S3 lifecycle rules in AWS - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - S3 lifecycle rules

Start: Object Created in S3 Bucket

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Check Lifecycle Rules

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Transition

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Move to

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End

When an object is created, S3 checks lifecycle rules to decide if it should move storage class, expire, or abort uploads.

Execution Sample

AWS

Rule:
  - Transition to Glacier after 30 days
  - Expire after 365 days
Object created on Day 0

This lifecycle rule moves the object to Glacier after 30 days and deletes it after 365 days.

Process Table

Day	Object State	Lifecycle Rule Checked	Action Taken	Resulting State
0	Standard Storage	Transition after 30 days?	No	Standard Storage
1	Standard Storage	Transition after 30 days?	No	Standard Storage
29	Standard Storage	Transition after 30 days?	No	Standard Storage
30	Standard Storage	Transition after 30 days?	Yes	Move to Glacier
31	Glacier Storage	Expire after 365 days?	No	Glacier Storage
364	Glacier Storage	Expire after 365 days?	No	Glacier Storage
365	Glacier Storage	Expire after 365 days?	Yes	Delete Object
366	Object Deleted	No further checks	N/A	No Object

💡 Object deleted on day 365, lifecycle ends.

Status Tracker

Variable	Day 0	Day 30	Day 365	Day 366
Object Storage Class	Standard	Glacier	Glacier	Deleted
Object Exists	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the object stay in Standard storage until day 30?

Because the transition rule triggers only after 30 days, so before that, no action is taken (see execution_table rows Day 0 to Day 29).

What happens on day 365 to the object?

The expiration rule triggers and deletes the object (see execution_table row Day 365).

Why is there no action on day 366?

Because the object was deleted on day 365, so no object exists to check lifecycle rules (see execution_table row Day 366).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the storage class of the object on day 31?

A Standard

B Deleted

C Glacier

D Infrequent Access

💡 Hint

Check the 'Object Storage Class' variable on Day 31 in variable_tracker or execution_table row for Day 31.

At which day does the object get deleted according to the lifecycle rules?

A Day 30

B Day 365

C Day 366

D Day 0

💡 Hint

See execution_table row where 'Action Taken' is 'Delete Object'.

If the transition rule was set to 10 days instead of 30, what would change in the execution table?

A Object would move to Glacier on day 10

B Object would be deleted on day 10

C No change, still moves on day 30

D Object would never move to Glacier

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Transition after 30 days?' condition and imagine it triggers at day 10 instead.

Concept Snapshot

S3 Lifecycle Rules:
- Define actions on objects over time
- Transition moves objects to cheaper storage after set days
- Expiration deletes objects after set days
- Rules apply automatically based on object age
- Helps save cost and manage data lifecycle

Full Transcript

S3 lifecycle rules automatically manage objects in a bucket over time. When an object is created, S3 checks if any lifecycle rules apply. For example, a rule can move the object to Glacier storage after 30 days to save cost. Later, after 365 days, another rule can delete the object to free space. The execution table shows day-by-day checks and actions. Variables track the object's storage class and existence. Key moments clarify why actions happen on specific days. Quizzes test understanding of when transitions and deletions occur. This helps beginners see how lifecycle rules automate data management in S3.