4.1 Storage Class Overview
Amazon S3 offers a variety of storage classes tailored to different use cases based on data access patterns, durability, availability, and cost requirements. Here’s an overview of the primary storage classes:
S3 Standard: Ideal for frequently accessed data. It offers high durability and availability across multiple Availability Zones.
S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA): Suitable for long-lived, less frequently accessed data that still requires rapid access when needed. It stores data redundantly across multiple geographically separated Availability Zones.
S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (S3 One Zone-IA): Similar to S3 Standard-IA but stores data in only one Availability Zone, making it less expensive but also less resilient to the physical loss of that Availability Zone.
S3 Intelligent-Tiering: Designed for data with unknown, changing, or unpredictable access patterns. It automatically moves data to the most cost-effective access tier without performance impact or operational overhead.
S3 Glacier Storage Classes: Includes S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval, and S3 Glacier Deep Archive. These are designed for data archiving, offering low-cost storage solutions. The S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval is for archive data that requires quick access, while S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval and S3 Glacier Deep Archive are suitable for data that is rarely accessed and has longer retrieval times.
S3 on Outposts: For use cases requiring on-premises storage, this class stores data in S3 buckets on AWS Outposts resources.
Each storage class is designed for specific durability and availability requirements, with considerations for minimum storage duration and minimum billable object size. For instance, S3 Standard-IA and S3 One Zone-IA are suitable for objects larger than 128 KB that are stored for at least 30 days, and S3 Glacier Deep Archive is the most cost-effective option for long-term archiving with retrieval times of up to 48 hours for bulk retrievals.
These storage classes are integral to Amazon S3’s flexibility, allowing users to optimize cost and performance based on their specific needs. For more detailed information and pricing, you can visit the Amazon S3 storage classes documentation.