Sunil Morya - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 5
Deploys in minutes, easily scalable, and extremely stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The integration with Cloudfront helps in fetching the static phase and default phases in case our actual service is down."
  • "I would like a batch downloading option added to the AWS console."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution to put our static web pages on the backend servers when we use Cloudfront if a transformation is required. When a request reaches Cloudfront, we have to mask some information in the response by transporting it.

The solution masks or transforms the request so the backend can understand them. For example, We have a proxy server in between the NGINX engine, and when a request hits the NGINX engine, it has a different format. The NGINX engine converts and secures the information before hitting the Cloudfront. We use the Lambda function which is a Python program so the code body stays in the Amazon S3 bucket and when a response is returned from the backend server we can mask some of the information, keeping only the required information for the end response.

I also use Amazon S3 for batch processing. Two gigabytes is a lot of data, especially if we are adding or updating information. If we have a Java application, it can take a long time to process two gigabytes of data. I split the data into multiple 50 or 30-MB files to make it easier to process.  I created a manifest file that specified which rows belonged to which files. Then I used the solutions batch processing with Lambda to create a pipeline that performs batch operations.

I use the solution for life cycle management. The information goes from the standard storage to the infrequent, and after 30 days it is moved to the glacier.

How has it helped my organization?

Amazon S3 provides us with a ready-made server. We have the option to secure our case from public access, We can give access to the targeted audiences only with the signed page and signed requests. A signed request is also provided to the target audience so that they can use the link for requesting the object to be seen by the Amazon S3 bucket. We have a cloud formation template that we restored into Amazon S3 and during the launch of the AWS services, we only needed to execute the command from the Amazon S3 bucket. With the solution, we can simply provide our resources and files to Amazon for the code references using Lambda functions instead of keeping tiny scripts in the Amazon S3 bucket to restore codes.

What is most valuable?

The integration with Cloudfront helps in fetching the static phase and default phases in case our actual service is down. Instead of our customers receiving a response that something is happening in the background and trying the site later, we can redirect our page from one page to another, using the Amazon S3 bucket links in Cloudfront.

What needs improvement?

I would like a batch downloading option added to the AWS console. If we have a bucket in Amazon S3 and for example, we have 50 files that we want to download locally on our system, we need to download them one by one. We can batch-download the files with the command, but from the AWS console, we cannot select all the files and download them into a folder. 

An option to delete multiple files at one time would be a nice feature to be added to the AWS console because we currently have to specify the individual file names. For example, if five files are present, and we want to delete them, then each file name has to be entered separately.

Buyer's Guide
Amazon S3
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Amazon S3. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
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For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is extremely stable. I give the stability ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scaled automatically because it is cloud-based. Whatever our demand is the solution has no limitations or restrictions. 

I give scalability ten out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

We have only had the need for technical support three times using the solution and they were not able to resolve two of the issues because they were not supported by them. In most cases, we are able to resolve the issues using the information found on forums.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we used our local hard disc and the local remote service. We were facing a lot of problems that cloud solutions have solved, like availability, and down servers or IP not reachable. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. At the time of our deployment, we had one issue with our targeted audience not being able to access specific pages even after we followed the guidelines and video tutorials from AWS. This was three years ago and has probably been addressed. 

The deployment only takes a few minutes depending on the context. We just run our command from either the CLI or the AWS console and the smart configuration is complete.

What about the implementation team?

Most of the time we work with our customers and they provide us with their network settings and all the AWS services that will be hosted in their network. Once a customer has created their accounts, and has applied their security and network settings, they provide us with the working space and using that information, we can deploy Amazon S3 to their network.

What was our ROI?

There is a 70 percent return on investment when transferring from external storage to Amazon S3.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost is based on the amount of storage required and if we exceed the data transfer rate across regions.

If we use an external encryption key and not the one included by AWS, the data transfer between the key server and our Amazon S3 server will incur a charge.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution ten out of ten.

The solution is a web service that is hosted on the cloud only. Even if we tried to deploy it on-premise, we couldn't because AWS has the outpost service. Outposts are a way to create an AWS cloud environment locally, but some services are not available. S3 is a regional service and has to be serverless. 

Amazon S3 doesn't require any maintenance except perhaps one or two people for identity access management and a way to validate users.

All of our AWS developers use Amazon S3 including our migration people who have to take a backup using the solution for all the projects.

