Impossible Cloud Features
Feature documentation for Impossible Cloud object storage in CMP — customer and admin capabilities after the provider is connected.
Need to connect Impossible Cloud, map zones, or storage settings? Start with Connecting CMP to Impossible Cloud.
Feature list
| Feature | Status | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Object Storage | Ready | Object Storage — create service, overview, S3 credentials, resize |
| Buckets & Objects | Ready | Buckets & Objects — versioning, object lock, retention, file operations |
| Delete / restore retention-marked objects | In progress | Impossible Cloud supports this at the provider; CMP UI coming in an upcoming release — see CMP-level limitations |
Feature comparison vs CEPH
Impossible Cloud and CEPH both provide S3-compatible object storage in CMP, but capability differs today.
| Feature | CEPH | Impossible Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Create object storage + S3 credentials | ✅ | ✅ |
| Buckets, upload, download, delete | ✅ | ✅ |
| Versioning | ✅ | ✅ |
| Object Lock / retention | ✅ | ✅ (cannot disable lock after create) |
| Resize storage plan | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bucket public access | ✅ | ❌ |
| Object public access | ✅ | ❌ |
| Bucket policies | ✅ | ❌ |
| Bucket ACL permissions | ✅ | ❌ |
| Configurable bucket limit per package | ✅ | ❌ (fixed 100 buckets per service) |
| Placement targets / storage classes | Roadmap in CMP | ❌ |
| Provider usage statistics API | ✅ | ❌ (usage at CMP level) |
| Bucket metadata APIs (size, count) | ✅ | ❌ (managed at CMP level) |
| Storage account console login | N/A (CEPH user model) | ❌ (API-only IAM users) |
| Bucket emptying API | ✅ | ❌ (UI only; delete objects via S3 API) |
| Immediate storage account deletion | Per CEPH policy | ❌ (30-day read-only grace period) |
| Delete / restore retention-marked objects in CMP | ✅ | ❌ In progress (Impossible Cloud provider supports delete/restore; CMP UI in upcoming release) |
Why use Impossible Cloud despite fewer features?
Impossible Cloud trades feature depth for operational simplicity. CEPH remains the right choice when you need full control, rich S3 policy features, and configurable limits. Impossible Cloud fits providers who want managed object storage without running a storage cluster.
| Area | CEPH | Impossible Cloud | Why Impossible Cloud can still win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage engine | Powerful distributed storage platform | Managed object storage | You do not operate the storage platform |
| Deployment | Deploy and manage a CEPH cluster | Service already provided | Much faster onboarding |
| CEPH administration | High | Very low | Less infrastructure expertise required |
| S3 exposure | Configure RGW, users, endpoints, policies, and more | Ready-to-use S3 service | CMP can provision S3 directly |
| HA / infrastructure | You design and operate it | Provider handles it | Reduced operational responsibility |
| Upgrades | Your responsibility | Provider responsibility | Less maintenance |
| Failure handling | Your responsibility | Provider responsibility | Lower operational burden |
| Capacity management | Manage disks, OSDs, CRUSH, and similar | Service-level capacity | Simpler for CMP |
| Multi-tenancy | You design the model | Built into the service | Easier SaaS / service integration |
| Customer experience | You expose CEPH capabilities | Standardized storage product | Better for a uniform CMP offering |
| Feature flexibility | Very high | Limited | CEPH wins |
| Operational simplicity | Lower | Higher | Impossible Cloud wins |
Choose CEPH when you operate your own cluster and need bucket policies, ACLs, public access, flexible bucket limits, and full provider-side metadata. Choose Impossible Cloud when you want managed S3 with minimal storage ops — accepting CMP-level usage reporting, a 100-bucket cap, and the provider limitations listed above.
CMP-level limitations
These gaps are on the CMP side — the Impossible Cloud provider may already support the capability.
Delete and restore retention-marked objects
On Impossible Cloud, objects under retention can be deleted and restored at the provider level (for example through Impossible Cloud tooling outside CMP).
CMP does not support this yet. Customers cannot delete retention-marked files or restore them from the CMP customer portal today.
Delete and restore for retention-marked objects is in progress in CMP for Impossible Cloud and is planned for an upcoming release. Until then, use Impossible Cloud provider tools where your contract allows, or wait for the CMP release.
See Retention behaviour for what CMP supports today.
Provider limitations
Storage accounts
Storage accounts are partner-managed IAM (API-only) users. S3 access and secret keys are generated for these users because CMP requires them for bucket and object operations.
Console login to the Impossible Cloud storage account is not supported through the current Partner API integration.
Object Lock
Disabling Object Lock after bucket creation is not supported (AWS S3 standard behaviour).
Bucket emptying
No API triggers full bucket emptying — use the Impossible Cloud UI, or delete objects individually via S3 Delete Object / Delete Objects APIs.
Account deletion
Deleting a storage account starts a mandatory 30-day grace period (read-only, no new writes). The grace period cannot be bypassed. The Beta API may not yet expose full deletion APIs — see Requirements.
Related setup docs
| Topic | Link |
|---|---|
| Connect Impossible Cloud | Connecting CMP to Impossible Cloud |
| Object Storage packages | Object Storage Packages |
| Installation requirements | Impossible Cloud Requirements |
Related
- Orchestrator Features
- Impossible Cloud Setup
- CEPH Features — alternative object storage