S3 Intelligent Tiering

S3 Intelligent Tiering Automation

The S3 Intelligent Tiering Automation is a Cadence automation that automatically applies cost-effective storage classes to your S3 objects.

How It Works

graph LR
    A[S3 Intelligent Tiering] --> B[Scan S3 Buckets]
    B --> C[Analyze Object Access Patterns]
    C --> D[Apply Intelligent-Tiering]
    D --> E[Generate Report]
  1. Scan - Identifies S3 buckets across configured accounts and regions
  2. Analyze - Reviews object access patterns and current storage classes
  3. Apply - Enables S3 Intelligent-Tiering on eligible buckets/objects
  4. Report - Generates a report of changes made

What is S3 Intelligent-Tiering?

S3 Intelligent-Tiering is an AWS storage class that automatically moves objects between access tiers based on usage patterns:

TierAccess FrequencyStorage Cost
Frequent AccessAccessed regularlyStandard pricing
Infrequent AccessNot accessed for 30 days~40% less
Archive Instant AccessNot accessed for 90 days~68% less

Note: SkySaver currently enables the Archive Instant Access tier at 90 days. Additional archive tiers (Archive Access, Deep Archive Access) are not currently configured.

Benefits

  • Automatic optimization - No manual intervention required
  • No retrieval fees - Unlike other archive classes
  • Instant access - Objects remain immediately accessible
  • Predictable savings - Cost reduction without access impact

Prerequisites

  1. S3 Permissions - The SkySaver IAM role needs:

    • s3:ListAllMyBuckets
    • s3:GetBucketLocation
    • s3:PutBucketIntelligentTieringConfiguration
    • s3:GetBucketIntelligentTieringConfiguration

  2. Object Size - Intelligent-Tiering is most effective for objects > 128KB

Configuration

Enabling the Automation

  1. Navigate to Automations
  2. Find S3 Intelligent Tiering
  3. Click Enable
  4. The automation will apply S3 Intelligent-Tiering with Archive Instant Access at 90 days

Execution Schedule

As a Cadence automation, S3 Intelligent Tiering runs on a regular schedule (typically daily) to:

  • Detect new buckets
  • Apply configurations to new objects
  • Update reports

Viewing Results

After the automation runs:

  1. Navigate to Automation Reports
  2. Filter by S3 Intelligent Tiering
  3. View the execution report showing:
    • Buckets processed
    • Objects configured
    • Estimated savings

Exclusions

Some objects are not eligible for Intelligent-Tiering:

  • Objects smaller than 128KB
  • Objects with specific lifecycle rules
  • Objects in buckets with conflicting configurations

Cost Considerations

Cost TypeImpact
Monitoring fee$0.0025 per 1,000 objects/month
Storage savings40-68% depending on access patterns
Break-even pointUsually within 30 days

Troubleshooting

IssuePossible CauseSolution
Bucket not processedPermission deniedCheck S3 permissions in IAM role
No savings reportedObjects too smallIntelligent-Tiering has 128KB minimum
Configuration failedBucket policy conflictReview bucket policies