Amazon S3 is the perfect service for all applications for personal use. Anyone can use this solution regardless of their location with an AWS user account. The solution offers good web service and is perfect for anyone that wants to set up a minimal startup static web page for information purposes easily.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Darshan Divekar - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Technical Manager -Information Technology at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 10
Reliable, responsive support, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "Amazon S3 is a stable solution."
  • "Amazon S3 could improve the load balancers. They are very basic compared to other solutions in the industry, such as F5. It has to be able to be analyzed up to a certain level."

What is our primary use case?

We have multiple use cases for Amazon S3. We use Amazon S3 for storing static data and as a static site load balancer.

What needs improvement?

Amazon S3 could improve the load balancers. They are very basic compared to other solutions in the industry, such as F5. It has to be able to be analyzed up to a certain level. 

The basic features need some improvement, users should not have to use any third-party solutions, Amazon S3 should provide those particular features. The feature at present does not suffice most of the requirements of an enterprise-class organization.

The security could improve in Amazon S3. I am not seeing any value in the solution in security.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Amazon S3 for more than two and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Amazon S3 is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Amazon S3 is good. However, it could be changed to make it much better than it is today.

We have approximately 25 projects that are using this solution.

How are customer service and support?

We have 24/h support from Amazon S3 and their support has been very good. We have had quick response times. Within two to three days our issue gets resolved.

I rate the support from Amazon S3 a four out of five.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Amazon S3 is of a medium level of difficulty. It's not easy or difficult. There are certain things that need to change from a documentation perspective, or from an ease of use perspective. The configuration needs to be more user-friendly. The full deployment of Amazon S3 took approximately 15 days.

What about the implementation team?

We did the implementation of Amazon S3 in-house.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license to use Amazon S3.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before doing any project we have criteria sheets to follow, we evaluate any solution on-premise or on the cloud. We compare all the cloud solutions, such as Oracle, Azure, and GCP, and whichever solution we find better for our requirement, we design a solution using it.

Our main corporate website is posted on Amazon S3 and our evaluations determined Amazon S3 was the best solution for our use case. This is why we choose it.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to others is Amazon S3 is a good solution. However, it depends on the use case that you have. This will determine if this solution is the best fit or if another solution would be better. The requirements of your use case have to be met.

I rate Amazon S3 an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Amazon S3
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Amazon S3. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Ekule Mbeng - PeerSpot reviewer
DevOps Engineer at United Vision
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Object storage service that provides comprehensive security and MFA that prevents accidental deletion of data
Pros and Cons
  • "The versioning of this solution for accidental deletion has been most valuable."
  • "You need to fully understand the solution's best practices to get the most out of its security features."

What is our primary use case?

We use Amazon s3 to store objects like data in my environment.

How has it helped my organization?

In one of my previous environments, I was brought in to help with the challenges they were facing resulting from a data breach in the S3 bucket. What I noticed in that environment was that every user had full access into their S3 bucket, and accidentally deleted data without a trace.

They did not know how some of their data was missing. One of the first services I suggested was enforcing access control by applying IM best practices, such as granting list privilege permission to our users to avoid overpowering them. I created a single group and then applied specific permissions to that group.

All users added to that group were able to inherit the same permission and privileges. Versioning was enabled which keeps multiple variant of objects in the same bucket and also safeguards against accidental deletions. I also enabled multi-factor authentication which prevented accidental bug deletion by requiring the user who initiate the delete action to prove physical possession of an MFA device with an MFA code. 

What is most valuable?

The versioning of this solution for accidental deletion has been most valuable. 

What needs improvement?

You need to fully understand the solution's best practices to get the most out of its security features. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable solution. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable solution. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. 

What was our ROI?

We have seen a return on investment with S3.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I would rate the pricing a nine out of ten. Pricing depends on a particular class where you want save your objects. There are different classes when it comes to storage in S3.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others that this is a scalable solution that offers comprehensive security. 

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Didar Moldabekov - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Database Administrator at Overonix Technologies
Real User
Top 5
Easily connects with the cloud, hardware, or other services to move data
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution easily connects with the cloud, hardware, or other services to move data."
  • "The solution requires you to buy and use Amazon services."

What is our primary use case?

Our company uses the solution for backups, data pumps, files, and logs. Our projects connect to the solution rather than individual users connecting to it. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is within the Amazon architecture so it easily connects with the cloud, hardware, or other services to move data. We do not need to connect to direct services to download data. 

What needs improvement?

The solution requires you to buy and use Amazon services. 

The solution could be more auto functional. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for one year. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good so I rate it a ten out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. It is easy to add gigabytes or more users and is more a question of budget. 

How are customer service and support?

I have not needed technical support. 

How was the initial setup?

