Retrieving Vault Metadata in Amazon S3 Glacier Using the AWS SDK for .NET - Amazon S3 Glacier
Retrieve Vault Metadata for a VaultRetrieve Vault Metadata for All Vaults in a RegionExample: Vault Operations Using .NET

This page is only for existing customers of the S3 Glacier service using Vaults and the original REST API from 2012.

If you're looking for archival storage solutions we suggest using the S3 Glacier storage classes in Amazon S3, S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval, and S3 Glacier Deep Archive. To learn more about these storage options, see S3 Glacier storage classes and Long-term data storage using S3 Glacier storage classes in the Amazon S3 User Guide. These storage classes use the Amazon S3 API, are available in all regions, and can be managed within the Amazon S3 console. They offer features like Storage Cost Analysis, Storage Lens, advanced optional encryption features, and more.

Retrieving Vault Metadata in Amazon S3 Glacier Using the AWS SDK for .NET

Retrieve Vault Metadata for a Vault

You can retrieve metadata for a specific vault or all the vaults in a specific AWS Region. The following are the steps to retrieve vault metadata for a specific vault using the low-level API of the AWS SDK for .NET.

  1. Create an instance of the AmazonGlacierClient class (the client).

    You need to specify an AWS Region where the vault resides. All operations you perform using this client apply to that AWS Region.

  2. Provide request information by creating an instance of the DescribeVaultRequest class.

    Amazon S3 Glacier (S3 Glacier) requires you to provide a vault name and your account ID. If you don't provide an account ID, then the account ID associated with the credentials you provide to sign the request is assumed. For more information, see Using the AWS SDK for .NET with Amazon S3 Glacier.

  3. Run the DescribeVault method by providing the request object as a parameter.

    The vault metadata information that S3 Glacier returns is available in the DescribeVaultResult object.

The following C# code snippet illustrates the preceding steps. The snippet retrieves metadata information of an existing vault in the US West (Oregon) Region. 

AmazonGlacierClient client;
client = new AmazonGlacierClient(Amazon.RegionEndpoint.USWest2);

DescribeVaultRequest describeVaultRequest = new DescribeVaultRequest()
{
  VaultName = "*** Provide vault name ***"
};  
DescribeVaultResponse describeVaultResponse = client.DescribeVault(describeVaultRequest);
Console.WriteLine("\nVault description...");
Console.WriteLine(
   "\nVaultName: " + describeVaultResponse.VaultName +
   "\nVaultARN: " + describeVaultResponse.VaultARN +
   "\nVaultCreationDate: " + describeVaultResponse.CreationDate +
   "\nNumberOfArchives: " + describeVaultResponse.NumberOfArchives +
   "\nSizeInBytes: " + describeVaultResponse.SizeInBytes +
   "\nLastInventoryDate: " + describeVaultResponse.LastInventoryDate 
   );

Note

For information about the underlying REST API, see Describe Vault (GET vault).

Retrieve Vault Metadata for All Vaults in a Region

You can also use the ListVaults method to retrieve metadata for all the vaults in a specific AWS Region.

The following C# code snippet retrieves list of vaults in the US West (Oregon) Region. The request limits the number of vaults returned in the response to 5. The code snippet then makes a series of ListVaults calls to retrieve the entire vault list from the AWS Region. 

AmazonGlacierClient client;
client = new AmazonGlacierClient(Amazon.RegionEndpoint.USWest2);
string lastMarker = null;
Console.WriteLine("\n List of vaults in your account in the specific AWS Region ...");
do
{
  ListVaultsRequest request = new ListVaultsRequest()
  {
    Limit = 5,
    Marker = lastMarker
  };
  ListVaultsResponse response = client.ListVaults(request);
   
  foreach (DescribeVaultOutput output in response.VaultList)
  {
    Console.WriteLine("Vault Name: {0} \tCreation Date: {1} \t #of archives: {2}",
                      output.VaultName, output.CreationDate, output.NumberOfArchives); 
  }
  lastMarker = response.Marker;
} while (lastMarker != null);

In the preceding code segment, if you don't specify the Limit value in the request, S3 Glacier returns up to 10 vaults, as set by the S3 Glacier API.

Note that the information returned for each vault in the list is the same as the information you get by calling the DescribeVault method for a specific vault.

Note

The ListVaults method calls the underlying REST API (see List Vaults (GET vaults)).

Example: Retrieving Vault Metadata Using the Low-Level API of the AWS SDK for .NET

For a working code example, see Example: Vault Operations Using the Low-Level API of the AWS SDK for .NET. The C# code example creates a vault and retrieves the vault metadata.