How to Replicate a S3 Bucket for Data Backup and Recovery

Replicating an S3 bucket is a crucial step in data backup and recovery. This process ensures your data is safely stored in a secondary location, reducing the risk of data loss due to hardware failure, user error, or other disasters.

To replicate an S3 bucket, you'll need to configure an S3 bucket policy that allows replication. This involves specifying the source and destination buckets, as well as any additional settings such as replication frequency and deletion policy.

The source bucket is the original bucket containing the data you want to replicate. The destination bucket is the secondary bucket where the replicated data will be stored.

By following these steps, you can ensure your data is safely backed up and easily recoverable in the event of a disaster.

To replicate an S3 bucket, you need to enable versioning on both the source and destination buckets. This ensures that all changes to the source bucket are tracked and replicated to the destination bucket.

Proper IAM policies and bucket policies must also be created to grant AWS S3 permission to replicate objects on your behalf. This is a crucial step to ensure secure and authorized replication.

Here are the key prerequisites to replicate S3 objects:

When to use S3 Replication depends on your specific needs. You can use it for data redundancy, which is essential for maintaining multiple copies of your data in the same or different AWS Regions.

Replicating objects while retaining metadata is also a great use case. This ensures that your replica copies are identical to the source data, including the original object creation time, object access control lists (ACLs), and version IDs.

You can replicate objects to more cost-effective storage classes, such as S3 Glacier or S3 Glacier Deep Archive. This can help you save money on storage costs.

If you need to maintain object copies under a different account, S3 Replication can help. You can change replica ownership to the AWS account that owns the destination bucket to restrict access to object replicas.

Here are some specific scenarios where S3 Replication can be particularly useful:

Additionally, S3 Replication can replicate your objects within 15 minutes using Amazon S3 Replication Time Control (S3 RTC). This can be especially helpful if you need to quickly replicate new objects stored in Amazon S3.

Existing objects can be replicated by default in MinIO, similar to AWS. This means that all objects or object prefixes that satisfy the replication rules will be marked as eligible for synchronization to the remote cluster and bucket.

You can disable existing object replication while configuring or modifying the bucket replication rule. To do this, you must specify all desired replication features during creation or modification.

For new replication rules, exclude "existing-objects" from the list of replication features specified to mcreplicateadd--replicate. For existing replication rules, remove "existing-objects" from the list of existing replication features using mcreplicateupdate--replicate.

Disabling existing object replication does not remove any objects already replicated to the remote bucket.

To replicate an S3 bucket, you'll need to configure it properly. First, ensure that versioning is enabled on both the source and destination buckets, as this is a prerequisite for replication.

To replicate objects from your S3 bucket, you'll need to create a replication rule. This involves creating a JSON file that contains the details about the replication, including the role that S3 can assume to replicate objects on your behalf. If you've set up a replication rule from the console before, you can reuse that role.

To set up the replication rule, you'll need to use the `s3api put-bucket-replication` option. This will create the replication rule on your source S3 bucket. You can also use the S3 console to create the replication rule, by selecting your source bucket and choosing the "Create Replication Rule" option under the "Management" tab.

Here are the steps to create a replication rule using the S3 console:

You can selectively replicate objects from your source S3 bucket to the destination bucket using their prefix values. This is done by specifying the Prefix value in the JSON file under the "Filter" field.

To replicate only specific objects, you can use the "Prefix" field in the JSON file. For example, the prefix "project/data1/" will replicate only the S3 objects matching this prefix from source to destination.

Replicating objects based on prefix values is a powerful feature that allows you to be selective about which objects are replicated. By specifying the prefix, you can ensure that only the objects you want are copied to the destination bucket.

The JSON file should be updated to include the "Filter" field with the Prefix value. This will instruct S3 to replicate only the objects that match the specified prefix.

You can verify that the replication rule has the prefix filter by checking the rule's configuration after it's created. This will give you confidence that the rule is working as intended.

To add a new replication rule to your S3 bucket, you'll first need to create a replication JSON file. This file contains the details about the replication, including the ARN of the IAM role that S3 can assume to replicate objects on your behalf.

You can reuse an existing role that you've already set up if you've previously created a replication rule from the console. Simply copy the ARN of the role and paste it into your replication JSON file.

