pricing for AWS is a flat $80 per storage device handled. There is another $2.49 per hour for data-loading or wiping of data after completion though, so eSATA or internal SATA drives will be cheaper here. Amazon's online calculator estimates that a 2TB eSATA drive with an average file size of 1MB will cost $144.74. In contrast, transferring the same amount of data via the Internet will incur $204.80. (It should be noted that Amazon is currently offering a promotion until June 30, 2010 in which all incoming data transfer is free.)

The ability to transfer data via portable storage to Amazon S3 is not limited to uploading either.  Companies hit by a major data loss might find it quicker to have their entire repository transferred to a portable hard disk drive and couriered back to their office.

In tandem, AWS also announced support for Amazon S3 in the AWS Management Console. This lowers the barrier to using S3 by putting a web-based interface for accessing and managing Amazon S3 resources without having to write any code. Amazon is facing increasing pressure from competitors when it comes to online storage, which could be what prompted the company to launch a cheaper version of online storage in the form of its RRS (Reduced Redundancy Storage) option last month. 

For more on this story:
- check out this article at eWeek
- check out this article at Network World 

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