---
title: "Globally Distributed Object Storage with Tigris"
description: "Globally distributed object storage is presented as a way to avoid the latency and application complexity that arise when modern apps route uploads and downloads through a single-region S3 bucket. Tigris addresses this with redundant FoundationDB clusters for object tracking, Fly.io NVMe volumes as a first-level raw-byte cache, and a queueing system modeled on Apple’s QuiCK paper that sends data to replicas, in-demand regions, and third-party stores such as S3. Objects smaller than about 128 kilobytes are instantly global by default, while the platform also provides inter-region routing, consistency guarantees, instant purge, and relay regions. Its S3-compatible API means existing S3 libraries can be reused, and fly storage create injects the required AWS configuration and secrets. Fly.io says the partnership delivers object storage under its billing system without requiring a separate account."
---

# Globally Distributed Object Storage with Tigris

[Fly.io](https://yomu.fyi/company/fly-io) · Feb 15, 2024

**Type:** Announcement

## Summary

Globally distributed object storage is presented as a way to avoid the latency and application complexity that arise when modern apps route uploads and downloads through a single-region S3 bucket. Tigris addresses this with redundant FoundationDB clusters for object tracking, Fly.io NVMe volumes as a first-level raw-byte cache, and a queueing system modeled on Apple’s QuiCK paper that sends data to replicas, in-demand regions, and third-party stores such as S3. Objects smaller than about 128 kilobytes are instantly global by default, while the platform also provides inter-region routing, consistency guarantees, instant purge, and relay regions. Its S3-compatible API means existing S3 libraries can be reused, and fly storage create injects the required AWS configuration and secrets. Fly.io says the partnership delivers object storage under its billing system without requiring a separate account.

## Context

Modern applications and users are distributed worldwide, while conventional S3 storage keeps data in a specific region. The post says distant users and frequent, small reads and writes can suffer worse performance, and regional replication or CDN caching adds application complexity.

## Approach / What changed

Tigris uses redundant FoundationDB clusters, Fly.io NVMe volumes for first-level raw-byte caching, and a queueing system modeled on Apple’s QuiCK paper to replicate objects across regions and third-party object stores. It exposes the system through an S3-compatible API; fly storage create injects the needed AWS configuration and secrets.

## Takeaways

- Objects smaller than about 128 kilobytes are instantly global by default according to the post.
- Tigris is described as globally distributed object storage rather than a CDN, with consistency guarantees, instant purge, inter-region routing, and relay regions.
- Existing S3 libraries can use Tigris without code changes, while Fly.io bills the service through the existing Fly.io account.

**Tags:** [Distributed Systems](https://yomu.fyi/topic/distributed-systems), [Object Storage](https://yomu.fyi/topic/object-storage), [S3](https://yomu.fyi/topic/s3)

- Source: [Fly.io](https://fly.io/blog/tigris-public-beta)
- Source URL: https://fly.io/blog/tigris-public-beta
- Ingested by Yomu: 2026-09-03T01:25:32.758Z

[Read original post](https://fly.io/blog/tigris-public-beta)