Once your replication JSON file is ready, use the s3api put-bucket-replication option to create the replication rule on your source S3 bucket. This is done using the following command: s3api put-bucket-replication.

Verify that the replication rule is created successfully by checking the AWS Management Console or using the AWS CLI.

To configure your destination system, navigate back to the dashboard and click on Destinations. You can search for the required destination connector in the Search box and select it as your destination.

Fill in the mandatory fields, such as the Destination name, and click on the Set up Destination button to complete the setup. This will ensure that your data is properly replicated to the destination system.

In some cases, you may need to select the storage class of replicating objects. For this, you have the option to change the storage class of replicating objects under Destination Storage Class. Let's keep the storage class the same as the source bucket for this tutorial.

Here are the options you can consider for replication:

MinIO uses a replication queuing system with multiple concurrent replication workers operating on that queue. This system continuously scans for new unreplicated objects to add to the queue.

Failed replication operations are queued and retried up to three times. After three attempts, MinIO dequeues replication operations that fail to replicate, allowing the scanner to pick up those affected objects at a later time and requeue them for replication.

The replication process sets the X-Amz-Replication-Status metadata field according to the replication state of the object, which can be one of the following: PENDING, COMPLETED, FAILED, or REPLICA.

There are two types of replication: Same Region Replication and Cross Region Replication. Same Region Replication copies S3 objects within the same region, while Cross Region Replication copies S3 objects across different AWS Regions.

Same Region Replication is used to maintain multiple copies of data within the same AWS region but in different availability zones. This provides additional protection against localized failures and accidental deletions.

Cross Region Replication is used to copy S3 buckets in different AWS Regions. This is primarily used for disaster recovery and ensures that data is available in a geographically distant location in case of a regional failure.

Here are the key differences between Same Region Replication and Cross Region Replication:

Resynchronization (Disaster Recovery) is a crucial aspect of the replication process, allowing you to recover from partial or total data loss on a MinIO deployment.

The resynchronization process checks all objects in the source bucket against replication rules and places matching objects into the replication queue, regardless of their current replication status.

MinIO skips synchronizing objects whose remote copy exactly matches the source, including object metadata.

Initiating resynchronization on a large bucket can significantly increase replication-related load and traffic, so use this command with caution and only when necessary.

For buckets with object transition (Tiering) configured, replication resynchronization restores objects in a non-transitioned state with no associated transition metadata, permanently disconnecting previously transitioned data from the remote MinIO deployment.

You can safely purge transitioned data in an explicit human-readable prefix to avoid costs associated with "lost" data.

MinIO trims empty object prefixes on both the source and remote bucket during the resynchronization process.

Replicating an S3 bucket requires careful consideration of storage and management to ensure seamless data consistency across all buckets.

You can replicate data to any S3 bucket in the same region or a different region, but be aware that cross-region replication may incur additional costs.

To manage your replicated data, you can use Amazon S3's Lifecycle policy to transition infrequently accessed data to lower-cost storage classes, such as Glacier.

You can selectively replicate S3 objects based on their prefix values by specifying the "Filter" field in the JSON file with the desired prefix.

For example, if you only want to replicate objects from the "project/data1/" prefix, you can specify this in the JSON file.

Sometimes you may want to replicate objects based on their tags, not just their prefix. To do this, you specify one or more tags in the "Filter" field.

The following will create a replication rule to replicate only the S3 objects that have the tag "Name" with the value "Development".

You can also combine both prefix and tag filters by using "And" inside the "Filter" field in your JSON file.

The following will create a replication rule to replicate only the S3 objects that have both the prefix "data/production" and the tag "Name" with the value "Development".

You can change the storage class on the destination bucket while replicating objects from one bucket to another. This is especially helpful for disaster recovery purposes.

Replicating objects to a bucket in a different region allows for a different storage class to be used on the destination S3 bucket. You can store objects in S3 Standard-Infrequent Access storage class on the destination bucket.

The source bucket can be on the standard S3 storage class, but the replication rule can be set to store objects in a different storage class on the destination bucket. This is useful for optimizing storage costs.

You can create a replication rule based on a JSON file to set a different storage class at the destination bucket. This allows for more flexibility in managing your storage resources.

