Unlock Full Control with S3 Compatibility and EU Sovereignty

The first step in a modern backup strategy is choosing a storage protocol that ensures broad compatibility and avoids vendor lock-in. The S3 API has become the industry standard for object storage, supported by hundreds of applications, including the open-source backup client Duplicati. This allows you to switch between S3-compatible providers with zero code changes, protecting your investment in backup workflows. A strong majority of EU decision-makers now demand European solutions for their data.

However, true digital sovereignty requires more than just an EU data center location; the provider itself must be governed by EU law to prevent exposure to foreign data access requests. Impossible Cloud offers a 100% European-owned and operated infrastructure, ensuring your cloud backups comply with GDPR by design. This combination of open standards and strict EU governance gives you complete control over your critical data assets.

Step-by-Step: Your Duplicati S3 Backup Configuration

Configuring Duplicati to use a sovereign S3-compatible storage provider takes only a few minutes. This process leverages Duplicati's native S3 support, requiring just four key pieces of information: the service URL, bucket name, Access Key, and Secret Key. This setup ensures a secure and encrypted connection for data in transit from the first transfer.

Follow these seven steps to connect Duplicati to your S3 storage:

1. In the Duplicati web interface, create a new backup and proceed to the “Destination” screen.
2. For “Storage Type,” select “S3 compatible” from the dropdown menu.
3. Check the “Use SSL” box to encrypt the connection.
4. In the “Server (Hostname)” field, enter the S3 endpoint URL provided by your storage provider.
5. Enter your desired “Bucket name,” which must be a unique identifier for your backup repository.
6. Input the “AWS Access ID” (your Access Key) and “AWS Access Key” (your Secret Key) into the corresponding fields.
7. Click the “Test connection” button to verify the credentials and permissions; upon success, save the configuration.

With this simple Duplicati S3 backup configuration, your automated backup jobs are ready to run against a secure, EU-based target.

Activate Ransomware Defense with Immutable Backups

Ransomware attacks now occur every 11 seconds, making immutable storage a critical defense layer. S3 Object Lock prevents data from being deleted or altered for a defined period, rendering ransomware attacks on your backups ineffective. Impossible Cloud provides this feature at no extra cost, allowing you to create write-once-read-many (WORM) compliant archives. You can enable Object Lock with a single click when creating a new bucket in the Impossible Cloud console.

Key benefits of using Object Lock include:

• Ransomware Protection: Encrypted or malicious files cannot overwrite your clean backup data.
• Regulatory Compliance: Meet data retention requirements for regulations like GDPR and NIS-2 with verifiable, tamper-proof storage.
• Human Error Prevention: Protect against accidental deletions by administrators or automated scripts, which account for over 20% of data loss incidents.
• Audit-Ready Retention: Demonstrate a clear and unchangeable data lifecycle for internal and external audits.

Once enabled, this immutable backup storage ensures your recovery points remain intact and available 100% of the time.

Eliminate Hidden Costs with a Predictable Pricing Model

A major pain point for IT leaders is the unpredictable nature of cloud storage costs, where egress fees and API call charges can inflate a bill by 50% or more. Many providers use complex tiering systems that add operational overhead and lead to surprise restore fees. An “Always-Hot” storage model, where all data is immediately accessible, eliminates these issues entirely. This approach ensures predictable latencies and stable performance for third-party tools like Duplicati.

Impossible Cloud’s pricing is built on a foundation of transparency, helping you forecast expenses with 100% accuracy. Our model includes three core principles: no egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage duration. This structure is particularly beneficial for MSPs, who can build BaaS offerings with predictable margins. By removing hidden charges, you can achieve a total cost of ownership that is up to 80% lower than hyperscaler alternatives, as detailed in our S3 pricing comparison.

Build Partner Success with Predictable Margins and EU-Wide Access

For MSPs, resellers, and system integrators, profitability depends on predictable costs and simplified management. A storage solution with zero egress or API fees is predictable by design, allowing partners to build defensible margins for Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) and archiving solutions. Fast onboarding and a partner-ready console with multi-tenant management, RBAC, and MFA are essential for scaling operations efficiently. Over 60% of MSPs report that automation and streamlined management are key to their growth.

Impossible Cloud is committed to the channel, with a 100% partner-focused sales model. Our expanding distribution network makes it easier for partners across Europe to access sovereign cloud storage. Recent milestones include partnerships with the distributor api in Germany and our first UK distributor, Northamber plc. This growing ecosystem provides local access and support, enabling partners to deliver GDPR-compliant solutions to their clients with confidence and a clear financial advantage, thanks to our zero egress fee model.