Microsoft Azure → Amazon Web Services
AWS equivalent of Azure File Sync
The closest AWS equivalents of Azure File Sync are AWS Storage Gateway – Amazon S3 File Gateway and AWS Storage Gateway – Amazon FSx File Gateway.
About Azure File Sync
| Provider | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|
| Status | Generally available |
| What it is | Agent on Windows Server that syncs local shares to an Azure file share, with cloud tiering (only hot files cached locally) and multi-site sync through the cloud. |
| Documentation | learn.microsoft.com |
| Pricing | Official pricing page |
AWS mappings (2)
| Capability | AWS equivalent | Match |
|---|---|---|
| On-premises file gateway to cloud object storage | AWS Storage Gateway – Amazon S3 File Gateway | Partial match |
| On-premises cache for cloud Windows file shares | AWS Storage Gateway – Amazon FSx File Gateway Maintenance | Partial match |
Hybrid storage gateways(2)
On-premises file gateway to cloud object storage Partial match
Microsoft maps AWS Storage Gateway S3 File Gateway to Azure Data Box Gateway and Azure File Sync. Data Box Gateway is the closer technical match (NFS or SMB in, Azure Storage out). File Sync works only with Windows Server and syncs to Azure Files rather than Blob.
- Data Box Gateway is a virtual appliance (Hyper-V or VMware) that caches data locally and uploads it to Blob Storage or Azure Files, similar to S3 File Gateway. Its current release notes date from 2021.
- Azure File Sync uses your Windows Servers as the cache, with cloud tiering, and can sync many sites through one Azure file share.
- S3 File Gateway stores files as normal S3 objects. Data Box Gateway also writes normal blobs or files. File Sync stores data in Azure Files.
On-premises cache for cloud Windows file shares Partial match
Amazon FSx File Gateway, closed to new customers since Oct 28, 2024, maps to Azure File Sync. File Sync caches Azure file shares on your own Windows Servers, with cloud tiering.
- FSx File Gateway is an appliance in front of FSx for Windows File Server. Azure File Sync is an agent you install on existing Windows Servers, which then act as the cache.
- Azure File Sync syncs multiple sites through the cloud and keeps the full namespace visible, recalling tiered files when they're opened.