# Missing lifecycle policy on Object Storage | Cloud Efficiency Hub

Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/missing-lifecycle-policy-on-object-storage

Without lifecycle policies or Auto-Tiering, data in OCI Object Storage remains in the bucket's default storage tier (usually Standard) indefinitely -...

By: PointFive

Updated: 2026-09-28

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# Missing Lifecycle Policy on Object Storage

The short version

Without lifecycle policies or Auto-Tiering, data in OCI Object Storage remains in the bucket's default storage tier (usually Standard) indefinitely - even if it is rarely accessed.

PointFive Research

Cloud cost research at PointFive

OCI service

[OCI Object Storage](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/oci-object-storage)

Category

[Storage](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/storage)

Reference

CER-0191

Type

Governance Gap

## Explanation

Why the waste happens and who it affects.

This can lead to growing costs from unneeded or rarely accessed data that could be expired or transitioned to lower-cost tiers like Infrequent Access or Archive Storage.

## Billing model

The pricing dimensions that drive this cost.

Charged based on object storage tier and total GB stored per month.

## How to detect

4 checks to find it in your estate.

- Review buckets lacking lifecycle policies or where all objects remain in standard tier

- Analyze object creation timestamps and last access data (if available)

- Identify buckets used for logs, backups, or system exports where retention can be limited

- Check with teams to validate retention requirements for each bucket

## How to fix

4 ways to remove the waste.

- Create lifecycle rules to transition older objects to Infrequent Access or Archive Storage

- Enable Auto-Tiering on Standard buckets so objects larger than 1 MiB that are rarely accessed move to Infrequent Access automatically

- Set expiration policies for data older than required retention thresholds

- Standardize lifecycle policies across log or backup buckets

## Documentation

Vendor references for pricing and configuration.

- [Object Lifecycle Management  docs.oracle.com](https://docs.oracle.com/en-us/iaas/Content/Object/Tasks/usinglifecyclepolicies.htm)

- [Object Storage Storage Tiers  docs.oracle.com](https://docs.oracle.com/en-us/iaas/Content/Object/Concepts/understandingstoragetiers.htm)

## Related inefficiencies

[Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub)

- OCI Object Storage  CER-0203

### [Inactive Object Storage Bucket](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/inactive-object-storage-bucket)

OCI Object Storage buckets accrue charges based on data volume stored, even if no activity has occurred. Buckets that haven't been read from or written to in months may contain outdated data or artifacts from discontinued projects.

Storage

- OCI Block Volume  CER-0208

### [Unattached Block Volume (Non-Boot)](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/unattached-block-volume-non-boot)

Block volumes that are not attached to any instance continue to incur charges. These often accumulate after instance deletion or reconfiguration. Unlike boot volumes, unattached data volumes may be harder to track if not labeled or tagged...

Storage

- OCI Block Volume  CER-0199

### [Unattached Boot Volume](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/unattached-boot-volume)

When a Compute instance is terminated in OCI, the associated boot volume is not deleted by default. If the termination settings don't explicitly delete the boot volume, it persists and continues to generate storage charges. Because boot...

Storage

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