WTF is Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3)?

Create an Amazon S3 bucket using AWS Console

Learn Amazon S3 from scratch

In order to learn how Amazon S3 works - we have to start somewhere.

That's why in this quick lesson we're going to learn:

- how to create a brand new S3 bucket
- why an S3 bucket blocks public access by default
- what are the rules when it comes to naming an S3 bucket
- how to upload a file with default setting using the S3 Console

Tomasz Łakomy: [0:00] In order to create a new S3 bucket with S3, first log into your AWS account. Secondly, I'm going to scroll down to Storage, and we can find S3 over here. Alternatively, you can also use the search bar over here in order to type S3 and click on that.

[0:14] This is going to redirect us to S3 Console. Right now, we can see the list of all buckets I have in this account, but in order to create a new one, I'm going to click on Create Bucket. In order to create a bucket, there's a bunch of settings that we have to go through.

[0:27] First up, we have to provide a bucket name. I'm going to call my bucket "My Bucket." Next up, we have to select a region, that is where the data that we are going to upload to S3 bucket, where is it going to be physically located. For instance, I'm going to select Ohio.

[0:43] Scrolling down a bit, we're going to see that, by default, our bucket is going to block all public access. This is following the principle of this privilege. In AWS, the idea is that by default all the resources have the minimal amount of privileges possible.

[1:00] It is better to block everything by default and let the user, the owner of this S3 bucket, decide when the content should be public because imagine if you were to upload an HR document to this bucket, you probably want to make it secure by default.

[1:16] Whenever you need a public access to a bucket, for instance, you are using this bucket to host a website, then you can decide to make it public. I'm going to leave this setting by default. We are going to block all public access to this bucket.

[1:30] Scrolling down a bit, we can see some other options, but I'm going to leave everything by default and click on Create Bucket. We see an issue that the bucket with the same name already exists. Why is that?

[1:42] The issue is not that I personally on this account have a bucket that already exists. No, the problem is that in S3 bucket names have to be globally unique. What that means is that in principle, somebody out there on the Internet has a bucket that is called My Bucket.

[2:00] Therefore, I'm not able to create a new one with exactly the same name, but if I create a bucket called "My Bucket Egghead is Awesome," and I'm going to scroll down a bit, I will be able to create that bucket, but you will not be able to do that because I have effectively reserved that name.

[2:18] We see a confirmation that I have managed to successfully create a bucket, which is called My Bucket Egghead is Awesome. Let me click on View Details in order to see my bucket.

[2:27] As you have probably guessed, a bucket is empty by default, but in order to test that, I am going to upload an object, that is a file. I'm going to hit Upload, next up click on Add Files, and I'm going to select this Egghead logo.

[2:41] We can also go for Permissions, Properties, and Review, but for now, I'm going to keep everything by default and hit Upload. Once it's finished, we see that our file has been successfully uploaded to our freshly created My Bucket Egghead is Awesome S3 bucket.

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Learn Amazon S3 from scratch

Create an Amazon S3 bucket using AWS Console

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