AWS S3 Cross Region Replication Made Easy

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Posted Oct 24, 2024

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You can replicate data from one AWS S3 bucket to another in a different region, which is useful for disaster recovery and data backup.

This process is called cross-region replication, and it's a key feature of Amazon S3.

With cross-region replication, you can reduce the risk of data loss and ensure business continuity by maintaining multiple copies of your data in different regions.

Replication is asynchronous, which means it's not in real-time, but it's still very fast, with most replication tasks completing within minutes.

Setting Up S3

To set up S3 bucket replication, you'll need to create two buckets in S3: a source region bucket and a target region bucket. For example, you can create a source region bucket named s3replicationsource-us-east-1 and a target region bucket named s3replicationtarget-us-west-1.

Next, you'll need to create a bucket replication rule. This rule will determine which objects to replicate and where to replicate them. You can choose the replication rule status and name, and scope the rule to filter by prefix, tag, or all objects in the source bucket. You'll also need to choose the destination bucket, which can be the same account or a different account.

Credit: youtube.com, Amazon S3 Cross Region Replication | Amazon Web Services

To replicate objects, you'll need to create a new IAM role or use an existing S3 required permissions enabled IAM role. You can also choose to enable encryption on replication and select the destination bucket's storage class. Additionally, you can choose to replicate existing objects as a batch job when you save the replication rule.

Setting Up a Bucket

To set up a bucket in S3, you need to create two buckets in different regions. For example, you can create a source region bucket in us-east-1 and a target region bucket in us-west-1. This is the first step in setting up Cross Region Replication.

You can create buckets in S3 by clicking on the "create a bucket" option in the top right corner of the S3 homepage. This will open up a window where you can configure your new S3 bucket by providing details such as a unique name for your bucket and its region.

Credit: youtube.com, Amazon/AWS S3 (Simple Storage Service) Basics | S3 Tutorial, Creating a Bucket | AWS for Beginners

The newly created S3 bucket will be visible in the bucket details section. To set up Cross Region Replication, you need to create another bucket in a different region, which is the same as the source bucket except for the replication configuration.

Here's a summary of the bucket creation process:

Both buckets need to be configured with the same details, except for the replication configuration, which will be set up later.

Deleting Files and Markers

Deleting files and markers in S3 requires some careful consideration. If you delete a file from the source bucket, it won't be deleted in the destination bucket, even with Cross-Region Replication enabled.

To delete objects from under S3 Versioning, AWS adds a special marker called a DeleteMarker. This marker won't be copied to the destination bucket.

If you make a DELETE request without specifying an object version ID, Amazon S3 adds a delete marker. This marker is dealt with as follows:

  • Amazon S3 adds a delete marker.
  • Amazon S3 doesn't replicate the deletion in the destination bucket.

DeleteMarkers are not present in the destination bucket by default. To enable DeleteMarker replication, you need to apply specific configuration changes.

Credit: youtube.com, S3 Delete Marker - How a deleted S3 object can be recovered

The DeleteMarkerReplication status must be set to "Enabled" for replication to work. If it's "Disabled", replication won't occur.

If you delete a file in the source bucket before changing the DeleteMarkers behavior, it will be deleted in the destination bucket without any issues. However, if you delete a file after changing the behavior, a DeleteMarker will be present in the destination bucket, effectively "deleting" the file.

To ensure successful deletion and replication, check the IAM role used for Cross-Region Replication. The "s3:ReplicateDelete" action must be present in the Actions list.

Understanding S3 Replication

S3 replication is a process of copying data from one bucket to another in an automatic manner, without affecting other operations.

Data replication in S3 allows you to replicate data across buckets, either in the same region or in a different region, known as Cross Region Replication S3.

With S3 replication, you can maintain metadata and store information such as origin, modifications, etc. of the data source.

Amazon S3 maintains metadata and allows users to store information such as origin, modifications, etc. of the data source and monitor any changes.

For more information on S3 replication, you can check the official documentation, which is available for further reference.

Setup Steps

Credit: youtube.com, Configuring Cross-Region Replication in Amazon S3

To set up AWS S3 Cross Region Replication, you'll need to follow these steps.

First, create buckets in S3. This is a crucial step in the process.

Next, create an IAM user to manage your buckets and replication settings. This will give you the necessary permissions to configure your replication settings.

Then, configure the bucket policy in S3 to allow replication. This policy will determine what actions can be taken on your buckets.

After that, initialize cross region replication in S3. This is where you'll set up the replication settings and choose the destination bucket.

Here are the specific steps to create an IAM role for replication:

Finally, check if the IAM role is present before proceeding with the replication setup.

Security and Permissions

To set up AWS S3 cross-region replication securely, you need to check the IAM role used. The "s3:ReplicateDelete" action must be present in the IAM role's permissions.

This ensures that the replication process has the necessary permissions to delete objects in the destination bucket. Great – both files found, both have DeleteMarkers.

IAM: Delete

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To ensure you can delete objects in S3, the IAM role used must have the "s3:ReplicateDelete" action present in its permissions.

This action is crucial for cross-region replication.

The IAM role used should be checked first, as mentioned in the Setting Up Permissions for Cross-Region Replication section.

The "s3:ReplicateDelete" action must be present in the Actions list.

Great – both files found, both have DeleteMarkers.

Bucket Policy

S3 Bucket Policy is a crucial aspect of securing your AWS resources.

To manage permissions, you can export an existing S3 policy, as shown in Example 1, where you check its content and remove certain parameters to create a new version.

