AWS S3 Storage

AWS S3 - Simple Storage Service

AWS S3 (Simple Storage Service) is a scalable, durable, and secure cloud storage service by Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Key Features

• S3 is an object storage service.
• It allows uploading any type of file (documents, images, videos, backups, etc.).
• Unlimited storage capacity, but the maximum file size per object is 5 TB.
• Highly durable, storing data across multiple AWS data centers.
• Supports fine-grained access control using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies and bucket policies.
• Encryption options for secure data storage.

How AWS S3 Works?

AWS S3 stores data as objects inside buckets.

Each object consists of:

• Data – The actual content of the file.
• Metadata – Information about the file (size, type, last modified, etc.).
• Key – A unique identifier for the object inside a bucket.

A bucket is a container for storing objects and must have a globally unique name.

Users interact with S3 via:

• AWS Management Console
• AWS CLI (Command Line Interface)
• AWS SDKs for different programming languages

AWS S3 Storage Classes

AWS S3 offers multiple storage classes designed for different access patterns and cost optimizations:

1. S3 Standard

• Best for frequently accessed data.
• Stores data in at least three Availability Zones.
• High durability and availability.

2. S3 Standard-IA (Infrequent Access)

• Designed for data that is accessed less often but needs quick retrieval.
• Lower cost than S3 Standard, but retrieval costs are higher.

3. S3 One Zone-IA

• Stores data in one Availability Zone instead of three.
• Cheaper than Standard-IA but less durable.

4. S3 Intelligent-Tiering

• Automatically moves objects between Standard and Infrequent Access based on access patterns.
• Helps optimize costs for unpredictable access.

5. S3 Glacier

• Low-cost storage for long-term archiving.
• Retrieval time: minutes to hours.

6. S3 Glacier Deep Archive

• Lowest-cost storage class for archival data.
• Retrieval time: up to 12 hours.

Data Security & Access Control

• Bucket Policies & IAM Roles allow fine-grained permissions.
• Encryption (Server-side and Client-side) ensures data security.
• Versioning helps track changes and recover older versions of objects.
• Access Logs & Event Notifications provide monitoring and alerts.