AWS S3 Storage Optimization: 12 Best Practices

published on 08 July 2024

Here's a quick guide to save money on AWS S3 storage:

  1. Choose the right storage class for your needs
  2. Use lifecycle policies to move data automatically
  3. Try S3 Intelligent-Tiering for mixed-use data
  4. Compress and archive old files
  5. Optimize object sizes for efficient storage
  6. Use S3 Bucket Keys for cheaper encryption
  7. Partition data for better management
  8. Use S3 Storage Lens to monitor usage
  9. Optimize data transfer methods
  10. Implement version control wisely
  11. Use S3 Select and Glacier Select for targeted data retrieval
  12. Regularly audit and clean up your storage
Best Practice Key Benefit
Right storage class Match cost to data access needs
Lifecycle policies Automate data movement to cheaper tiers
S3 Intelligent-Tiering Let AWS optimize storage costs
Compression Reduce data size and storage costs
Object size optimization Improve upload efficiency
S3 Bucket Keys Lower encryption costs
Data partitioning Easier management and faster access
S3 Storage Lens Gain insights on usage patterns
Transfer optimization Reduce data movement costs
Version control Protect data without wasting space
S3/Glacier Select Retrieve only needed data
Regular audits Remove unused files and optimize storage

By following these practices, you can cut S3 costs and improve storage efficiency.

1. Choose the Right Storage Class

Picking the best storage class is key to saving money on AWS S3. S3 has different storage types, each with its own uses and costs. Knowing how these storage classes work helps you pick the cheapest option for your data.

Storage Class Options

S3 has six storage classes:

Storage Class Best For Features
S3 Standard Often-used data Fast access, higher cost
S3 Intelligent-Tiering Mixed-use data Auto-moves data, saves money
S3 Standard-IA Less-used data Cheaper than Standard
S3 One Zone-IA Rarely used data Low cost, less backup
S3 Glacier Long-term storage Very cheap, slow access
S3 Glacier Deep Archive Backup data Cheapest, very slow access

When picking a storage class, think about:

  • How often you use the data
  • How fast you need to get it
  • How safe it needs to be
  • How much you can spend

2. Implement Lifecycle Policies

What are Lifecycle Policies?

Lifecycle policies are rules that tell S3 how to manage your files over time. They help you save money by moving or deleting files automatically.

How to Create a Lifecycle Policy

You can set up a lifecycle policy using:

  • S3 console
  • REST API
  • AWS SDKs
  • AWS CLI

S3 keeps these rules with your bucket.

Moving Files Between Storage Classes

You can use lifecycle policies to move files to cheaper storage classes. For example:

From To When
S3 Standard S3 Standard-IA After not using for a while
S3 Standard-IA S3 Glacier After longer periods of no use

This helps cut down on storage costs.

Getting Rid of Old Files

Lifecycle policies can also delete files you don't need anymore. This is good for things like:

  • Log files
  • Temporary data

Tips for Using Lifecycle Policies

  1. Know how often you use your files
  2. Use filters to apply rules to specific files
  3. Test your policies before using them on important data
  4. Keep an eye on your costs and change policies if needed

3. Utilize S3 Intelligent-Tiering

S3 Intelligent-Tiering

What is S3 Intelligent-Tiering?

S3 Intelligent-Tiering is a storage class that moves data between access tiers based on how often you use it. This helps cut costs without you having to do anything.

Why Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering?

Benefit Description
Cost savings Up to 40% less than S3 Standard
Performance Fast access and high throughput
Data safety 99.999999999% durability, 99.9% availability
Easy to use No extra fees or time limits

How It Works

S3 Intelligent-Tiering looks at how you use your data and moves it to the right tier. It can handle lots of data and many users, so it works for big and small companies.

Feature Description
Automatic analysis Checks data usage patterns
Smart moves Puts data in the best tier for cost
Scalability Works with any amount of data
No user action needed Manages tiers without your input

4. Compress and Archive Data

Data Compression

Squeezing your files before putting them on AWS S3 can help you save money on storage. Here's how:

Method What it does Good for
gzip Shrinks files Text files, logs
zip Packs files together Multiple files
bzip Strong compression Large files

Smaller files mean less storage space, which costs less.

Archiving Data

Storing old files you don't use much can also cut costs. AWS S3 has special storage types for this:

Storage Type Best for Cost Get files back
S3 Glacier Old files Cheap Hours
S3 Glacier Deep Archive Very old files Very cheap Days

These storage types cost less than regular S3, but it takes longer to get your files when you need them.

