Use DescribeVault with an AWS SDK or CLI - Amazon Glacier

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, AWS recommends the Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes, which deliver a superior customer experience with S3 bucket-based APIs, full AWS Region availability, lower costs, and AWS service integration. If you want enhanced capabilities, consider migrating to Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes by using our AWS Solutions Guidance for transferring data from Amazon Glacier vaults to Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes.

Use DescribeVault with an AWS SDK or CLI

The following code examples show how to use DescribeVault.

.NET
SDK for .NET
Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

/// <summary> /// Describe an Amazon S3 Glacier vault. /// </summary> /// <param name="vaultName">The name of the vault to describe.</param> /// <returns>The Amazon Resource Name (ARN) of the vault.</returns> public async Task<string> DescribeVaultAsync(string vaultName) { var request = new DescribeVaultRequest { AccountId = "-", VaultName = vaultName, }; var response = await _glacierService.DescribeVaultAsync(request); // Display the information about the vault. Console.WriteLine($"{response.VaultName}\tARN: {response.VaultARN}"); Console.WriteLine($"Created on: {response.CreationDate}\tNumber of Archives: {response.NumberOfArchives}\tSize (in bytes): {response.SizeInBytes}"); if (response.LastInventoryDate != DateTime.MinValue) { Console.WriteLine($"Last inventory: {response.LastInventoryDate}"); } return response.VaultARN; }
  • For API details, see DescribeVault in AWS SDK for .NET API Reference.

CLI
AWS CLI

The following command retrieves data about a vault named my-vault:

aws glacier describe-vault --vault-name my-vault --account-id -

Amazon Glacier requires an account ID argument when performing operations, but you can use a hyphen to specify the in-use account.

  • For API details, see DescribeVault in AWS CLI Command Reference.

For a complete list of AWS SDK developer guides and code examples, see Using Amazon Glacier with an AWS SDK. This topic also includes information about getting started and details about previous SDK versions.