Retrieving Vault Metadata in Amazon Glacier Using the Amazon Command Line Interface - Amazon Glacier
(Prerequisite) Setting Up the Amazon CLIExample: Retrieving Vault Metadata Using the Amazon CLI
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This page is only for existing customers of the Amazon Glacier service using Vaults and the original REST API from 2012.

If you're looking for archival storage solutions, we recommend using the Amazon 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 Amazon Glacier storage classes.

Amazon Glacier (original standalone vault-based service) will no longer accept new customers starting December 15, 2025, with no impact to existing customers. Amazon Glacier is a standalone service with its own APIs that stores data in vaults and is distinct from Amazon S3 and the Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes. Your existing data will remain secure and accessible in Amazon Glacier indefinitely. No migration is required. For low-cost, long-term archival storage, Amazon recommends the Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes, which deliver a superior customer experience with S3 bucket-based APIs, full Amazon Web Services Region availability, lower costs, and Amazon service integration. If you want enhanced capabilities, consider migrating to Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes by using our Amazon Solutions Guidance for transferring data from Amazon Glacier vaults to Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes.

Retrieving Vault Metadata in Amazon Glacier Using the Amazon Command Line Interface

This example shows how to retrieve vault information and metadata in Amazon Glacier (Amazon Glacier) using the Amazon Command Line Interface (Amazon CLI).

(Prerequisite) Setting Up the Amazon CLI

  1. Download and configure the Amazon CLI. For instructions, see the following topics in the Amazon Command Line Interface User Guide:

    Installing the Amazon Command Line Interface

    Configuring the Amazon Command Line Interface

  2. Verify your Amazon CLI setup by entering the following commands at the command prompt. These commands don't provide credentials explicitly, so the credentials of the default profile are used.

    • Try using the help command.

      aws help

    • To get a list of Amazon Glacier vaults on the configured account, use the list-vaults command. Replace 123456789012 with your Amazon Web Services account ID.

      aws glacier list-vaults --account-id 123456789012

    • To see the current configuration data for the Amazon CLI, use the aws configure list command.

      aws configure list

Example: Retrieving Vault Metadata Using the Amazon CLI

  • Use the describe-vault command to describe a vault named awsexamplevault under account 111122223333.

    aws glacier describe-vault --vault-name awsexamplevault --account-id 111122223333