5. Optimize Object Size

Making sure your files are the right size can help you save money on AWS S3 storage. Files that are too big or too small can cost more to store and manage.

Object Size

When you put files in S3, think about how big they are:

File Size What to Do Why
Over 100 MB Use multipart uploads - Upload parts separately
- Fix network issues easily
- Pause and start again when needed
Under 128 KB Group small files together - Save money on moving to Glacier
- Cut down on extra storage costs

Multipart uploads let you send big files in pieces. This helps if your internet is slow or cuts out.

For tiny files, it's better to put them together before storing them long-term. This saves money when you move them to cheaper storage like Glacier.

6. Use S3 Bucket Keys for Encryption

Encryption

S3 Bucket Keys help cut costs when using AWS KMS for encryption in S3. They work by:

  • Reducing calls from S3 to AWS KMS
  • Lowering AWS KMS request costs by up to 99%

Here's how S3 Bucket Keys function:

Step Description
1 AWS makes a short-term key from AWS KMS
2 This key stays in S3 for a while
3 It creates data keys for new objects

S3 Bucket Keys work with:

  • AWS KMS-made keys
  • Imported key material
  • Custom key store key material

For old objects, use CopyObject to set up an S3 Bucket Key.

In shared buckets, teams can use their own AWS KMS keys. This helps:

  • Keep key info private
  • Give access to the right people
  • Meet rules about key control

Before using S3 Bucket Keys:

  1. Update IAM policies
  2. Change AWS KMS key policies
  3. Use your bucket ARN as the encryption context

This makes sure your policies work well with S3 Bucket Keys.

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7. Implement Proper Data Partitioning

Splitting your data into smaller parts can help you save money and get your files faster in AWS S3. Here's how to do it right:

Choose the Right Way to Split

Think about how you'll use your data when deciding how to split it. For example:

Data Type Good Way to Split
Time-based data By year/month/day
Customer data By region or ID range
Product data By category or brand

Splitting your data this way makes it easier to find and use later.

Make Prefixes Work for You

Use smart prefixes to help S3 handle lots of requests at once. Put the most varied part of your prefix first. This helps S3 spread out the work.

Help S3 SELECT Work Better

S3 SELECT

Good splitting also helps S3 SELECT look at less data when you ask for something. This makes it faster and cheaper to use.

Tips for Better Data Splitting

  • Keep your split method simple
  • Test different ways to see what works best
  • Change your method if your data use changes

8. Use S3 Storage Lens

S3 Storage Lens

S3 Storage Lens helps you see how you're using your S3 storage across your whole organization. It shows you trends in usage and activity, which can help you save money and keep your data safe.

What S3 Storage Lens Offers

Feature Free Paid
Basic metrics
Advanced metrics
Recommendations
Prefix grouping
CloudWatch publishing

How S3 Storage Lens Helps

Using S3 Storage Lens can help you:

  • Cut storage costs
  • Make your data safer
  • Follow rules better
  • Work more smoothly

Starting with S3 Storage Lens

To begin:

  1. Make a dashboard setup
  2. Pick your main region
  3. Choose which accounts and buckets to include
  4. Use the metrics to learn about your storage

For example, you can find out:

  • How much storage you're using overall
  • Which buckets are growing the fastest

9. Optimize Data Transfer

Moving data in and out of AWS S3 can cost money. Here's how to do it better and save:

Data Transfer Tips

Tip What it does How it helps
S3 Transfer Acceleration Uses Amazon's global network Makes uploads faster
VPC endpoints Connects S3 to your private network No extra charges in same region
AWS Direct Connect Links your site to AWS Faster and cheaper transfers
Keep data in one region Store data near where it's used Cuts down on moving costs

These tips can help you move data faster and cheaper in AWS S3.

Using S3 Transfer Acceleration

This tool uses Amazon's worldwide network to speed up uploads. It's good for:

  • Big files
  • Far-away users
  • Slow internet connections

Setting Up VPC Endpoints

VPC endpoints let you connect to S3 without going on the internet. This means:

  • No data transfer fees in the same region
  • Better security
  • Faster connections

AWS Direct Connect

This service gives you a private line to AWS. It's helpful if you:

  • Move lots of data often
  • Need steady, fast connections
  • Want to cut internet costs

Staying in One Region

Keeping your data in the same region as your users or apps can save money. It stops you from paying to move data between regions.

