AWS Data Transfer Terminal Cheat Sheet

• AWS Data Transfer Terminal is a secure, network-ready physical location where customers bring their own storage devices and transfer large datasets to AWS using high-throughput network connectivity.
• It is currently available for AWS Enterprise customers that need faster ingestion than normal internet uploads or shipping-based workflows.

Core Features

• Secure physical transfer facility – Data Transfer Terminal offers secure locations for transfer teams to upload data to AWS. After sessions, facilities are re-secured for the next reservation.
• Reservation-based access through the AWS console – Customers schedule reservations, create transfer teams, add authorized personnel, and select time slots via the AWS Data Transfer Terminal console. This supports planned, high-volume transfers instead of always-on connectivity.
• High-throughput AWS network connection – Each Data Transfer Terminal facility provides at least two 100G optical fiber cables connected to the AWS network. This helps reduce upload times compared with slower site internet connections.
• Bring-your-own storage and compute equipment – Customers must bring essential transfer equipment like laptops, servers, storage devices, monitors, keyboard, mouse, and compatible networking hardware, all supporting fiber optic connectivity and DHCP for optimal use.
• Uploads to AWS endpoints – Data can be uploaded to AWS endpoints such as Amazon S3, Amazon EFS, and other supported AWS services. This makes the terminal a physical high-speed bridge between portable storage and cloud-based workloads.

Key Benefits

• Faster data ingestion into AWS – Large datasets can be uploaded to AWS more quickly than traditional approaches such as shipping devices or relying on limited local bandwidth. This is typically needed when data needs to be processed, validated, or analyzed soon after collection.
• Useful when remote sites lack strong connectivity – Data Transfer Terminal is beneficial for teams that collect large data volumes in locations without dedicated high-throughput connectivity. Instead of waiting for slow uploads from the collection site, the team can bring the devices to a nearby terminal facility.
• Customer retains control of physical devices – Unlike shipping-based workflows, the customer brings and operates the storage devices during the reservation. This can reduce operational delays and gives the customer direct control over the device handling process.
• Shortens time to analysis – Once data lands in AWS, downstream services can begin processing, analytics, machine learning, editing, validation, or archival workflows. This is valuable for mission-critical data where delays can affect decision-making or production timelines.

Common Use Cases

• Autonomous driving and ADAS data uploads – Automotive companies can upload large datasets collected from vehicle fleets and use the data for model training, simulation, or analysis. This is useful because autonomous vehicle workloads often generate massive sensor, video, and telemetry files.
• Media and entertainment production workflows – Film crews, studios, and content creators can upload high-resolution audio and video files from production locations. This allows geographically distributed editing and post-production teams to begin work sooner.
• Maps, photogrammetry, and 3D imagery – Organizations collecting imagery, geospatial, mapping, or 3D visual data can upload large files to AWS for analysis or training. This helps keep location-based datasets current and reduces the delay between collection and processing.
• Large-scale migration or one-time bulk transfer – Data Transfer Terminal is a good fit when a large amount of data exists on portable storage and needs to be uploaded quickly. It is not the same as AWS Direct Connect, which is better for ongoing dedicated connectivity.

AWS Data Transfer Terminal Security Notes

• Shared responsibility model applies – AWS is responsible for securing the underlying AWS infrastructure, while the customer is responsible for securing data, devices, credentials, transfer tools, and AWS service configurations.
• Encryption is the customer’s responsibility – The physical fiber connection does not provide default encryption by itself. Customers should enforce encryption in transit and at rest using their devices, transfer tools, and destination AWS services.
• Use IAM and least privilege access – AWS recommends using IAM Identity Center or IAM users/roles with only the permissions needed for each job function. This helps control who can schedule reservations, manage terminal resources, or access related AWS services.
• Use MFA, TLS, CloudTrail, and AWS security services – AWS recommends MFA, SSL/TLS communication with AWS resources, CloudTrail logging, AWS encryption solutions, and services such as Amazon Macie for sensitive data in Amazon S3. These controls help secure both the management plane and the data landing environment.
• Physical access requires authorized personnel – Transfer team members must be added to the reservation, and facility access requires valid government-issued photo identification. AWS also expects customers to bring, operate, and remove their own equipment after the transfer session.

AWS Data Transfer Terminal Pricing

• Charged by port-hour usage – Pricing is based on the number of ports used, the number of hours used, the Data Transfer Terminal location, and the AWS endpoint location. Same-continent transfers generally have a lower port-hour rate than cross-continent transfers.
• Example published rates – AWS lists North America to North America at $300 per port-hour and North America to Europe at $500 per port-hour. Transfers from North America to other locations require contacting AWS for pricing.
• Cost formula to remember – Total charge = (number of port/s × number of hour/s) × applicable port-hour rate.

• Other AWS service charges may still apply – Data Transfer Terminal pricing covers the terminal port-hour usage. Storage, compute, analytics, or other destination service charges may still apply depending on where the data is uploaded and how it is processed afterward.

AWS Data Transfer Terminal Cheat Sheet References:

What is AWS Data Transfer Terminal?
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/datatransferterminal/latest/userguide/what-is-dtt.html
Provides the official AWS User Guide overview of Data Transfer Terminal, including what the service is, how it works, and the main workflow for reserving a secure physical location to transfer data into AWS.

AWS Data Transfer Terminal Pricing
https://aws.amazon.com/data-transfer-terminal/pricing/
Contains the official pricing model for Data Transfer Terminal, including port-hour billing, regional pricing examples, and notes about how charges are calculated.

AWS Data Transfer Terminal FAQs
https://aws.amazon.com/data-transfer-terminal/faqs/
Answers common questions about Data Transfer Terminal, including supported use cases, transfer locations, equipment requirements, physical access, networking, security, and comparisons with services such as AWS Snowball and AWS Direct Connect.

AWS Data Transfer Terminal Product Page
https://aws.amazon.com/data-transfer-terminal/
Provides the main AWS service page for Data Transfer Terminal, including a high-level description, benefits, and common customer scenarios.