AWS S3: what is it and what can you use it for?

Cloud data storage revolutionizes the way businesses store, manage, and access their data. Instead of relying on traditional on-premises infrastructure, businesses and organizations can now leverage remote servers and networks to securely store and process data for yielding better business results. Among the various cloud storage options available, AWS S3 stands out as one of the most prevalent and widely-used choices. In this blogpost, we will delve into the features, advantages, and disadvantages of AWS S3 to help you decide if AWS S3 is for you.

📚 Further reading: Cloud storage: file storage, block storage, or object storage?

Amazon Simple Storage Services, or Amazon S3 for short, is a cloud-based object storage service provided by AWS. It is one of the most popular cloud storage solutions and AWS services for its high performance, cost-effectiveness, compliance capability, and global access, among many other reasons. Millions of companies and organizations use Amazon S3 across the world. Some of the most well-known ones are NASCAR, Shutterstock, Adidas Runtastic, Siemens, Nasdaq, 3M, and Union Bank.

Why do so many organizations choose to use AWS S3? As a cloud object storage solution, AWS S3 allows businesses to operate stably and grow constantly. AWS S3 shares the features of object storage and certainly has its own pros and cons. To help you get a better picture of AWS S3, we've put together a list of the advantages and disadvantages of using AWS S3.

AWS S3 Pros:

• High scalability, durability, and availability of data
• Simple and intuitive interface for object storage and retrieval
• Easy integration with other AWS services and 3rd applications
• Multiple storage classes to meet different needs (standard, infrequent access, Glacier)
• Built-in security features and access controls for data protection
• Multiple regions across the globe for data storage
• Extensive documentation and written guides

AWS S3 Cons:

• Pricing complexity, including storage, data transfer, and request costs
• Potential for unexpected expenses if not carefully monitored and planned
• Retrieval times for infrequently accessed or archived data may have latency
• Limited control over underlying infrastructure and storage architecture
• Some advanced features and functionalities may require additional configuration or expertise

Due to its scalability and reliability as a cloud data storage option, Amazon S3 can be used for a wide variety of occasions by both individuals and businesses. The following are some of the most common use cases of AWS S3:

• Data Backup and Recovery: AWS S3 is commonly used for secure and cost-effective data backup and recovery solutions. S3 ensures durability and availability while eliminating the need for on-premises storage infrastructure.
• Static Website Hosting: With AWS's global infrastructure and content delivery networks (CDNs), you can easily create reliable websites.
• Content Distribution: S3 can seamlessly integrate with AWS CloudFront, which allows businesses to distribute their static and dynamic content globally with low latency and high data transfer speeds, enhancing the user experience for customers accessing websites or downloading files.
• Data Archiving and Long-Term Storage: With S3's low-cost storage classes, organizations can efficiently archive and store large volumes of data for long periods. This is particularly useful for compliance requirements, regulatory obligations, and long-term data retention.
• Big Data Analytics: S3 is often used as a data lake for big data analytics workflows. It serves as a central repository for storing and processing large datasets, making it easier for organizations to leverage AWS analytics services such as Amazon Athena, Redshift Spectrum, or EMR (Elastic MapReduce) for data analysis and insights.

AWS S3 bucket

A bucket is what you need to create when you first start using AWS S3. You can create it in any AWS region you'd like to store your data and name it as you wish. After a bucket is created, you can then select the tier for the data to be stored in this bucket based on your needs for redundancy and accessibility as well as budget. You can also have data of different S3 tiers in the same bucket. You can manage your buckets and data using the AWS Management Console. With AWS S3, you have various configuration options with buckets. You can also create and manage sub-resources and bucket configuration data or create object-level configurations. When you create a bucket, you automatically have access to it and the resources in it. You can easily share access with another AWS account. There are three main ways you can grant access privileges:

• Bucket policies
• AWS identity and access management service
• ACLs (Acess Control Lists)

AWS S3 bucket features

• Versioning control: preserves all versions of an object, to avoid accidental deletion during operations like copying or deleting.
• Object ownership: a bucket-level setting, streamlines access management by disabling ACLs and granting ownership of every object within the bucket.
• Object replication: enables the automatic replication of objects across different AWS regions using S3 Cross-Region Replication or within the same region using Same-Region Replication.
• Transfer Acceleration: ensures fast and secure transfers between clients and S3 buckets via AWS edge locations.
• Block Public Access: provides a set of security controls to prevent public access to S3 buckets and objects.
• Audit logs: capture all access log entries for auditing purposes.
• Object tagging: allows users to restrict and manage access to S3 objects, facilitating the creation of IAM policies, customization of storage metrics, and configuration of lifecycle policies.

AWS storage classes and pricing Like many cloud services, AWS S3 is charged based on your usage and the specific classes and tiers you choose. To meet your specific needs, AWS offers a wide range of tiers for S3:

• Amazon S3 Standard (S3 Standard)
• Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering (S3 Intelligent-Tiering)
• Amazon S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA)
• Amazon S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (S3 One Zone-IA)
• Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
• Amazon S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval (Formerly S3 Glacier)
• Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive
• S3 on Outposts

Before committing to any cloud service, it is important to carefully examine your needs, such as the intended use, data storage needs, frequency of data retrieval, and more. Hi Cloud experts can help you in strategizing your cloud storage solution and determining the potential benefits of leveraging AWS S3. Additionally, we provide complimentary 24/7 technical support to address any concerns you may have. Take advantage of our free consultation by scheduling an appointment with us today. Contact our cloud experts now and learn more about how to make the most of Amazon S3.