10. Implement Version Control Wisely

Version Control for Cost Optimization

Using version control in AWS S3 can help you save money and manage your data better. Here's how to do it right:

Enable Versioning on Buckets

Turn on versioning for buckets with important data. This lets you:

  • Keep different versions of a file in one bucket
  • Track changes easily
  • Get back deleted or changed files

Be Careful with Lifecycle Rules

When setting up lifecycle rules:

  • Check that you don't delete important versions by mistake
  • Look at your versioning plan often to keep costs down

Use Clear Names for Files

Give your files clear names. This helps you:

  • Find different versions easily
  • Manage old versions better
  • Cut down on storage costs
Tip What it does How it helps
Enable versioning Keeps multiple file versions Protects against mistakes
Check lifecycle rules Controls how versions are kept Stops accidental deletions
Use clear file names Makes versions easy to find Helps manage storage better

11. Use S3 Select and Glacier Select

Glacier Select

Getting Only the Data You Need

S3 Select and Glacier Select help you get just the data you want from your files in S3, instead of downloading everything. This saves money and makes things faster.

What They Do

Feature S3 Select Glacier Select
Works with CSV, JSON, Apache Parquet files Glacier objects
How it works Uses simple SQL to filter data Uses SQL to filter data
Good for Regular S3 storage Long-term, cheap storage

How They Help

Benefit Description
Lower costs Pay less for moving data
Faster results Get data quicker
Easier data work Filter out stuff you don't need
Better security Only get the data you ask for

Using S3 Select

You can use basic SQL commands like SELECT and WHERE to get data from your files. It also works with:

  • Files squeezed with GZIP or BZIP2 (for CSV and JSON)
  • Files that are locked with encryption

Using Glacier Select

This is good for companies that need to keep data for a long time because of rules. You can look through your Glacier files without getting everything out first.

12. Regular Auditing and Cleanup

Checking and cleaning up your AWS S3 storage often helps keep costs down. As you add more data, it's easy to forget about old or extra files, which can cost you money. Here's what to look at when you check your storage:

Storage Class

Look at how you're storing your data. Make sure you're using the cheapest options that work for you. Move data you don't use much to cheaper storage types like S3 Standard-Infrequent Access or S3 Glacier.

Lifecycle Policies

Check that your rules for moving or deleting data are set up right. This helps you avoid keeping data you don't need anymore.

Data Retrieval

Watch how you get your data. Try using S3 Select and Glacier Select to get only the data you need, not whole files.

Auditing

Check your S3 buckets often to find and remove files you don't use. This saves you money. You can use AWS tools like S3 Storage Lens to see how you're using your storage and find ways to save.

Task How It Helps
Check storage classes Use cheaper options for old data
Review lifecycle policies Move or delete data automatically
Monitor data retrieval Get only the data you need
Audit buckets Remove unused files

Conclusion

To wrap up, making AWS S3 storage work better helps save money in the cloud. By using the 12 tips we talked about, you can make your S3 storage cheaper, faster, and safer. Remember, keep checking and fixing your setup to keep S3 working well.

Here's a quick look at what to do:

Tip What it does
Pick the right storage type Saves money based on how you use data
Use lifecycle rules Moves or deletes files automatically
Try S3 Intelligent-Tiering Lets AWS move data to save money
Squeeze and store old files Takes up less space, costs less
Make files the right size Helps with uploads and long-term storage
Use S3 Bucket Keys Makes encryption cheaper
Split data smartly Makes finding and using data easier
Use S3 Storage Lens Shows how you're using storage
Move data carefully Saves money on data transfers
Use version control wisely Keeps old versions without wasting space
Try S3 Select and Glacier Select Gets only the data you need
Check and clean up often Removes files you don't need anymore

By using these tips, you can make AWS S3 work better for you. This helps your cloud setup run smoothly and cheaply. Whether you're new to the cloud or have been using it for a while, these ideas can help you get more out of S3 storage.

Keep looking at how you use S3 and make changes when you need to. This way, you'll keep your storage working well and save money over time.

FAQs

What is the best storage class for S3?

The best S3 storage class depends on how often you need your data:

Access Frequency Recommended Storage Class
Often S3 Standard or Intelligent Tiering
Less often Standard-IA, One Zone-IA, or Glacier

What is the cheapest S3 storage?

S3 Glacier Deep Archive is the cheapest option. It's good for:

  • Data you rarely need
  • Files kept for rules and laws
  • Information that can wait hours to get

How can I lower my Amazon S3 costs?

Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering to save money. It:

  • Moves data between three quick access tiers
  • Can store data you don't need right away
  • Works without you having to do anything
Feature Benefit
Auto-tiering Saves money on storage
Archive option Cuts costs for less-used data
No extra work Manages data movement for you

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