SOS: Native Bucket Lifecycle Rules

Logs, exports and old object versions pile up long after anyone needs them, and you pay for every byte. Bucket lifecycle rules are now available on Simple Object Storage: describe once what to delete and when, and SOS applies it every day.

What you can do with it

• Expire objects a set number of days after they are written, or on a fixed date, across a bucket or under a prefix such as logs/
• Prune old versions on versioned buckets, a set number of days after they are replaced, and remove leftover delete markers
• Abort incomplete multipart uploads, whose parts never show up in a normal listing

Rules cover expiration only: transitions to another storage class are not supported yet.

Rules also apply to objects already in the bucket: anything past the limit is deleted at the next nightly evaluation.

Be careful when applying bucket lifecycle rules to a bucket used for backups. Backup tools such as Veeam manage their own retention, and bucket lifecycle rules might interfere with how these tools work.

Why it matters

• Storage stops growing by default. Everything a rule removes is storage you no longer pay for, every month.
• Retention becomes a policy, not a chore. “Delete after 90 days” lives in the bucket configuration, which also helps with GDPR data minimization.
• Nothing to operate. SOS runs the rules itself: no cron job, no clean-up script to maintain.

Get started with the bucket lifecycle documentation.