The setup is very easy. Every junior Dev Ops can set up the solution and use data storage. 

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution in-house. 

There is no deployment because it is a data storage solution. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is very inexpensive at 50 cents per gigabyte, per month. 

Some packages or discounts are available. Big companies can use the solution for free. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

You can use the solution for projects that are within the Amazon architecture. 

You cannot use the solution if you have your own services or data centers because it is dependent on the Amazon architecture. 

If you have a service such as Azure in Amazon, then you can use the stream but not the solution directly. 

What other advice do I have?

The solution is great for data and cloud storage. 

I recommend the solution and rate it an eight out of ten.  

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Victor Bergman - PeerSpot reviewer
Executive Head of Technology at Imbali Customised Solutions (Pty) Ltd.
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
It's more stable and high-performing than its Azure counterpart
Pros and Cons
  • "I've also used Azure's tool, and S3 is far more stable I haven't seen the same issues on AWS that I'm having on Azure. Amazon CloudFront is way faster. The websites are loading way faster than when you do it on Azure CDN."
  • "I would also like S3 to have the ability to do dynamic websites without the need to do reconfigurations outside of S3. You should be able to switch on dynamic websites in S3, and then it works. I shouldn't need to go elsewhere within Amazon Web Services to get a dynamic website to work."

What is our primary use case?

I'm a consultant who provides services for companies of various sizes here in South Africa. Our company is still small, with only about 20 clients. I use S3 for hosting my websites and other storage services. S3 can be used for static and dynamic websites as well as file storage. In terms of dynamic websites, I use S3 in addition to other technologies in a computerless environment. In other words, I don't need a virtual machine to have a dynamic website hosted on Amazon Web Services.

What is most valuable?

E3's most valuable feature is CloudFront.

What needs improvement?

You need to do some things to make the files and updates immediately accessible. If you don't know those steps, you will wait forever for your updates to take effect or be seen by the public.

That is the only area where a newcomer might get frustrated with hosting on S3. The files are available immediately when they are first deployed, but it takes some time when they make changes if you don't understand the simple procedure you need to follow for it to happen immediately.

The process needed to show updates immediately is a problem. You have to go somewhere to delete whatever is propagated and restart the propagation somehow. That is the only issue that I think they could fix with hosting on S3 as far as websites are concerned.

I would also like S3 to have the ability to do dynamic websites without the need to do reconfigurations outside of S3. You should be able to switch on dynamic websites in S3, and then it works. I shouldn't need to go elsewhere within Amazon Web Services to get a dynamic website to work.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using S3 for about three years 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a cloud service, so our scalability is good. I haven't had any issues. At the same time, I haven't had a situation where a client needed to expand the footprint of their site tremendously. I don't have massive clients like Netflix.

How are customer service and support?

I was never in a position where I needed to request AWS tech support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've also used Azure's tool, and S3 is far more stable I haven't seen the same issues on AWS that I'm having on Azure. Amazon CloudFront is way faster. The websites are loading way faster than when you do it on Azure CDN.

Another advantage of S3 over CDN is the fact that I can deploy my websites on Amazon S3 with the root domain and the sub-domain loading the website. When using CDN, you cannot load the website with the root domain.

How was the initial setup?

In the beginning, it wasn't easy. S3 was a little cumbersome when I started using it. With updates, it became easier to set up static websites. However, deploying dynamic websites in S3 is still difficult. You need to take notes on what you're doing so you can do the next dynamic website. 

The deployment is quite fast. You upload files, and that's it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There a no license fees. E3 is a cloud service, and you pay as you go. Your encryption licenses are free, so you only pay for the storage you're using. It's extremely inexpensive. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Amazon S3 10 out of 10. S3 is highly cost-effective, so I would definitely recommend it.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Software developer at TAIGLE LLC
Real User
Top 20
Highly scalable, scales well, and plenty of documentation available online
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Amazon S3 are the performance and hibernation data options. Additionally, there is a feature that provides faster website access that is helpful."
  • "We have used the support from Amazon S3. The support is expensive and could be reduced."

What is our primary use case?

We use Amazon S3 for storing documents and hosting website content.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Amazon S3 are the performance and hibernation data options. Additionally, there is a feature that provides faster website access that is helpful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Amazon S3 for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

My advice to others is for them to read a lot of articles on the internet as much as possible. There is a lot of information available on the internet.

I rate the stability of Amazon S3 a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 10 people using the solution in my organization.

The scalability of Amazon S3 is good. We have not used a large amount of data to fully test the capabilities of the scalability. However, it worked well for our needs.

