AWS Knowledge
Understanding Amazon S3 Glacier Storage Classes
Piyush Kalra
Dec 10, 2024
Amazon S3 has built a strong reputation as one of the top cloud storage solutions for businesses of all sizes. It provides easy to access data, needs easy maintenance, and has significant scalability which allows it to be suitable for various types of storage options that range from short term to extensive archival purposes.
Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes are a smart choice for companies that want to cut costs on seldom used data and that's because of how cost efficient these are. They are efficient in doing what they are supposed to do; however, these classes are suited for data archival purposes only. These classes can achieve up to 80% cost reduction relative to standard storage while being quite durable.
Not sure which S3 Glacier storage class is the best fit for your needs? This blog will break down Amazon S3 Glacier, its storage class options, and how to choose the right one for your business.
What is Amazon S3?
Amazon S3 is an object scalable storage service enabled by AWS that allows users access to virtually unlimited data and the ability to access it at any given point in time while also allowing for different storage classes to suit the user's cost and access needs.
Features and Benefits of Amazon S3:
Scalability: Store an unlimited amount of data with ease.
Durability: Promises 99.999999999% (11 nines) data durability.
Flexibility: Offers various storage classes for differing access patterns and budgets.
Integration: Easily integrates with other AWS services, making it ideal for cloud-native applications.
In this aspect, Amazon S3 supports a wide range of functions, from hosting websites and images to providing data for huge data analysis. In terms of long-term retention of data, S3 Glacier classes are the best options available.
Understanding Amazon S3 Storage Classes
Amazon S3 has a variety of storage classes that meet a wide array of business needs. This helps in reducing costs and also optimizing performance based on how your data is used. Here's a quick overview:
S3 Standard: Ideal for data that is accessed frequently, offering high performance and low latency.
S3 Intelligent-Tiering: If data gets blocked and cannot be easily located, then this sort is ideal as it transfers between various storage tiers in order to reduce costs depending on previous access patterns.
S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (IA): Designed for specific storage types is exceptional as it rapidly retrieves data that is used less frequently.
S3 Glacier Classes: Best for data that is rarely accessed and needs long-term storage at a lower cost, perfect for backups and archives.
Selecting the right storage class depends on various criteria, such as your budget, how often and quickly data is needed. One of the best examples includes the S3 Glacier that is not only safe and reliable but ideal for when data does not need to be accessed regularly and can remain saved for years. Professionally crafted long term storage with excellent durability.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the specifics of S3 Glacier and how it can benefit your business.
What is Amazon S3 Glacier?
When it comes to long-term data storage at a lower price compared to standard storage classes, Amazon S3 Glacier comes in handy as it is a combination of a number of storage classes. This makes it top notch for cold storage, i.e., data that isn't frequently accessed but still needs to be recoverable when the need arises.
Key Features:
Cost-Effective Storage: Pricing options are limited but charging rates are considerably lower relative to other options.
Durable: Data is assured to be protected and is maintained for considerable periods with data durability of around 99.999999999%.
Flexible Retrieval Options: Speed of processing can be selected, usually from milliseconds to hours, depending upon time and cost efficiency.
Use Cases: Intended use is usually for data archiving, storage for compliance, storing digital media, and during disaster recovery.
Types of S3 Glacier Storage Classes
Amazon Glacier enables three classes when it comes to cold Storage. It enables different retrieval criteria and cost options as well.
1. S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
Best for: Storage files that are to be used on short notice, such as apps, imaging services, and even keeping a medical record.
Access Time: Retrieving can take a couple of milliseconds
Cost: Slightly cheaper than S3 Standard, higher than S3 Glacier classes, while downgrading it.
Use Cases: A storage file which can be retrieved and is time sensitive.
2. S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval
Best for: Should be accessed 1 or 2 times in a year.
Access Time: On the higher end of the scale, taking either minutes or hours.
Cost: Nothing on larger sets of data but lower than executed retrieval with free mass retrieval option being available.
