In other words, you use the gateway to connect your application to the data storage it requires. It might seem as if running the gateway in the cloud would be a good idea because you wouldn't need to invest in additional hardware. However, when you look at the requirements shown, you see that using an EC2 instance allows you to run only gateway-cached volumes and gateway-VTLs (you can't run gateway-stored volumes). You don't need to know what these terms mean, but you do need to understand that the cloud present limits that you must consider during any planning stage.
After you make certain that you can run your intended configuration, you can begin to consider the advantages and disadvantages of working in the cloud. For example, when hosting the service in the cloud, you get automatic scaling as needed, and Amazon performs many of the administrative tasks for you. For a realistic perspective, you must offset these advantages with disadvantages, such as:
- Potential for lower application speed
- Need to maintain a reliable Internet connection
- Loss of flexibility
- Vendors going out of business