Accurately estimating your replication request rates is a critical step in ensuring seamless operations.

For each replicated object, S3 replication initiates up to five GET/HEAD requests and one PUT request to the source bucket, along with one PUT request to each destination bucket.

S3 replication can perform up to 500 GET/HEAD requests for 100 objects per second.

To estimate your replication request rates, consider the number of objects you anticipate replicating per second.

If you're replicating 100 objects per second, S3 replication may perform an additional 100 PUT requests on your behalf.

To minimize potential issues, ensure you have enough request rate performance to accommodate your replication needs.

For each prefix within an S3 bucket, your application can execute at least 3,500 PUT/COPY/POST/DELETE requests or 5,500 GET/HEAD requests per second.

By understanding your replication request rates, you can optimize your storage and management strategy to ensure a smooth and efficient experience.

To replicate an S3 bucket, you need to set up proper IAM policies and bucket policies to give AWS S3 permission to replicate objects on your behalf. This involves creating an IAM role and policy that grants the necessary permissions.

The IAM role is created using the IAM Console, where you select Roles from the left navigation under Access Management. You then choose to create a role from the Role Dashboard, select AWS Service as a trusted Entity, and choose S3 from the bottom dropdown for Use Case.

The access policy grants specific permissions, including s3:GetReplicationConfiguration, s3:ListBucket, s3:GetObjectVersionForReplication, s3:GetObjectVersionAcl, s3:ReplicateObject, and s3:ReplicateDelete. You can see your new policy created listed under Permission policies, which you then select and press Next.

Here are the necessary permissions for replication:

MinIO replicates delete operations, synchronizing the deletion of specific object versions and new delete markers.

Replication is enabled by specifying "delete,delete-marker" in the mc replica add --replicate field.

MinIO begins the replication process after a delete operation creates a delete marker, using the X-Minio-Replication-DeleteMarker-Status metadata field for tracking status.

Active-active replication configurations may produce duplicate delete markers if both clusters concurrently create a delete marker for an object or if one or both clusters were down before the replication event synchronized.

MinIO marks the object version as PENDING until replication completes, and then deletes the object on the source once the remote target deletes that object version.

MinIO only replicates explicit client-driven delete operations, not objects deleted from lifecycle management expiration rules.

Here's a summary of the replication behavior for delete operations:

Cross Account Buckets are a crucial aspect of Security and Access, allowing you to replicate S3 objects to a destination bucket owned by another account.

You can specify the target AWS account number under the “Destination” section to achieve cross account replication. This can also be done to a bucket in a different region than the source bucket.

If you want to replicate S3 objects to a destination bucket that is owned by another account, you'll need to specify the target AWS account number. This is a requirement for cross account replication to work.

To create a replication rule for cross account buckets, you can execute a command to specify the target AWS account number in the “Destination” section of the JSON file.

Replicating S3 objects encrypted with KMS requires specifying the "SseKmsEncryptedObjects" for the source with status as enabled, and the ReplicaKmsKeyID for the destination.

If you don't specify the ReplicaKmsKeyID for the destination bucket, you'll get an error: An error occurred (InvalidRequest) when calling the PutBucketReplication operation: ReplicaKmsKeyID must be specified if SseKmsEncryptedObjects tag is present.

Replicating encrypted objects can consume a significant portion of your available AWS KMS requests per second, with each replicated object requiring AWS KMS requests for encryption and decryption operations.

For example, replicating 1000 objects per second will consume 2000 requests from your AWS KMS limit, which can lead to a ThrottlingException error if your request rates exceed the limit.

To create an Identity and Access Management (IAM) role and policy for S3 replication, you must create a role using which Amazon S3 can assume to replicate objects on your behalf.

The first step is to go to the IAM Console and select Roles from the left navigation under Access Management. From there, choose to create a role from the Role Dashboard.

To create a policy for the role, you'll need to choose the Create Policy option and select the JSON tab. You'll then copy and paste the below policy code, replacing the source bucket and destination bucket names with your respective names.

The policy grants the following permissions:

After creating the policy, you'll need to add it to the role. On the Add Permission page, refresh the permission policies and select your new policy. Then, under IAM Role, select "Choose from existing IAM roles" and select the role created earlier.

Here's a quick summary of the steps: