What is AWS Glacier?
Imagine you’re storing a treasure chest of old photos, videos, or financial records that you don’t need to access often but can’t afford to lose. That’s where Amazon S3 Glacier steps in. It’s a secure, durable, and cost-effective storage service designed for archiving and long-term backup.
With Glacier, you pay rock-bottom prices for storage, making it perfect for data you don’t touch often but need to keep safe.
Why Use S3 Glacier?
- Low Cost: Glacier is one of AWS’s most affordable storage solutions. It’s ideal for long-term data that doesn’t need instant access.
- High Durability: Glacier is designed for 11 nines (99.999999999%) durability, ensuring your data is safe.
- Secure: Built-in encryption protects your data, and you control access using IAM policies.
How S3 Glacier Works
Think of Glacier as a deep freezer for your data:
- Storage: Data is stored in archives (individual objects).
- Vaults: Archives are organized into vaults for easy management.
- Retrieval: You can retrieve data using three speeds: Expedited, Standard, or Bulk, depending on how quickly you need it.
Glacier vs. Glacier Deep Archive
AWS offers two Glacier options:
- S3 Glacier
- Access data in minutes to hours.
- Best for active archives where occasional access is needed.
- S3 Glacier Deep Archive
- Lowest-cost option, with retrieval times of 12–48 hours.
- Ideal for compliance and regulatory data.
When to Use S3 Glacier
- Regulatory Archives
Compliance requirements often mandate keeping data for years. Glacier ensures these records are safely stored at minimal cost. - Media Archives
Old videos, images, or production files that are rarely accessed can be stored affordably. - Backup and Disaster Recovery
Keep long-term backups in Glacier for added peace of mind. - Scientific Data
Store research datasets that need to be preserved but aren’t frequently analyzed.
Step-by-Step: Storing Data in Glacier
Here’s how to get started with Glacier:
Step 1: Create a Bucket
- Log in to the AWS Management Console.
- Go to S3 and create a new bucket for storing archives.
Step 2: Enable Lifecycle Policies
- Define a lifecycle policy to automatically move infrequently accessed data to Glacier.
- Set rules to transition data after a specific period (e.g., 90 days).
Step 3: Store and Retrieve Data
- Upload data to your S3 bucket as usual.
- Use the Glacier Storage Class to save costs.
- Retrieve data via the AWS Console or API when needed.
Retrieval Options in Glacier
When it comes to retrieving data, you’ve got options:
- Expedited: Get your data back in 1–5 minutes (higher cost).
- Standard: Retrieve data in 3–5 hours (balanced speed and cost).
- Bulk: Wait 5–12 hours for large-scale retrievals at the lowest cost.
Real-Life Example: Media Company Archiving Old Projects
A media company archives thousands of completed video projects. These files need to be stored for legal reasons but are rarely accessed. By using Glacier Deep Archive:
- They reduce storage costs by 80%.
- Retrieval remains available for rare occasions when old footage is needed.
Pro Tips for Using Glacier
- Plan for Retrieval Times: Glacier is not designed for instant access—use S3 Standard or Intelligent-Tiering for frequently accessed data.
- Automate with Lifecycle Rules: Transition older data to Glacier automatically based on usage patterns.
- Leverage Vault Lock: For compliance, Vault Lock can enforce immutability, ensuring data can’t be modified or deleted.
Cost Comparison: Glacier vs. Other Storage Classes
| Storage Class | Cost | Access Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | Higher cost, fast access. | Milliseconds. | Frequently accessed data. |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | Balanced cost, fast access. | Milliseconds. | Infrequent but unpredictable access. |
| S3 Glacier | Low cost. | Minutes to hours. | Long-term archives. |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | Lowest cost. | 12–48 hours. | Compliance or rarely accessed data. |
Conclusion: Cold Storage, Hot Savings
Amazon S3 Glacier is a lifesaver for organizations with massive amounts of data they need to keep but rarely access. Its durability, affordability, and security make it a top choice for archiving.
Ready to save big on storage? Start by setting up lifecycle rules in S3 and let Glacier handle your cold data needs.