Attaching an AWS EFS to Docker Containers

Prerequisites

Practically any Linux operating system

An AWS account with a user whose permissions will allow creating/modifying an EFS

aws-cli terminal application

Docker (cli or Docker Desktop)

Steps

1. Using the aws-cli, configure your aws account:

   aws configure

2. Create an Elastic File System volume using the aws-cli:

   aws efs create-file-system --creation-token <insert a name here>

3. Copy the “FileSystemId” from the output of that command
4. To create a new container and mount the EFS to it, run:

   docker run -it --name <give it a name> --mount type=volume,source=<file-system-id>,target=/efs,volume-driver=local <docker image you want to use for your container>

5. You should now be able to type ls in the container’s root directory and see a folder called efs.

   You did it… I think!

Verifying That Nothing Funky Is Afoot…

• Create a second container (copypasta the docker run command above and change the name).
• cd into the efs directory.
• Create a file!

touch just-some-file.txt && ls

• Verify that the file you just created in container 2 is now also available in the efs directory of container 1.

You actually did it this time! HOORAY!

Troubleshooting (not all-inclusive or guaranteed to work)

• First double check your AWS EFS security settings/user security policies
• No luck? Ok, now try installing nfs-utils
• It still didn’t work? try pip install --user botocore boto3 amazon-efs
• … Still nothing? Guess ya better ask ChatGPT :D