The different types of AWS’ S3 Object storage
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We often get asked which S3 object storage provider is the best, which we recommend, and which is the cheapest.
We have yet to see significant differences between the UK instances of Wasabi, Azure (blobs), and AWS S3. We use all three within our business, and some in multiple locations. Although they have all suffered minor service degradation, we have never lost access to any instances or data. Based on that alone, they are the same.
**** Consider these costs when choosing cloud storage, as certain storage classes may have additional expenses associated with data transfer (egress), requests, and retrieval.
All versions of the BOBcloud backup software allow you to use any S3-compatible storage destination for your backups. Glacier is not supported but it is shown here for comparison. You can have multiple backup destinations on any of the thousands of cloud storage providers or your local storage wherever you locate it.
What about speed?
Again, we have yet to see any performance issues between them.
A Word on Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)
Amazon S3 is the outright leader in cloud object storage because of its feature-rich capabilities. To your surprise, AWS S3 achieves up to 99.999999999% durability, making it one of the top-notch object storage services globally.
They keep your data in various availability zones or AZ to safeguard and avoid losing it. It means you do not have to worry about threats and site-level failures. Each availability zone is at most 100 miles far from each other.
The Significance of Object Storage in Modern Data Management
They keep your data in various availability zones or AZ to safeguard and avoid losing it. It means you do not have to worry about threats and site-level failures. Each availability zone is at most 100 miles far from each other.
Because of the unstructured format, maintaining the data in a central repository is difficult. Analysing the data and running machine learning algorithms will also be challenging. Additionally, the data will not be scalable, and managing such massive data is not cost-effective.
With object storage management, you can manage your unstructured data under a single roof with a user-friendly application interface. This will make analysis more accessible, and the business can save time to brainstorm on other innovations that will benefit its growth.
Use cases for object storage
Before learning about the types of S3 storage, let’s examine why intelligent businesses use object storage.
- Analytics: With all your data of different formats under one roof with high scalability, you can efficiently perform big data analytics and get critical insights regarding your customers, marketing strategies, operations, and revenues.
- Data Lake: With object storage, you only pay for the storage you use. Additionally, it has enormously high scalability, which can align with your business needs. With encryption and access control functions, you can nondisruptively increase your storage from gigabytes to several petabytes.
- Data Archiving: Some data types will be mandatory for the business to store for extended periods. These could include financial records, essential media files, database backups, and customer details.
With object storage, you can cost-effectively archive vast amounts of data while maintaining security and compliance, making it the best candidate for long-term retention policies.
What about the different flavours of AWS' S3?
This is a good question because there are multiple AWS storage types and many flavours for different purposes. You can have a hot or cool blob. You can opt for a single data centre storage (LRS) that fits your needs. Besides LRS, you can benefit from replicated multi-data centre storage (ZRS).
AWS S3 is among the most popular storage platforms. It provides high scalability, strong encryption, and durability. Here, we compare different AWS S3 types and their associated costs in GBP.
AWS S3 Standard:
The AWS S3 Standard is the default storage class. If you do not specify the class when uploading, AWS will assign you the S3 standard. S3 standard is best for millisecond access, reducing latency and allowing for quick data retrieval. It stores your data in at least three different availability zones for better protection.
The first 50 TB of data usage will be GBP 0.023 per GB monthly. For example, if one has 500 TB in data size, the user can avail of a GBP of 0.021 per GB per month.
AWS S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA)
The S3 Standard-Infrequent Access storage class stores infrequently accessed data but provides it immediately once requested. It functions similarly to the S3 Standard, allowing customers to store data in the same way at a lower cost.
S3 Standard-IA storage costs GBP 0.0125 per GB per month for storing the first 50 TB of data. If you store 500 TB of data, the cost is GBP 0.0105 per GB per month.
AWS S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (S3 One Zone-IA)
The S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access is one of the profit S3 types because you can recreate it in the event of a loss. This storage class stores data in a single availability zone and is, therefore, less durable than S3 Standard and S3 Standard-IA due to the absence of multi-AZ protection.
S3 One Zone-IA storage costs GBP 0.01 per GB per month for up to 50 TB. If you use 500 TB of storage, it will cost GBP 0.008 per GB per month.
AWS S3 Intelligent-Tiering
Another candidate in the S3 storage options is the S3 Intelligent Tiering, designed for data with unknown or changing access patterns. It automatically moves data between two access tiers based on changing access patterns. This storage class offers the same durability and availability as S3 Standard but at a lower cost for infrequently accessed data.
The cost of S3 Intelligent-Tiering storage is GBP 0.023 per GB per month for the first 50 TB of data. If you store 500 TB of data, the price will be GBP 0.021 per GB per month.
AWS S3 Glacier (not supported)
The S3 Glacier storage class serves as a solution for long-term archival storage. It offers low cost and high durability, though data retrieval times can range from minutes to hours.
The cost of S3 Glacier storage is GBP 0.0038 per GB per month for the first 50 TB of data. If you store 500 TB of data, the price will be GBP 0.0032 per GB per month.
AWS S3 Glacier Deep Archive (not supported)
The last candidate in the AWS S3 storage types list is the S3 Glacier Deep Archive storage class, designed for rarely accessed data that needs long-term storage. It offers the lowest-cost storage option, though data retrieval times can range from hours to days.
S3 Glacier Deep Archive storage costs GBP 0.0009 per GB per month for the first 50 TB of data. If you store 500 TB of data, the cost will be GBP 0.0007 per GB per month.
Comparison of S3 Storage Providers and Costs:
The most cost-effective storage class for long-term data retention is the S3 Glacier Deep Archive. As a trade-off, you will experience significantly longer retrieval times than other storage classes.
The S3 Standard, S3 Standard-IA, and S3 Intelligent-Tiering offer similar results regarding availability and durability. However, they differ in terms of cost and access patterns. The S3 Standard is the most expensive storage but offers immediate access to data. However, if you want infrequent access to the data, you can benefit significantly from the cost that the S3 Standard-IA provides.
S3 Intelligent-Tiering offers lower-cost storage for data with changing access patterns but can have higher retrieval costs. S3 One Zone-IA is cheaper than S3 Standard-IA but offers lower durability as it stores data in a single availability zone. This storage class may suit data you can recreate if lost.
Understanding Egress and Retrieval Costs in S3 Storage
Paying for the storage capacity is another aspect, but there are several more that you need to consider before finalising any of the S3 storage types. For instance, you need to pay for the data transfers, and the price depends on the amount of data and the destination.
Additionally, there are charges for object retrieval API calls. You must pay for all bandwidth into and out of the AWS S3. There will be per-request ingest charges whenever you use lifecycle rules, COPY, and PUT to move your data in any storage class.
Conclusion:
S3, provided by AWS, currently comprises numerous storage classes, allowing customers to enjoy performance, cost, and durability. The correct storage class for your application depends on your access patterns, data retention requirements, and budget.
S3 Standard, S3 Standard-IA, and S3 Intelligent-Tiering are suitable for data that requires immediate or infrequent access, while S3 Glacier and S3 Glacier Deep Archive are suitable for long-term archival storage. S3 One Zone-IA is a cheaper option but offers lower durability.
When choosing a storage class, it is essential to consider the additional costs associated with data transfer, requests, and retrieval.
Remember, you can use any S3-compatible storage in a BOBcloud backup. Glacier is not supported but is shown here for comparison.