---
title: "TIR Object Storage"
description: "TIR Object Storage (EOS Dataset) is an S3-compatible bucket that many TIR instances mount read-only and that S3 tools read and write."
content_type: "overview"
product: "tir-object-storage"
platform: "TIR"
url: "/tir/tir-object-storage/"
---

# TIR Object Storage

TIR Object Storage keeps your training data, checkpoints, and artifacts in a bucket in E2E Object Storage
(EOS), an S3-compatible store. Many instances and clusters can read the same data from one place.
A bucket grows by itself with the data you put in it. The portal labels it **Object
Storage (EOS Dataset)**, and it used to be called Datasets (EOS).

Choose Object Storage for data that many workloads read; choose [TIR Block Storage](/tir/tir-block-storage/)
for a disk that one instance reads and writes.

You can reach the data from the portal, from any S3-compatible tool, or by mounting the bucket on an instance, a Virtual Machine, or a Slurm Cluster. S3-compatible tools include the MinIO CLI (`mc`), `s3cmd`, `s3fs`, and the AWS and MinIO SDKs. A mounted bucket is always read-only.

Each bucket has a **Bucket Name** and an **Alias (Dataset Name)**. The bucket name is the name it has
in EOS, and it is unique across all of EOS. The alias is its name inside TIR. Workloads use the alias: a mounted bucket appears at
`/datasets/<alias>` on an instance.

## Where to find it

In TIR, open your project. In the side menu, under **Storage**, select **Object Storage (EOS
Dataset)**. You see the buckets of the current project and region.

## What you can do

### Create and connect

- [Create a bucket](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/create-a-bucket/) with a name, an alias, and
  optional encryption, versioning, and object lock.
- [Create an encrypted bucket](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/create-an-encrypted-bucket/) and choose
  who holds the key.
- [Find a bucket's access keys and endpoint](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/find-a-buckets-access-keys-and-endpoint/)
  to connect an S3 tool or SDK.
- [Connect to a bucket with the MinIO CLI or s3cmd](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/connect-to-a-bucket-with-an-s3-tool/)
  using the ready-made commands on the **Setup** tab.

### Work with data

- [Upload data to a bucket](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/upload-data-to-a-bucket/) from the portal
  or an S3 tool.
- [Browse, download, and delete objects](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/browse-download-and-delete-objects/).
- [Mount a bucket on an instance or Slurm Cluster](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/mount-a-bucket-on-a-workload/)
  to read it as a folder.
- [Share an object with a presigned URL](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/share-an-object-with-a-presigned-url/)
  while the secret key stays with you.

### Protect and manage data

- [Use object versioning](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/use-object-versioning/) to keep earlier
  versions of an object.
- [Set a default object lock on a bucket](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/set-a-default-object-lock/).
- [Lock one object version or place a legal hold](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/lock-an-object-version/).
- [Add a lifecycle rule](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/add-a-lifecycle-rule/) to delete objects
  after a number of days.
- [Replicate a bucket to another region](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/replicate-a-bucket-to-another-region/).

### Empty and delete

- [Empty a bucket](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/empty-a-bucket/) to remove every object and keep
  the bucket.
- [Delete a bucket](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/delete-a-bucket/) when you are done with it.

## Use the API

The TIR API reference lists the dataset operations in [Dataset](/api/tir/storage/dataset/).

## Where to start

Start with [Get started with TIR Object Storage](/tir/tir-object-storage/get-started/), which creates
a bucket and uploads a first file. For help with a message, see
[Troubleshooting TIR Object Storage](/tir/tir-object-storage/troubleshooting/tir-object-storage/). The
[TIR Object Storage FAQ](/tir/tir-object-storage/faq/) has short answers about billing, access, and
limits.