aws s3 storage classes

AWS S3 offers a number of different storage classes for various use cases. These have different associated costs and trade offs between them.

S3 standard

This is designe dfor high avialability and durability.

• Storage across >= 3 availability zones
  • 99.99% availability
  • 11 9's of durability
• Designed for frequent access
• Suitable for most workloads (default storage class)
  • Usage includes websites, content distribution, gaming apps, etc.

S3 standard infrequent access (S3-IA)

Designed specifically for infrequently accessed data.

• Provides rapid access - used for data that is accessed less frequently, but

does need rapid access when called upon

• Pay to access data - there is a low per-GB storage price and per-GB retrieval fee
• Use cases are cenered around long-term storage, backups, and disaster recovery files
• 99.99% availability
• 11 9's of durability
• Note: Minimum storage duration is 30 days

S3 one zone infrequent access

This is similar to S3-IA but it is stored redunantly within a single AZ.

• Costs 20% less than the regular S3-IA
• Good for long-lived, infrequently accessed, non-critical data
• 99.5% availability
• 11 9's of durability
• Minimum storage duration is 30 days

S3 glacier

This is cost optimized for data archival.

• Storage is very, very inexpensive
• Optimized for data that is very infrequently accessed
• Users pay for each time you access data
• 99.9% availability
• 11 9's of durability

Glacier

• Retrieval time ranges from 1 minute to 12 hours
• 90 day minimum storage commitment

Glacier Deep Archive

• Archives rarely accessed data with a default retrieval time of 12 hours
• Good for things that are very, very rarely accessed (or not, ex: Auditable records)
• Retrieval time starts at minimum of 12 hours
• 180 day minimum storage commitment

S3 intelligent tiering

2 tiers exist for object access:

• frequent and infrequent access
• Automatically moves your data to the most cost-effective tier based on how frequently

objects are being accessed

• Adds a monthly fee of $0.0025 per 1,000 objects
• 99.9% availability
• 11 9's of durability

S3 exam tips

• s3 standard:
  • 99.99% avail, 11 9's durability

  • =3 AZs

  • Suitable for most workloads
• s3 standard infrequent access:
  • 99.9% avail, 11 9's durability

  • =3 AZs

  • Long term infrequently accessed critical data
  • Minimum storage duration 30 days
• s3 one zone infrequent access:
  • 99.5% avail, 11 9's durability
  • 1 AZ
  • Long term infrequently accessed non-critical data
  • Minimum storage duration 30 days
• s3 glacier:
  • 99.99% avail, 11 9's durability

  • =3 AZs

  • Long term data archival with occasional access (within hours or minutes)
  • Minimum storage duration 90 days
• s3 glacier deep archive:
  • 99.99% avail, 11 9's durability

  • =3 AZs

  • Rarely accessed data archival with occasional access, 12 hours retrieval
  • Minimum storage duration 180 days
• s3 intelligent tiering:
  • 99.9% avail, 11 9's durability

  • =3 AZs

  • Unknown or unpredictable access pattern
  • Minimum storage duration 90 days