Use Cases: Backups, disaster recovery, and archives are needed for semi-annual assessments.
3. S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Best for: Things that need to be retrieved only once in a decade. 7 to 10 years for the time frame
Access Time: Can take minutes and even days(Standard retrieval in 12 hours and mass retrieval in 48).
Cost: Most cost-effective in the AWS realm when it comes to per GB storage.
Use Cases: Compliance records, regulatory archives, scientific research data.
Each class strikes a balance between cost and retrieval speed, making it easy to select one based on your requirements.
Cost Analysis of S3 Glacier Storage Classes
Understanding the economics of S3 Glacier pricing is crucial for optimizing your storage strategy.
Storage Cost:
S3 Glacier Deep Archive: $0.00099 per GB/month.
S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval: $0.004 per GB/month.
S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval: Slightly higher than Flexible Retrieval.
Retrieval Fees:
The fees may vary widely and depend on the volume of the request and time of request. For example, a billion requests for retrieval are the cheapest option for large sets of data, while appeals for expedited retrieval tend to be more expensive.
Pricing Tips:
Plan your retrievals ahead of time to minimize costs.
Use S3 Lifecycle Management to automate transitions between classes as data ages.
Data Management Strategies for S3 Glacier
Some of the most effective practices to use S3 Glacier and gain efficiency and be cost effective are as follows:
1. Set Up Lifecycle Policies
Create policies that automatically update the data storage from S3 Standard to Glacier as the data gets older.
Example: 90 Days after uploading the file, move it to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval or move to Deep Archive after a year.
2. Use Tags for Efficient Organization
Classify data by attaching object tags so that it is easier to manage the opposite movements.
3. Monitor Data Retrieval
Often loads for retrieval should be done in bulk while keeping costs in mind.
Enable Amazon S3 Event Notifications that automatically send alerts when a restoration has been completed.
When to Choose S3 Glacier Storage Classes
Not sure which S3 Glacier storage classes to use? These circumstances may help you make your decision:
Choose Instant Retrieval if you require archived data with little notice on a regular basis (like quarterly audits).
Choose Flexible Retrieval if you need to access it less often and only once a year, for example, when restoring backup systems after a disaster.
Choose Deep Archive if you need to retain data for legal purposes, but hardly use it (for instance, compliance logs for archival purposes).
Getting Started:
Go to AWS Management Console >> Search for S3 >> You will see the following page.
Click on Create bucket >> Type the bucket name in the bucket name field.
Leave all the options default and click on Create Bucket.
Specify your Glacier storage class based on your use case.
Upload your data using AWS CLI, SDK, or Lifecycle Configurations.
Real-World Use Cases
Case Study 1: Storing 100 Years of History with Amazon S3
BBC has transferred to Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, its archives that have over 25 PB of data spanning a century. This solution decreased the cost of infrastructure, eliminated on premise storage and improved data access. All of these approaches, thanks to the use of AWS tools, make it possible to enable prompt retrievals with an affordable storage solution that lays the foundation for further innovations and serves to protect content for centuries to come.
Case Study 2: Snap Saves Millions with Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
Snap inc. company moved two exabytes worth of data to the S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval which allowed them to save millions. By utilizing the AWS services including the S3 alongside CloudFront, the company was able to make the Snap application support 200 million more daily users, and reach an availability of over 99.99% with a download latency decrease of over 30% in some regions. They shifted the costs over to AWS while ensuring a smooth experience for the 363 million users that they currently have.
Conclusion
Companies requiring that data be stored longer but at a cheaper cost are simply the perfect target clientele for Amazon S3 Glacier. Once you know the differences between Instant Retrieval, Flexible Retrieval, and Deep Archive, you can easily strategize in order to realize the best costs and productivity.
Regardless of if you are storing backup compliance data, S3 Glacier will assist you in storing your data on the cloud. S3 Glacier has built its reputation as the most trustworthy storage center thanks to its outstanding value, reliability, and versatility.
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