5.57 Migration of EBS volumes

In this short lesson we look at migrating EBS volumes. As we saw earlier, an EBS volume is bound to a single availability zone (AZ). To move it to another AZ or to another region, you cannot just detach and reattach it — you must go through a snapshot as an intermediate step. The procedure is straightforward and only requires the EC2 console.

Migration procedure

  • Create a snapshot of the source EBS volume in its current AZ.
  • Copy the snapshot to the destination AZ or region.
  • From the copied snapshot, create a new EBS volume in the target AZ.
  • Attach the new volume to an instance in the same AZ.

In the AWS console, open EC2 > Snapshots, select the snapshot, then choose Create volume. Keep the initial options (volume type gp2, original size — for example 2 GB) and pick a new availability zone in the dropdown. You can keep the default encryption setting or change the encryption type. Click Create volume.

Back in Elastic Block Store > Volumes, you will see the new volume created in the destination zone, with its source snapshot listed in the details. The volume is immediately available for attachment to any EC2 instance located in that AZ. This is a very short module — the concept is simple, the procedure is reliable, and it is the canonical way to move EBS storage across availability zones or to another AWS region.

Summary

This lesson covers the migration of AWS EBS volumes across availability zones or regions using a three-step process: create a snapshot of the source volume, copy it to the target location, and provision a new volume from that snapshot. The instructor demonstrates this workflow in the AWS Console, showing how to navigate EC2, select snapshots, and create volumes with options like encryption and custom configuration. The process is straightforward and enables rapid volume relocation within or across AWS regions.

Key points

  • EBS volumes can be migrated to different availability zones or regions by creating a snapshot as an intermediate step
  • The migration workflow consists of three operations: snapshot creation, copy to destination, and volume creation from snapshot
  • AWS Console provides built-in options to create volumes from snapshots, including volume type selection, storage capacity, and encryption settings
  • The migrated volume maintains the same configuration as the source (e.g., gp2 type, storage size) with optional modifications
  • Migration is a simple and quick process, making it practical for disaster recovery or data relocation scenarios

FAQ

How do you migrate an EBS volume to another availability zone?

Create a snapshot of the original EBS volume, then create a new volume from that snapshot and select the target availability zone during creation. The new volume can be configured with the same or different specifications.

What configuration options are available when creating a volume from a snapshot?

When creating a volume from a snapshot in the AWS Console, you can select the volume type (such as gp2), specify storage capacity (e.g., 2 GiB), enable encryption, and choose the destination availability zone.

Is EBS volume migration a complex procedure?

No, the process is relatively simple and quick. The workflow is straightforward enough that volumes can be migrated between zones or regions without significant operational complexity.