How to Use Amazon S3 for Personal Backup [Scripts]

Can I use Amazon S3 for personal backup storage?

Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) offers scalable, durable, and flexible storage options ( Standard, Intelligent-Tiering, Glacier, Glacier Deep Archive） that can be used for various purposes, including personal backups. You get robust security features like encryption, IAM roles, and access controls.

However, using S3 might require some technical know-how, and costs can add up with large data volumes or frequent data retrieval.

Here's what you need to know if you're considering using AWS S3 for personal backups.

How to use Amazon S3 for personal backup

If you need to archive or cold store data for a long period of time and need a cost-effective solution, choose "S3 Glacier" storage, which is ideal for safe and secure storage of data without immediate access requirements.

With the default parameters, the storage class used is GLACIER and the objects are billed for at least 90 days. s3 Glacier will incur a relatively small usage charge.

A simple script for personal backup to Amazon S3 costs as little as $3.70 per TB per month.

1. Install with Homebrew

2. Deploy CloudFormation stack with the S3 bucket and IAM user:

• Get the bucket name and IAM user name from the CloudFormation Outputs in AWS Console.
• Go to the IAM, open that user details, and create an access key in the "Security credentials" tab.

3. Configure rclone by runningrclone configor manually editing configuration file (~/.config/rclone/rclone.conf):

[backup]
type = s3
provider = aws
env_auth = false
access_key_id = xxxxxx
secret_access_key = xxxxxx
acl = private
region = eu-west-1

Provide generated IAM user credentials for access_key_id and secret_access_key.

4. Run the script to backup directory as a single archive:

To backup each subdirectory as a separate archive:

Overall, Amazon S3 can be a powerful tool for personal backups, but it does require some setup and understanding of AWS concepts. If you are comfortable with this, it can be a reliable and flexible solution for your backup needs.

Conclusion

Users can automate backups using the scripts, and they can choose lower-cost storage classes like S3 Glacier for long-term storage. However, managing costs and learning the setup can be challenging for some users. Overall, Amazon S3 provides a robust option for personal backups with the versatility to meet different needs.