How S3 Intelligent-Tiering works - Amazon Simple Storage Service
S3 Intelligent-Tiering access tiers

How S3 Intelligent-Tiering works

The Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering storage class automatically stores objects in three access tiers. One tier is optimized for frequent access, one lower-cost tier is optimized for infrequent access, and another very low-cost tier is optimized for rarely accessed data. For a low monthly object monitoring and automation charge, S3 Intelligent-Tiering monitors access patterns and automatically moves objects to the Infrequent Access tier when they haven't been accessed for 30 consecutive days. After 90 days of no access, the objects are moved to the Archive Instant Access tier without performance impact or operational overhead.

To get the lowest storage cost for data that can be accessed in minutes to hours, activate archiving capabilities to add two additional access tiers. You can tier down objects to the Archive Access tier, the Deep Archive Access tier, or both. With Archive Access, S3 Intelligent-Tiering moves objects that have not been accessed for a minimum of 90 consecutive days to the Archive Access tier. With Deep Archive Access, S3 Intelligent-Tiering moves objects to the Deep Archive Access tier after a minimum of 180 consecutive days of no access. For both tiers, you can configure the number of days of no access based on your needs.

The following actions constitute access that prevents tiering your objects down to the Archive Access tier or the Deep Archive Access tier:

For example, if your objects are accessed through SelectObjectContent before your specified number of days of no access (for example, 180 days), that action resets the timer. Your objects won't move to the Archive Access tier or the Deep Archive Access tier until the time after the last SelectObjectContent request reaches your specified number of days.

If an object in the Infrequent Access tier or Archive Instant Access tier is accessed later, it is automatically moved back to the Frequent Access tier.

The following actions constitute access that automatically moves objects from the Infrequent Access tier or the Archive Instant Access tier back to the Frequent Access tier:

Other actions don't constitute access that automatically moves objects from the Infrequent Access tier or the Archive Instant Access tier back to the Frequent Access tier. The following is a sample, not a definitive list, of such actions:

You can configure S3 Intelligent-Tiering as your default storage class for newly created data by specifying INTELLIGENT-TIERING in your PutBucketIntelligentTieringConfiguration request header. S3 Intelligent-Tiering is designed for 99.9% availability and 99.999999999% durability.

Note

If the size of an object is less than 128 KB, it is not monitored and is not eligible for automatic tiering. Smaller objects are always stored in the Frequent Access tier.

S3 Intelligent-Tiering access tiers

The following section explains the different automatic and optional access tiers. When objects move between access tiers, the storage class remains the same (S3 Intelligent-Tiering).

Frequent Access tier (automatic)

This is the default access tier that any object created or transitioned to S3 Intelligent-Tiering begins its lifecycle in. An object remains in this tier as long as it is being accessed. The Frequent Access tier provides low latency and high-throughput performance.

Infrequent Access tier (automatic)

If an object is not accessed for 30 consecutive days, the object moves to the Infrequent Access tier. The Infrequent Access tier provides low latency and high-throughput performance.

Archive Instant Access tier (automatic)

If an object is not accessed for 90 consecutive days, the object moves to the Archive Instant Access tier. The Archive Instant Access tier provides low latency and high-throughput performance.

Archive Access tier (optional)

S3 Intelligent-Tiering provides you with the option to activate the Archive Access tier for data that can be accessed asynchronously. After activation, the Archive Access tier automatically archives objects that have not been accessed for a minimum of 90 consecutive days. You can extend the last access time for archiving to a maximum of 730 days. The Archive Access tier has the same performance as the S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval storage class.

Standard retrieval times for this access tier can range from 3–5 hours. If you initiate your restore request by using S3 Batch Operations, your restore starts within minutes. For more information about retrieval options and times, see Restoring objects from the S3 Intelligent-Tiering Archive Access and Deep Archive Access tiers.

Note

Only activate the Archive Access tier for 90 days if you want to bypass the Archive Instant Access tier. The Archive Access tier delivers slightly lower storage costs, with minute-to-hour retrieval times. The Archive Instant Access tier delivers millisecond access and high-throughput performance.

Deep Archive Access tier (optional)

S3 Intelligent-Tiering provides you with the option to activate the Deep Archive Access tier for data that can be accessed asynchronously. After activation, the Deep Archive Access tier automatically archives objects that have not been accessed for a minimum of 180 consecutive days. You can extend the last access time for archiving to a maximum of 730 days. The Deep Archive Access tier has the same performance as the S3 Glacier Deep Archive storage class.

Standard retrieval of objects in this access tier occurs within 12 hours. If you initiate your restore request by using S3 Batch Operations, your restore starts within 9 hours. For more information about retrieval options and times, see Restoring objects from the S3 Intelligent-Tiering Archive Access and Deep Archive Access tiers.

Note

Activate the Archive Access and Deep Archive Access tiers only if your objects can be accessed asynchronously by your application. If the object that you are retrieving is stored in the Archive Access or Deep Archive Access tiers, you must first restore the object by using the RestoreObject operation.