Exploring the New Capabilities of AWS Outposts

Overview

Some workloads still require on-premises infrastructure for ultra-low latency and compliance reasons, even though cloud solutions are becoming increasingly popular because of their scalability and cost-effectiveness. To meet this need, AWS Outposts provides a managed hybrid cloud platform that enables companies to expand AWS services, infrastructure, and APIs to their local settings, including branch offices or data centers.

In this blog, we will explore the most recent advancements in AWS Outposts, including adding new, smaller server alternatives, enhanced security through the use of the AWS Nitro System, FedRAMP authorization, and a wider range of services. Due to these enhancements, AWS Outposts are now more flexible for enterprises with stringent data residency and low-latency requirements.

Introduction

With Outposts, businesses can run critical workloads where low latency or data residency is necessary while maintaining seamless integration with their AWS cloud infrastructure.

Key New Features and Updates of AWS Outposts

1. AWS Outposts Servers: New 1U and 2U Form Factors

One of the significant updates is the introduction of smaller Outposts server form factors, 1U and 2U, making AWS Outposts more accessible to environments with limited space, such as branch offices, healthcare clinics, retail stores, or even factory floors. These servers provide local compute, storage, and networking services while seamlessly connecting to AWS regions for expanded capabilities.

• 1U Server: Powered by AWS Graviton2 processors, it supports Amazon EC2 C6gd compute-optimized instances ideal for workloads like batch processing, gaming, and ML inference.
• 2U Server: It uses Intel Xeon processors and supports Amazon EC2 C6id instances, which are suitable for compute-heavy tasks such as video encoding, distributed analytics, and ad serving.

These compact servers enable organizations to process data on-site with low latency while leveraging AWS for broader services.

2. Enhanced Security with AWS Nitro System

AWS Outposts servers are built on the AWS Nitro System, which enhances security by offloading key virtualization resources to dedicated hardware. This limits the attack surface and reduces the likelihood of human errors, ensuring greater protection for workloads running on Outposts.

The AWS Nitro System’s strict security model also ensures data encryption at rest and in transit, aligning with best practices for data protection. This update makes AWS Outposts a strong choice for businesses requiring high security, such as those in the healthcare and finance sectors.

3. FedRAMP Authorization for U.S. Federal Agencies

AWS Outposts is now FedRAMP Moderate and High authorized, making it a viable option for U.S. federal agencies and organizations that handle sensitive data. With this authorization, government organizations can securely deploy Outposts for workloads requiring compliance with FedRAMP standards.

This feature is particularly relevant to sectors that operate under strict data security and residency regulations, such as government, healthcare, and finance, as it provides a secure hybrid cloud solution for managing and processing sensitive data on-premises.

4. Expanding Service Support on Outposts

AWS Outposts support a wide range of AWS services on-premises, offering even greater flexibility. Organizations can now run services like Amazon ECS for containerized applications, SageMaker Edge Manager for machine learning on edge devices, and IoT Greengrass for local IoT management. Amazon EKS for Kubernetes workloads will soon be supported, enhancing AWS Outposts’ ability to manage container orchestration at the edge.

This expanded support allows organizations to deploy modern, cloud-native applications locally while maintaining seamless connectivity with the full array of AWS services in the cloud.

Use Cases for AWS Outposts

With these new advancements, AWS Outposts becomes even more suitable for a range of industries and use cases:

1. Manufacturing: AWS Outposts can be deployed on factory floors to process real-time data, optimizing production systems with low-latency compute resources.
2. Healthcare: Clinics and hospitals can use AWS Outposts to run machine learning models for medical diagnostics while ensuring data remains local for compliance.
3. Financial Services: AWS Outposts offer low-latency performance for trading platforms while ensuring sensitive financial data remains on-premises.
4. Retail: Stores can leverage AWS Outposts to run local applications for point-of-sale systems and inventory management, ensuring business continuity even if cloud connectivity is disrupted.

Conclusion

AWS Outposts continue to evolve, making hybrid cloud deployment more efficient, secure, and versatile. With the new 1U and 2U server form factors, enhanced security through the Nitro System, FedRAMP authorization, and expanded service support, AWS Outposts is well-suited for organizations that need to maintain on-premises infrastructure while tapping into the power of AWS cloud services.

As hybrid cloud adoption grows, AWS Outposts will remain a critical solution for businesses in industries requiring low latency, data residency, and regulatory compliance.

Drop a query if you have any questions regarding AWS Outposts and we will get back to you quickly.

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