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AWS says it can't restore some data from mideast facilities struck by Iran

530 points · 452 comments · berkeleyjunk

  1. cmiles8 · · focus · HN ↗
    This interview with an AWS leader isn’t aging well, from CBS Sunday morning:

    Pogue asked, "I don't mean to give anyone ideas, but let's say I figured out that one of these unmarked buildings was an AWS data center, and I blew it up. Are you saying that it's so backed up and redundant that you probably wouldn't notice?" Wood replied, "Yeah, you wouldn't notice. I mean, we might be a bit upset, but you wouldn't notice!"

    <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cbsnews.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;cloud-computing-loudoun-county-virginia&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cbsnews.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;cloud-computing-loudoun-county-...

    1. ExoticPearTree · · focus · HN ↗
      Unless you have a synchronous like setup where you don’t acknowledge data writes unless the remote has aconowledged them first, you will lose data in case your datacenter is hit by a warhead.

      Now, there are a few things to consider:

      - AWS best practices recommend multiple AZs for workloads and cross-region backups for things like databases and other “stateful” data

      - You have to read the fine-print on what AWS offers in terms of recovery: do they reffer to their own infrastructure when they say “you won”t notice” or your data

      When Google’s Paris colocation facility was flooded and all AZs there went dark, they sent an email saying “restore from backup in another region and if we can restore your data, we will make it availbale to you”. They did not even issue credits for the downtime.

      1. paulddraper · · focus · HN ↗
        All the AZs flooded simultaneously?!

        How big was this flood?

        1. ExoticPearTree · · focus · HN ↗
          Well, this is how the world found out that Google AZs are just different rooms in the same building on the same floor.
          1. antonvs · · focus · HN ↗
            That’s nothing, I have three AZs in my laptop.
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