Using AWS OpsHub for Snow Family to Manage Devices

The Snow Family devices now offer a user-friendly tool, AWS OpsHub for Snow Family, that you can use to manage your devices and local AWS services. You use AWS OpsHub on a client computer to perform tasks such as unlocking and configuring single or clustered devices, transferring files, and launching and managing instances running on Snow Family devices. You can use AWS OpsHub to manage both the Storage Optimized and Compute Optimized Snow device types. The AWS OpsHub application is available at no additional cost to you.

AWS OpsHub takes all the existing operations available in the Snowball API and presents them as a graphical user interface. This interface helps you quickly migrate data to the AWS Cloud and deploy edge computing applications on Snow Family devices.

AWS OpsHub provides a unified view of the AWS services that are running on Snow Family devices and automates operational tasks through AWS Systems Manager. With AWS OpsHub, users with different levels of technical expertise can manage a large number of Snow Family devices. With a few clicks, you can unlock devices, transfer files, manage Amazon EC2-compatible instances, and monitor device metrics.

When your Snow device arrives at your site, you download, install, and launch the AWS OpsHub application on a client machine, such as a laptop. After installation, you can unlock the device and start managing it and using supported AWS services locally. AWS OpsHub provides a dashboard that summarizes key metrics such as storage capacity and active instances on your device. It also provides a selection of AWS services that are supported on the Snow Family devices. Within minutes, you can begin transferring files to the device.

After you download the AWS OpsHub application and install it on a client machine, AWS OpsHub can connect to the AWS Snowcone device on the same network, whether the device is connected via Wi-Fi or a physical cable. Then you open AWS OpsHub and unlock the device. You are then presented with a dashboard that shows your device and its system metrics. You can then begin deploying your edge applications or migrating your data to the device. AWS OpsHub makes data transfers to your Snowcone device simple by allowing you to drag-and-drop files or folders onto the device. With AWS OpsHub, you can also easily see what is stored on the device.

This video provides an overview of AWS OpsHub functionality.

Topics

• Downloading AWS OpsHub for Snow Family devices
• Unlocking a Snow Family device device with AWS OpsHub
• Verifying the PGP signature of AWS OpsHub (optional)
• Managing AWS services on the Snow Family device with AWS OpsHub
• Using DataSync to transfer files to AWS with AWS OpsHub
• Rebooting the device with AWS OpsHub
• Managing profiles with AWS OpsHub
• Shutting down the device with AWS OpsHub
• Editing the device alias with AWS OpsHub
• Getting updates for the Snow Family device
• Updating the AWS OpsHub application
• Setting the NTP time servers for the device with AWS OpsHub

Managing profiles with AWS OpsHub

You can create a profile for persistent storage of your credentials on your local file system. Using AWS OpsHub, you have the option to create a new profile any time you unlock the device using the device IP address, unlock code, and manifest file.

You can also use the Snowball Edge Client to create a profile at any time. See Configuring a profile for the Snowball Edge Client.

To create a profile

1. Unlock your device locally and sign in according to the instructions in Unlocking a Snow Family device device with AWS OpsHub.

2. Name the profile and choose Save profile name.