How to Retrieve Missing Glacier Files on AWS

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If you’ve stored files in S3 Glacier or Glacier Deep Archive for around 10 years, retrieving those files might seem tricky at first, but there’s a clear process to do it. It’s important to know that objects stored in Glacier aren’t usually visible in your S3 bucket in the same way as regular files.

First, double-check if your files still exist in Glacier. Lifecycle rules you set up could have automatically deleted older files, so it’s good to confirm that they are still there.

Next, you’ll need to initiate a restore. If you only have a few files, you can do this directly from the S3 console. Select the files, click on “Actions,” then choose “Initiate restore,” and decide how long you want the temporary copy to be available (for example, 5 days).

However, if you have thousands of files to restore, doing it one by one isn’t practical. Instead, use the S3 Batch Operations feature, which allows you to restore multiple objects with a single request. Alternatively, you can write scripts using the AWS CLI or SDK to automate the process and save time.

Keep in mind that the restore creates a temporary copy of your files, which only stays available for the time you specify. After that period, the temporary copy is automatically removed. The original files, however, remain stored in Glacier.

If you’re unsure or experiencing issues during this process, it might help to temporarily upgrade your AWS support plan to Business Support. They offer live chat assistance that can guide you through the restoration.

Also, be aware that restoring data from Glacier costs money, and the time it takes can vary from a few minutes to several hours depending on the retrieval method you choose.

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