Infra as a Service

Migrate S3 to European cloud infrastructure without changing your code.

Keep your application's S3 API calls while changing the storage endpoint, credentials and deployment configuration. This practical path covers object data transfer, validation and cutover for production, backup and regulated workloads. OVHcloud is one of the leading alternatives to S3*, supporting around 80% of common production use cases.
Migration ProgramObject Storage
Domain names illustration

Operational evidence for a controlled European migration

Review regional availability and limits before migrating storage to European cloud.
Regional resilience
Native S3 API, five storage classes and four deployment modes
Clearer fees
Multi-Zone spans three zones with a 99.99% Availability SLA
European control
Migrate S3 to European cloud and strengthen data sovereignty
Benefit 4
ISO certifications cover most regions, with HDS available

S3 compatibility is a scope to verify, not parity to assume

S3-compatible object storage

S3-compatible object storage preserves common operations such as creating buckets, writing objects, reading data and generating pre-signed URLs. It does not reproduce every behaviour of the original platform. An application may compile and connect while still depending on an unsupported API call, response format or SDK default.

OVHcloud coverage

OVHcloud Object Storage is a strong European S3 alternative for common production, backup and regulated-data workloads. Validate compatibility against the S3 API operations, SDK behaviour and service features your application requires. If a required dependency is unsupported, you may need to modify the code or operate the workload differently.

Inventory before data migration

Build an inventory before any data migration. Record each API operation, SDK and version, console workflow, retry rule, event dependency and bucket capability. Check lifecycle rules, replication, versioning, Object Lock, encryption,  ACLs and CORS. Confirm that the required security and encryption model is available in the chosen region.

Real user behaviour

The review must reflect real user behaviour. Test representative object sizes, request concurrency, listing patterns and error handling. Performance should be measured from the application's deployment location in Europe, not inferred from a generic benchmark.

Change the destination through configuration

To migrate S3 to European cloud infrastructure, replace the existing address with the target European endpoint and provide newly created access credentials. Keep the same S3 client and object operations where the platform supports them. Store each secret in a managed vault, not in code. Recreate IAM-equivalent permissions with only the access the software needs. This step limits exposure if credentials are compromised. Treat the endpoint swap as a configuration change built for non-production testing. A successful connection proves neither that stored data is complete nor that every behaviour is ready. Use the deployment guide to record the new view before public traffic or data transfer begins.
Map every S3 API operation used by the existing application. Record object and file sizes, request frequency, concurrency, latency targets and error handling. Compare these requirements with supported product features before starting a trial. Readiness depends on the complete production path, not a successful test upload. Use representative traffic and data when deciding whether to migrate S3 to European cloud infrastructure.
A backup workload depends on catalogue integrity, retention policies, immutability and reliable restoration. OVHcloud Object Storage has Veeam Ready certification and stated compatibility with HYCU, Cohesity, Veritas NetBackup and CloudCasa. Confirm the precise software release and configuration. Then restore representative data in an isolated environment. The offer must support both scheduled protection and the recovery strategy, including recovery time and retention requirements.
Regulated workloads require controls aligned with applicable law and internal policy. Evaluate jurisdiction, encryption, Object Lock, key ownership, retention periods and deletion procedures. Identify where every data copy, encryption key and operational log resides. A service certification can support compliance, but it does not establish compliance for your processing context. Use these findings to start a proof of concept, revise the architecture or retain selected buckets at the existing provider. A phased strategy can migrate suitable storage first while dependencies requiring code changes or further validation remain at the source.
Map every S3 API operation used by the existing application. Record object and file sizes, request frequency, concurrency, latency targets and error handling. Compare these requirements with supported product features before starting a trial. Readiness depends on the complete production path, not a successful test upload. Use representative traffic and data when deciding whether to migrate S3 to European cloud infrastructure.

Select a transfer method that matches the operating requirement

Copy objects 
with rclone

Use rclone to transfer object sets between the source and destination service. Preserve supported metadata where possible, control concurrency, and compare checksums or listings afterwards. Schedule enough time for retries and reconciliation.

Retain backup management

Certified or compatible backup software is more suitable when catalogue, retention, restore sequencing and policy enforcement matter more than a raw copy. Validate protection and recovery through the same product workflow used in production.

Use native 
transfer tools

The CLI or MinIO mc can create controlled, scriptable copy jobs. Restrict access credentials, capture logs and ensure failed objects can be identified and replayed without restarting the complete transfer.

Choose the required location

Select France, Germany or another available European region according to residency, latency and compliance policy. S3-compatible object storage in Europe still requires location-specific checks for service availability and organisational access controls.

Provision the destination as code

S3 APITerraform
Use Terraform to define the bucket, region, storage class, versioning, lifecycle settings and access policies before migration. Compare the resulting state with the approved design and source requirements. Choose Single-Zone or Multi-Zone according to latency, availability and workload criticality. Multi-Zone spans three availability zones and includes a 99.99% SLA. For Kubernetes and other container workloads, deliver credentials and policies through the deployment pipeline. This controlled foundation helps teams move from S3 to OVHcloud without creating unmanaged digital infrastructure. The source remains authoritative until validation is complete.
Technical diagram of S3-compatible applications and SDKs connecting to OVHcloud Object Storage through a changed endpoint, with compatibility checks

Run the migration through four controlled stages

1. Provision the 
destination

Create the bucket, access policies and required settings with Terraform or the CLI. Record the OVHcloud region, storage class, versioning and retention configuration. Keep infrastructure definitions under review so the deployed solution matches the approved standard.

2. Transfer while the source remains authoritative

Copy objects with rclone or other supported tools. Keep production reads and writes on the source provider during the initial transfer. Plan for source egress, temporary storage, tooling and labour in the migration cost. Destination Object Storage egress is free, but the overall project is not.

3. Verify data 
and behaviour

Compare object counts, total sizes, checksums, metadata and representative reads. Exercise multipart uploads, lifecycle actions, access controls and restore operations where relevant. Investigate every mismatch rather than accepting a sample that hides risk.

4. Cut over with a rollback window

Pause writes or reconcile changes made after the first copy. Update credentials and the endpoint, then switch traffic in a controlled window. Monitor error rates, request latency and application logs. Retain the source and a documented reversal path until acceptance criteria are met.

Evaluate jurisdiction, operations and costs

A European cloud region defines the data location. Sovereignty also depends on provider ownership, jurisdiction and exposure to foreign legal demands. Read the featured service terms and verify these factors independently. For S3 migration without code change, compare API coverage, destination endpoint, availability design, support, certifications and the enterprise operating model. Serverless consumers may have different latency and request requirements. Pricing must include source egress, dual storage, tools, engineering effort and downtime risk. Egress-free destination traffic can reduce ongoing costs, but migration itself still carries costs
Choose support that fits your migration scale
Teams with standard, validated workloads can review the OVHcloud Object Storage offer and run a representative trial before scheduling production. For migrations above 200 TB, multi-hundred-terabyte estates or petabyte-scale programmes, contact OVHcloud Professional Services. Our specialists can help assess dependencies, estimate transfer requirements and plan execution for environments where scale, downtime or operational complexity needs dedicated support.
Contact migration specialists