AWS Storage Classes

• S3 storage classes are used to assist the concurrent loss of data in one or two facilities.
• S3 storage classes maintain the integrity of the data using checksums.
• S3 provides lifecycle management for the automatic migration of objects for cost savings.

S3 contains four types of storage classes:

• S3 Standard
• S3 Standard IA
• S3 one zone-infrequent access
• S3 Glacier

S3 Standard

• Standard storage class stores the data redundantly across multiple devices in multiple facilities.
• It is designed to sustain the loss of 2 facilities concurrently.
• Standard is a default storage class if none of the storage class is specified during upload.
• It provides low latency and high throughput performance.
• It designed for 99.99% availability and 99.999999999% durability

S3 Standard IA

• IA stands for infrequently accessed.
• Standard IA storage class is used when data is accessed less frequently but requires rapid access when needed.
• It has a lower fee than S3, but you will be charged for a retrieval fee.
• It is designed to sustain the loss of 2 facilities concurrently.
• It is mainly used for larger objects greater than 128 KB kept for atleast 30 days.
• It provides low latency and high throughput performance.
• It designed for 99.99% availability and 99.999999999% durability

S3 one zone-infrequent access

• S3 one zone-infrequent access storage class is used when data is accessed less frequently but requires rapid access when needed.
• It stores the data in a single availability zone while other storage classes store the data in a minimum of three availability zones. Due to this reason, its cost is 20% less than Standard IA storage class.
• It is an optimal choice for the less frequently accessed data but does not require the availability of Standard or Standard IA storage class.
• It is a good choice for storing the backup data.
• It is cost-effective storage which is replicated from other AWS region using S3 Cross Region replication.
• It has the same durability, high performance, and low latency, with a low storage price and low retrieval fee.
• It designed for 99.5% availability and 99.999999999% durability of objects in a single availability zone.
• It provides lifecycle management for the automatic migration of objects to other S3 storage classes.
• The data can be lost at the time of the destruction of an availability zone as it stores the data in a single availability zone.

S3 Glacier

• S3 Glacier storage class is the cheapest storage class, but it can be used for archive only.
• You can store any amount of data at a lower cost than other storage classes.
• S3 Glacier provides three types of models:
  • Expedited: In this model, data is stored for a few minutes, and it has a very higher fee.
  • Standard: The retrieval time of the standard model is 3 to 5 hours.
  • Bulk: The retrieval time of the bulk model is 5 to 12 hours.
• You can upload the objects directly to the S3 Glacier.
• It is designed for 99.999999999% durability of objects across multiple availability zones.

Performance across the Storage classes