The problem with current CRR config version 2 is that it can't replicate DeleteMarkers, and AWS Support has acknowledged this issue, stating that their internal team is working on a fix.

CORS

CORS is a security feature that allows client web applications to access restricted resources from another domain.

Credit: youtube.com, CORS in 100 Seconds

All browsers implement the Same-Origin policy, which restricts web pages from requesting resources from a different domain.

CORS allows cross-origin access to resources, making it possible for client web applications to access resources from another domain.

With CORS support, S3 allows cross-origin access to S3 resources, which is a significant advantage for developers.

CORS configuration rules identify the origins allowed to access the bucket, the operations (HTTP methods) that would be supported for each origin, and other operation-specific information.

Here are the key components of CORS configuration rules:

  • Origins allowed to access the bucket
  • Operations (HTTP methods) supported for each origin
  • Other operation-specific information

Cross-Region Replication

Cross-Region Replication is a powerful feature of AWS S3 that allows you to replicate objects between buckets in different regions. This is done automatically, without affecting any other operation.

You can use Cross-Region Replication to meet regulatory compliance, business continuity, and disaster recovery requirements. For example, you can store data in a specific region to satisfy compliance requirements.

Here are some key use cases for Cross-Region Replication:

  • Compliance Requirements: Store data in a specific region to satisfy compliance requirements.
  • Minimize Latency: Maintain object copies in AWS regions that are geographically closer to your users.
  • Maintain object copies under different ownership: Change the ownership of the source bucket to the destination bucket.
  • Regional efficiency: Maintain object copies in multiple AWS regions for compute clusters that analyze the same objects.

Cross-Region Replication is fully managed, customizable, and low-cost, making it an attractive solution for businesses with global operations.

Cross-Region Setup

Credit: youtube.com, Setup Cross Region Replication and Versioning in S3

To set up cross-region replication in S3, you need to create two buckets in different regions. For example, you can create a source bucket in the US East region (s3replicationsource-us-east-1) and a target bucket in the US West region (s3replicationtarget-us-west-1).

You can choose the replication rule status and name, and scope to filter by prefix, tag, or all objects to replicate in the source bucket. The destination bucket can be in the same account or a different account.

You'll need to create a new IAM role or use an existing S3 required permissions enabled IAM role to enable replication. You can also choose to enable encryption on replication and select the destination bucket storage class.

One-time replication is an option to replicate existing objects in the source bucket as a batch job when you save the replication rule. This ensures that any objects added to the source bucket will be replicated to the target bucket, including modifications, edits, and deletions.

Credit: youtube.com, Set Up Cross-Region S3 Bucket Replication

Here's a summary of the replication options:

With these options, you can set up cross-region replication in S3 and ensure that your data is replicated across regions, including any modifications, edits, and deletions.

Use Cases

Cross-Region Replication is a powerful feature that can be applied in various scenarios to meet specific needs. Compliance requirements can be satisfied by storing data in a specific region, which is a key benefit of Cross Region Replication.

One of the most significant advantages of Cross Region Replication is minimizing latency. By maintaining copies of data in geographically closer AWS regions, you can significantly reduce the time it takes for your customers to access their data.

You can also use Cross Region Replication to maintain object copies under different ownership. This is especially useful when you need to transfer ownership of data from one AWS account to another.

Regional efficiency can also be achieved through Cross Region Replication. If you have compute clusters in multiple AWS Regions analyzing the same set of objects, maintaining object copies in all those regions can be beneficial.

Credit: youtube.com, Amazon S3: Cross-Region Replication and Versioning

Here are the four primary use cases for Cross Region Replication:

  • Compliance Requirements: Store data in a specific region to meet regulatory requirements.
  • Minimize Latency: Maintain copies of data in geographically closer AWS regions to reduce access time.
  • Maintain object copies under different ownership: Transfer ownership of data from one AWS account to another.
  • Regional efficiency: Maintain object copies in multiple AWS Regions for compute clusters analyzing the same objects.

Same-Region

Same-Region Replication is a powerful feature that enables you to copy objects across S3 buckets in the same AWS region.

S3 Same-Region Replication, or SRR, is used for this purpose. This feature helps you maintain multiple copies of your data within the same region, which can be useful in various scenarios.

You can replicate all or a subset of objects with specific key name prefixes. For example, if you have a bucket with a large number of objects, you can replicate only the objects with a specific prefix, such as "important-documents".

S3 encrypts all data in transit across the region using SSL, ensuring the security and integrity of your data during replication.

Object replicas in the destination bucket are exact replicas of the objects in the source bucket, with the same key names and metadata.

Objects can be replicated to a single destination bucket or multiple destination buckets, giving you flexibility in how you manage your data.

Credit: youtube.com, What is Amazon S3 Replication (Hands-on) | Cross Region Replication (CRR) | Same Region Replication

Here are some scenarios where Same-Region Replication can be useful:

* Disaster recovery: By replicating your data to multiple buckets within the same region, you can ensure that your data is always available, even in the event of an outage or disaster.Content distribution: Same-Region Replication can help you distribute your content across multiple buckets, making it easier to serve your data to users in different parts of the region.Data archiving: You can use Same-Region Replication to archive your data in a separate bucket, making it easier to manage and retrieve your data over time.

Ismael Anderson

Lead Writer

Ismael Anderson is a seasoned writer with a passion for crafting informative and engaging content. With a focus on technical topics, he has established himself as a reliable source for readers seeking in-depth knowledge on complex subjects. His writing portfolio showcases a range of expertise, including articles on cloud computing and storage solutions, such as AWS S3.

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