In the last days, I started to work on a Azure Import/Export data project.
My Customer has some TB of data to transfer in Azure.
After several attempts to transfer data from the Internet, they gave up and began to think to use this Azure feature.
The whole process is perfectly described in this link https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/storage-import-export-service.
Here, in my post, I am not going to describe this feature, I will try, instead, to compare Azure Import/Export service with Amazon Snowball.
Some customers complain of this service, claiming that Amazon offers better service and also easier to implement.
I started to read up on the subject and discovered that two services are not so different and one is not easier than the other one.
The following table shows a comparison of two processes:
| Azure | Amazon | |
|---|---|---|
| Device | Normal disk like SSD 2.5” or HDD 3.5” SATA II/III | Amazon Snowball device |
| Costs device | It depends of disk to buy | Snowball free for 10 days then 15$ per day |
| Service’s costs fee | € 67,46flat fee per storage device handled | Appliance Snowball da 50 TB: 200 $ Appliance Snowball da 80 TB: 250 $ |
| Software tools to copy data | WAImportExport: This is a client tool that yu install on a local host computer to allow you to transfer data from onpremises to cloud. | Snowball client: The Snowball client is software that you install on a local host computer and use to efficiently identify, compress, encrypt, and transfer data from the directories you specify to a Snowball. |
| Client OS for install copy tool | Windows 64 bit, windows 7 or later | Windows Mac Linux |
| Example copy process | How do I transfer my data disks?
The first step when importing data using the Azure Import/Export service is prepare the copy machine:
WAImportExport.exe PrepImport /j:<JournalFile> /id:<SessionId> [/logdir:<LogDirectory>] [/sk:<StorageAccountKey>] [/silentmode] [/InitialDriveSet:<driveset.csv>] DataSet:<dataset.csv> |
How do I transfer my data to the Snowball appliance?When you connect the Snowball appliance to your network and set the IP address using the E Ink display, you’ll need to download three things from the AWS Management Console:
When you have downloaded these files, you launch the Snowball client and provide the Snowball appliance’s IP address, the manifest file path, and the unlock code. A sample Start command is below: snowball start -i {Snowball IP} -m path/to/the/job/manifest} -u {unlock code} After you launch the client and provide this information, the client is now connected to the Snowball appliance and is ready for use. Next you’ll need to identify the file directories you want to transfer to the appliance and then wait for the transfer to complete. A sample Copy command is below: snowball cp /path/to/data/on/source/storage/device/directories Snowball/bucketname |
| Need copy local host station? | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption | Yes | Yes |
In short, if you have a meeting with a client and he claims that Amazon has no complex procedure to copy data and everything is automatic, then now you know it’s not true. Amazon needs some manual and pre-process procedure before start to copy data.
Any feedback is appreciated 
RP
Reference:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/storage-import-export-service
