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Connecting IBM COS S3

This guide walks you through connecting an IBM Cloud Object Storage (COS) S3 storage destination to Pluton.

Prerequisites​

Before connecting IBM COS S3, you need:

  1. An IBM Cloud account — Sign up here
  2. An IBM COS service instance with HMAC credentials (Access Key ID and Secret Access Key)

Getting Your IBM COS Credentials​

Step 1: Create Service Credentials​

  1. Log into the IBM Cloud Console
  2. Navigate to your Cloud Object Storage service instance
  3. Click Service credentials in the left sidebar
  4. Click New credential
  5. Give it a name (e.g., "Pluton Backup Key")
  6. Under Advanced options, enable Include HMAC Credential
  7. Click Add
  8. Expand the new credential and note the access_key_id and secret_access_key values from the cos_hmac_keys section

Step 2: Prepare Your Bucket​

  1. Navigate to Buckets in your COS instance
  2. Note the bucket name you want to use, or click Create bucket to make a new one
  3. Note the Region or endpoint type (Public, Private, or Direct) for your bucket

Connecting to Pluton​

Pluton IBM COS S3

Step 1: Add Storage​

  1. In Pluton, navigate to Storages
  2. Click Add Storage button
  3. Select IBM COS S3 from the provider list

Step 2: Configure Connection​

Fill in the required fields:

  • Storage Name: A friendly name (e.g., "IBM COS Backups")
  • Access Key ID: Your IBM COS HMAC Access Key ID
  • Secret Access Key: Your IBM COS HMAC Secret Access Key (password)
  • Region: Select the endpoint matching your bucket's region. Options include regional endpoints (us-south, us-east, eu-gb, eu-de, au-syd, jp-tok, jp-osa, ca-tor, br-sao, eu-es), Private and Direct variants of each region, and Cross-Region endpoints (us, eu, ap). You can also enter a custom endpoint if needed
  • Bucket Name: Your IBM COS Bucket Name

Step 3: Advanced Options (Optional)​

Additional settings available:

  • Location Constraint: Location constraint that should match the endpoint. Used when creating new buckets
  • Access Control List (ACL): Permissions applied when creating buckets and storing objects. Options include Private, Public Read, Public Read/Write, and Authenticated Read
  • Server-side Encryption: Encrypt objects at rest using AES256 or AWS KMS
  • Storage Class: The storage class for new objects (Standard, Standard IA, Glacier, etc.)
  • Bucket ACL: Canned ACL applied specifically when creating buckets

Step 4: Complete the Storage Setup​

  1. Click the Add Storage button which automatically verifies credentials and adds the storage.
  2. Your IBM COS S3 storage is now ready for backup plans

Common Issues​

Authentication Failure: Make sure you are using HMAC credentials (not API keys). Expand the service credential and look for the cos_hmac_keys section containing access_key_id and secret_access_key.

Endpoint Mismatch: The selected region/endpoint must match where your bucket was provisioned. Public, Private, and Direct endpoints serve different network paths.

Location Constraint Error: When creating buckets, the location constraint must align with the selected endpoint (e.g., us-south-standard for us-south).

Best Practices​

  • Use HMAC credentials with minimum required permissions via IBM IAM policies
  • Choose Private or Direct endpoints when your Pluton server runs on IBM Cloud for better performance and no egress fees
  • Use Cross-Region endpoints for higher availability across geographic regions
  • Monitor your COS usage through the IBM Cloud dashboard to manage storage costs