Amazon S3 Glacier is a secure, durable, and extremely low-cost cloud storage service designed for data archiving and long-term backup. It is part of the Amazon S3 storage classes and is optimized for data that is infrequently accessed, where retrieval times of several minutes to hours are acceptabl…Amazon S3 Glacier is a secure, durable, and extremely low-cost cloud storage service designed for data archiving and long-term backup. It is part of the Amazon S3 storage classes and is optimized for data that is infrequently accessed, where retrieval times of several minutes to hours are acceptable.
S3 Glacier offers three retrieval options to balance cost and access speed: Expedited (1-5 minutes), Standard (3-5 hours), and Bulk (5-12 hours). This flexibility allows organizations to choose the most cost-effective option based on their needs.
Key features of S3 Glacier include:
1. **Durability and Availability**: S3 Glacier is designed for 99.999999999% (11 nines) durability, storing data redundantly across multiple Availability Zones.
2. **Cost-Effective**: It provides one of the lowest storage costs in AWS, making it ideal for compliance archives, healthcare records, media assets, and scientific data.
3. **Security**: Data is encrypted by default using AES-256 encryption. You can also implement access controls using IAM policies and S3 Glacier vault policies.
4. **Vault Lock**: This feature allows you to enforce compliance controls and create write-once-read-many (WORM) archives for regulatory requirements.
5. **Integration**: S3 Glacier integrates seamlessly with S3 Lifecycle policies, enabling automatic transition of data from S3 Standard to Glacier based on defined rules.
AWS also offers S3 Glacier Deep Archive, which provides even lower costs for data that needs to be retained for 7-10 years or longer, with retrieval times of 12-48 hours.
For the Cloud Practitioner exam, understanding that S3 Glacier is the go-to solution for archival storage with flexible retrieval options and exceptional durability at minimal cost is essential.
S3 Glacier: Complete Guide for AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam
What is Amazon S3 Glacier?
Amazon S3 Glacier is a secure, durable, and extremely low-cost cloud storage service designed for data archiving and long-term backup. It is part of the Amazon S3 storage classes and is optimized for data that is infrequently accessed and where retrieval times of several minutes to hours are acceptable.
Why is S3 Glacier Important?
S3 Glacier is crucial for organizations because it:
• Provides cost-effective storage for data that must be retained but is rarely accessed • Helps meet compliance and regulatory requirements for data retention • Offers 99.999999999% (11 nines) durability for archived data • Enables businesses to maintain historical records, backups, and archives affordably • Reduces storage costs by up to 90% compared to standard storage options
S3 Glacier Storage Classes
There are three Glacier storage classes to understand:
1. S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval • Millisecond retrieval times • Ideal for data accessed once per quarter • Lowest cost for archive data needing fast access
2. S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval (formerly S3 Glacier) • Retrieval options: Expedited (1-5 minutes), Standard (3-5 hours), Bulk (5-12 hours) • Ideal for backup and disaster recovery • Cost savings for data accessed 1-2 times per year
3. S3 Glacier Deep Archive • Lowest cost storage in AWS • Retrieval time: 12-48 hours • Designed for data retained for 7-10 years or longer • Perfect for regulatory compliance archives
How S3 Glacier Works
1. Upload Data: You can upload data to Glacier through S3 lifecycle policies or the Glacier API
2. Storage: Data is stored in vaults (Glacier) or as objects in S3 buckets with Glacier storage class
3. Retrieval: When you need data, you initiate a retrieval request and select your retrieval speed
4. Lifecycle Policies: You can automate the transition of objects from S3 Standard to Glacier based on age
Key Features to Remember
• Vault Lock: Enables compliance controls with WORM (Write Once Read Many) policies • Encryption: All data is encrypted at rest by default using AES-256 • Durability: Data is stored across multiple Availability Zones • Minimum Storage Duration: Glacier Flexible Retrieval (90 days), Deep Archive (180 days)
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on S3 Glacier
Tip 1: Focus on Use Cases When a question mentions archival, long-term storage, compliance, or infrequent access, think Glacier.
Tip 2: Know the Retrieval Times • Instant Retrieval = milliseconds • Flexible Retrieval = minutes to hours • Deep Archive = 12-48 hours Questions often test whether you understand retrieval time differences.
Tip 3: Cost is Key If a question asks about the lowest cost storage option, S3 Glacier Deep Archive is typically the answer for archival data.
Tip 4: Lifecycle Policies Questions about automating data movement between storage classes should make you think of S3 Lifecycle Policies transitioning to Glacier.
Tip 5: Minimum Storage Duration Charges Remember that deleting data before the minimum storage period incurs charges. This is often tested.
Tip 6: Compliance Questions For questions about regulatory compliance and preventing data deletion, think of Vault Lock and WORM policies.
Tip 7: Compare Storage Classes Be ready to compare Glacier with S3 Standard, S3 Intelligent-Tiering, and S3 One Zone-IA based on access patterns and cost requirements.