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Migrate from AWS S3 to Tigris

You can migrate from AWS S3 to Tigris with zero downtime using Tigris's shadow bucket feature. Tigris is S3-compatible, so most applications need only an endpoint and credential change.

Why migrate from AWS S3 to Tigris?​

  • Zero egress fees. S3 charges $0.09/GB for internet data transfer. Tigris has no data transfer charges for regional, cross-region, or internet egress.
  • Faster small object performance in multicloud setups. For workloads running outside of AWS, Tigris delivers roughly 4x the throughput and sub-10ms P90 read latency for small objects.
  • Flexible data placement. A single endpoint (t3.storage.dev) handles routing. Choose from four bucket location types — global distribution that follows access patterns, multi-region geo-redundancy, dual-region, or single-region — each with built-in consistency and availability guarantees.
  • S3 API compatible. Tigris supports over 90% of the S3 API, so most applications need only an endpoint and credential change.

Migration approach​

Tigris supports lazy migration using shadow buckets. Instead of copying all your data upfront, Tigris fetches objects from your S3 bucket on demand and caches them for future access. No downtime required.

You can also enable write-through mode, which syncs new writes back to your S3 bucket. This means your existing S3 bucket stays up to date throughout the migration, and you can take as long as you need before completing the cutover.

Prerequisites​

Before starting, make sure you have:

  • A Tigris account with a bucket created
  • AWS IAM credentials with read and list permissions on the source S3 bucket
  • If using write-through mode, the credentials also need write and delete permissions

Step 1: Create AWS access keys​

  1. Open the AWS Management Console and go to the IAM service.
  2. In the sidebar, click Users, then select an existing user or click Add users to create a new one.
  3. Attach a policy that grants access to your S3 bucket. You can use AmazonS3ReadOnlyAccess for read-only migration, or create a custom policy scoped to your specific bucket. If you plan to use write-through mode, use AmazonS3FullAccess or a custom policy with write and delete permissions.
  4. Go to the user's Security credentials tab and click Create access key under the Access keys section.
  5. Select Third-party service as the use case, then copy the Access key ID and Secret access key. The secret won't be shown again.

Step 2: Configure the shadow bucket​

  1. Go to the Tigris Dashboard
  2. Click Buckets in the left menu
  3. Select the bucket you want to migrate data into
  4. Click Settings
  5. Find Enable Data Migration and toggle it on
  6. Enter your AWS S3 connection details:
    • Endpoint: https://s3.<region>.amazonaws.com (replace <region> with your bucket's region, e.g. us-east-1)
    • Region: Your S3 bucket's region (e.g. us-east-1)
    • Access Key ID: Your AWS access key from Step 1
    • Secret Access Key: Your AWS secret key from Step 1
    • Bucket: The name of your S3 source bucket

Step 3: Update your application​

Point your application to Tigris by updating the endpoint and credentials in your S3 client configuration.

Using the AWS CLI:

aws s3 ls s3://your-bucket/ \
  --endpoint-url https://t3.storage.dev \
  --region auto

Or with boto3:

import boto3

s3 = boto3.client(
    "s3",
    endpoint_url="https://t3.storage.dev",
    region_name="auto",
    aws_access_key_id="your-tigris-access-key",
    aws_secret_access_key="your-tigris-secret-key",
)

The only changes needed are the endpoint URL, region, and credentials. Your existing bucket names, object keys, and API calls stay the same.

Step 4: Verify the migration​

Once your application points to Tigris, objects are migrated on first access. To verify:

  1. Request an object that exists in your S3 bucket
  2. Confirm it returns successfully through Tigris
  3. Check that subsequent requests are served directly from Tigris

Step 5: Enable write-through (optional)​

To keep your S3 bucket in sync during the migration, enable write-through in the shadow bucket settings. With write-through enabled:

  • New objects written to Tigris are also written to your S3 bucket
  • Deletes apply to both Tigris and S3
  • Object listings include the full contents of the S3 bucket

This keeps your S3 bucket current so you can fall back at any point.

Step 6: Complete the migration​

Once your workloads are running well on Tigris, disable the shadow bucket configuration. Tigris becomes your primary object store.

FAQ​

Does migration require downtime?​

No. Shadow bucket migration happens transparently. Your application continues serving requests while objects are migrated on first access.

Do I need to change my application code?​

Only the endpoint URL, region, and credentials. Tigris supports the S3 API, so your existing bucket names, object keys, and API calls work without changes.

Can I roll back to S3?​

Yes. If you enable write-through mode, your S3 bucket stays in sync with all new writes. You can switch back to S3 at any point by reverting your endpoint configuration.

What happens to objects I haven't accessed yet?​

They remain in your S3 bucket. Tigris only copies objects when they're first requested. Objects that are never accessed are never transferred.

How much does Tigris cost compared to S3?​

Tigris charges $0.02/GB/month for standard storage with zero egress fees. See the Tigris pricing page for full details.

Last updated on by Ovais Tariq