AWS Says It Can't Restore Some Data from Mideast Facilities Struck by Iran
AWS has acknowledged that it cannot restore some data from its Middle East facilities after they were struck by Iran. The admission raises questions about the durability guarantees for services like S3, which promises 11 nines of durability, and whether data stored across multiple availability zones is truly safe. Commenters note that while S3 is a global service, other services like EBS may be more vulnerable.
They guaranteed 11 9's durability, didn't they?
- cmiles8
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!"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cloud-computing-loudoun-county-...
- rishikeshs
I think this is due to the data residency requirements in UAE. I'm working with a client in the health space and the government requirements requires me to store data only in UAE! Tried with AWS but they were not allowing any new instances and I had to go with Azure.
- purpleidea
My personal bet is there's an 80% chance this is caused by some internal bootstrapping problem that they've messed up. AIUI all the main cloud vendors are in trouble here. The automation project I work on is expressly designed to help folks solve this DR/bootstrapping problem. Soo many people get this wrong. Of course missiles don't help things, but I'd bet AWS is primarily to blame here. I'd love an actual technical report of why they can't recover things.
- gilbetron
11.3 Force Majeure. Except for payment obligations, neither party nor any of their affiliates will be liable for any delay or failure to perform any obligation under this Agreement where the delay or failure results from any cause beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, labor disputes or other industrial disturbances, electrical or power outages, utilities or other telecommunications failures, earthquake, storms or other elements of nature, blockages, embargoes, riots, acts or orders of government, acts of terrorism, or war.
- expedition32
I suppose this is why Microsoft and Google want to build data centers in the Netherlands. Its not cheap but it is safe.
- DeepYogurt
I wonder if this will cause a mini cyber insurance crisis. I don't think any of those data loss plans have been tested at scale.
- KingOfCoders
If all your backups are with AWS you don't have backups at all.
- curuinor
They guaranteed 11 9's durability, didn't they?
e: Yep
- lexicality
They can recover most of it? I assumed that those AZs had been offline for so long because they were like gone gone.
- Art9681
No disaster recovery plan? No offsite backups? Someone failed to applied the most basic principles that have existed for decades.