Edge Object Storage (EOS) is a distributed object storage service based on the edge cloud. It delivers at least 99.9999% data durability and at least 99.9% availability—without requiring you to manage storage infrastructure.
EOS is API-compatible with Object Storage Service (OSS), so you can use existing OSS SDKs and tools against EOS buckets.
Use cases
Social and media platforms: Store and serve user-generated images at scale.
Audio and video applications: Host and distribute large media files from the edge.
Large websites: Serve static assets with low latency to a global audience.
Big data analysis: Store datasets and analysis outputs in a cost-effective, durable store.
Key concepts
EOS shares the same core concepts as OSS. The following table covers the terms you'll encounter most often.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| bucket | A container for objects. You can create buckets of different storage classes to store data based on your business requirements. Set the bucket's access control list (ACL) to public-read/write, public-read, or private. |
| object | The fundamental unit of data stored in EOS. Each object consists of a key, metadata, and the data itself. Objects are stored in a flat namespace—there is no hierarchical directory structure. |
| ObjectKey / Key / ObjectName | The full path that uniquely identifies an object within a bucket. In EOS SDKs across all supported languages, ObjectKey, Key, and ObjectName all refer to the same thing—the full path including the file extension. For example: abc/efg/123.jpg. |
| endpoint | The domain used to access EOS over HTTP via the RESTful API. The public endpoint is eos.aliyuncs.com. Internal network access is not supported. |
| AccessKey pair | The credentials used to authenticate requests. An AccessKey pair consists of an AccessKey ID (identifies the user) and an AccessKey secret (signs requests—keep it confidential). EOS accepts AccessKey pairs obtained in three ways: applied for directly by the bucket owner, granted by the bucket owner via Resource Access Management (RAM), or granted via Security Token Service (STS). |
| Atomicity and strong consistency | Object operations in EOS are atomic—they either succeed or fail, with no intermediate state. EOS also guarantees read-after-write consistency: once you receive a successful PUT response, the object is immediately readable and all replicas exist. Deletes are equally consistent: once deleted, an object and all its replicas are gone. |
Features
Bucket management
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Create a bucket | Create a bucket and configure its ACL before uploading objects. |
| Delete a bucket | Delete buckets you no longer need to avoid unnecessary storage charges. |
| Lifecycle rules | Configure rules to automatically delete expired objects on a schedule. |
Object management
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Upload an object | Upload objects using the console, API, or SDK. |
| Download an object | Download one or more objects using the console, API, or SDK, without needing to specify the storage location. You can download to your browser's default path or a specified local path. |
| List objects | List all objects in a bucket, filter by prefix, or limit the number of results. Objects are returned in alphabetical order by default. |
| Copy an object | Copy objects between buckets without modifying the object content. |
| Configure object tags | Tag objects to classify them and apply bulk management operations to objects that share a tag. |
| Delete an object | Delete one or more objects and parts in a single operation, or use lifecycle rules to automate deletion. |
| Search for objects | Search for objects and directories within a bucket by name. |
| Manage directories | EOS stores objects in a flat namespace. Create simulated directories to organize objects and simplify access control, and delete directories when they're no longer needed. |
Access control
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Bucket ACL | Set a bucket's ACL to public-read/write, public-read, or private. Only the bucket owner can modify the ACL. |
| CORS | Configure cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) rules so that web browsers can load objects hosted in EOS from a different domain. |
Billing
EOS uses pay-as-you-go pricing. You are billed on an hourly basis and fees are deducted automatically from your Alibaba Cloud account balance. In most cases, bills are generated after a billing cycle ends; the exact time is determined by the system.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Storage capacity | Chinese mainland: USD 0.00001956 per GB-hour Outside the Chinese mainland: USD 0.0000225 per GB-hour |
| Outbound Internet traffic | USD 0.05 per GB |
| PUT and GET requests | Free |