Why
Storage grows relentlessly and is rarely cleaned. Tiering and lifecycle rules are set-and-forget savings that compound over time. Storage is typically 20–30% of total cloud spend. Data written today at hot-tier pricing is still there 3 years later at hot-tier pricing unless someone explicitly moves it.
What
Define and automate storage tiering policies and data retention rules covering object storage, block storage snapshots, and database backups.
How
Audit Current Storage
| Storage Type | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Object storage | Access patterns (last accessed date), current tier |
| Block volumes | Attached vs unattached, utilisation % |
| Snapshots | Age, frequency, retention policy |
| Database backups | Retention period, point-in-time recovery window |
| Log storage | Retention period, compression, archival policy |
Define Lifecycle Policies
| Rule | Trigger | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Hot → Warm | Not accessed for 30 days | Move to Infrequent Access tier |
| Warm → Cold | Not accessed for 90 days | Move to Glacier/Archive tier |
| Delete | Past retention period | Delete permanently |
| Snapshot cleanup | Older than 90 days (non-prod), 365 days (prod) | Delete with grace period |
Critical: get data owner sign-off on retention periods before activating deletion rules. Deletion is irreversible.
Deploy Cloud-Native Lifecycle Rules
| Provider | Tool | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | S3 Lifecycle Configuration | Transition + Expiration rules |
| Azure | Blob Storage Lifecycle Management | Move to Cool → Archive → Delete |
| GCP | Object Lifecycle Management | SetStorageClass + Delete actions |
For snapshots: use cloud-native backup services (AWS Backup, Azure Backup) with retention policies. For database backups: configure provider-native retention settings.
Deliverable Checklist
- Storage audit completed (type, size, access patterns)
- Lifecycle policies defined with data owner sign-off
- Cloud-native lifecycle rules deployed per provider
- Snapshot retention policies configured
- Log retention aligned with compliance requirements
- Monthly storage cost tracked for savings measurement