How are customer service and support?

We have used the support from Amazon S3. The support is expensive and could be reduced.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Amazon S3 is straightforward. However, understanding the policies for the first time can take some time to figure out.

The time it takes for the deployment of the solution depends on many factors. The process can be quick.

What about the implementation team?

We did the implementation of the solution in-house. There are a lot of articles and documentation available for implementation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost of Amazon S3 is low. For R & D purposes there is a free option available. There is a license needed to use the solution.

I have been satisfied with the storage overall price.

What other advice do I have?

Amazon S3 is 99.99 percent stable. We have never had an issue.

I rate Amazon S3 a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Daniel Durian - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Security Manager at SM Prime Holdings
Real User
Top 5
Has good auto-scaling features
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution auto-scales so it is easily scalable."
  • "I would like to see an easier setup that doesn't require as much training."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of this solution is for storage.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of the solution is auto-scaling.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see an easier setup that doesn't require as much training.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution auto-scales so it is easily scalable.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward as long as you are familiar with the cloud services.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost varies based on the type of subscription you chose.

Currently, I use the solution for my phishing server and I pay $15 per month.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing the solution I evaluated DigitalOcean.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution nine out of ten.

I suggest if you are interested in using the solution you should also use the other services offered by Amazon such as AWS, and EC2 so you have access to everything in one place.

Auto-scaling is very costly if you don't manage to control it. You need to have good training and understanding of the solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technical Director at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
High Availability, with High Performance, IAM access control, and server-side encryption at a low cost
Pros and Cons
  • "It's good for starting up because you only pay for what you use."
  • "A feature that should be included is to find and provide a HIPPA compliant solution for the Presigned URL."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of this solution is for the storage of large amounts of data.

It's a public cloud deployment model that anyone can deploy.

There is no need to upgrade as they don't have versions, it's a managed service, it's hybrid. There are changes that we make internally. It's Amazon S3.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the high availability, high performance, IAM access control, and server-side encryption.

What needs improvement?

Some of the areas that could be improved are the dashboard, and to have a richer functionality.

Because there are so many services offered by Amazon, they can do anything. If we were to add anything it wouldn't be anything inside of it, but services on top of it. 

There is a concern with security. In one of our main use cases, we prescreen, but we have to create a gateway or layer on top of it to access the data in that particular case. Because the user accesses the data, they to be authenticated before doing so. 

It indicates that the users of our systems need to gain access to this data. Amazon allows access with this mechanism called Presigned URL. 

We need to share files, so we upload the file and request a link from Amazon, which allows you to share with anyone. The link is signed, which is the reason it is called Presigned. However, this sign is not compliant with internet regulations.

In our company, we are concerned with privacy regulations. In the United States, there is a law and regulation that is called HIPPA. It's a regulation on how to keep patients' data private and how to protect it. Amazon S3 is eligible for HIPPA compliance, but not with the Presigned URL.

This is very important and because we cannot use the Presigned URL, we have to build the layer on top of Amazon S3. As a result of having to do this, we lose performance, availability, and we lose some benefits of Amazon S3.

A feature that should be included is to find and provide a HIPPA compliant solution for the Presigned URL.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This a stable solution. We are not aware of any technical issues.

We are a large company and everyone uses this solution. Approximately one hundred users in different areas made up of developers and administrators.

While we have a small technical team, there is almost no maintenance with this solution. It's fully managed.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very good. 

They are very professional and they respond quickly. If they don't have a solution, they will contact they development team in Amazon and provide you with a detailed response with a solution to resolve the issue. 

They are very thorough and I really appreciated it. They helped me.

I am more than satisfied with the support and would recommend using the support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have not used any previous cloud-based solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

The download is very easy and can be used in seconds.

What about the implementation team?

I performed the implementation of this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This solution has reasonable pricing and a low cost.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We didn't evaluate other options. Amazon accounts are straightforward. 

There is always a choice on whether or not you will use the cloud. If you make the choice to use the cloud then you can choose if you are just using Google or Microsoft. When you already have an account with Amazon, your choice is Amazon S3.

There are other solutions, but for us the choice to use Amazon S3 was clear.

What other advice do I have?

It's difficult to offer advice as it depends on the use case and what this solution is intended for.

This solution is managed fully, and there is no need for upgrades or anything. It's cloud-based. If you just Gmail, you don't upgrade Gmail.

I would recommend this solution for companies of any size. It's good for starting up because you only pay for what you use. It's internet-capable, making it good for any company.

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Amazon S3 Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Amazon S3 Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.