Understanding OCI Object Storage Bucket Commands Using OCI CLI

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Object Storage is a highly scalable cloud storage service used to store unstructured data such as:

• Backups
• Images
• Videos
• Database exports
• Logs
• Application files
• Terraform state files

Using OCI CLI, administrators can manage Object Storage buckets directly from the terminal.

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Checking Available Bucket Commands

The following command displays all available bucket operations in OCI CLI:

oci os bucket -h

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Example Terminal Output

(base) karandodwal@Karans-MacBook-Air oci % oci os bucket -h

Usage: oci os bucket [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

  A bucket is a container for storing objects in a compartment within a
  namespace. A bucket is associated with a single compartment.

Commands:
  create
  delete
  get
  list
  reencrypt
  update

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Understanding OCI Object Storage Buckets

A bucket is a logical container inside OCI Object Storage where objects (files) are stored.

Examples of objects:

• ZIP files
• Backups
• Images
• JSON files
• Database dump files
• Terraform state files

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OCI Object Storage Hierarchy

Tenancy
 └── Compartment
      └── Namespace
           └── Bucket
                └── Objects

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What the Help Output Explains

The OCI CLI help output provides:

• Command usage syntax
• Bucket descriptions
• Available bucket operations
• IAM authorization requirements

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Basic OCI Bucket Command Structure

oci os bucket <command>

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Available Bucket Commands Explained

Command	Description
create	Create a new bucket
delete	Delete an empty bucket
get	Display bucket details
list	List all buckets in a compartment
reencrypt	Re-encrypt bucket encryption keys
update	Modify bucket settings

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1. Create Bucket

Creates a new Object Storage bucket.

Example

oci os bucket create \
--compartment-id <compartment_ocid> \
--name mybucket \
--namespace-name <namespace>

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2. Delete Bucket

Deletes a bucket if it is empty.

Example

oci os bucket delete \
--bucket-name mybucket \
--namespace-name <namespace> \
--force

Important:

• Bucket must be empty before deletion
• All objects should be removed first

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3. Get Bucket Details

Displays detailed information about a bucket.

Example

oci os bucket get \
--bucket-name mybucket \
--namespace-name <namespace>

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4. List Buckets

Lists all buckets inside a compartment.

Example

oci os bucket list \
--compartment-id <compartment_ocid> \
--namespace-name <namespace>

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5. Re-encrypt Bucket

The reencrypt command is used to re-encrypt bucket encryption keys.

This is useful when:

• Rotating encryption keys
• Improving security compliance
• Changing KMS configurations

Example

oci os bucket reencrypt \
--bucket-name mybucket \
--namespace-name <namespace>

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6. Update Bucket

Updates bucket settings and properties.

Example

oci os bucket update \
--bucket-name mybucket \
--namespace-name <namespace> \
--public-access-type NoPublicAccess

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IAM Authorization Requirement

The help output also mentions:

To use any of the API operations, you must be authorized in an IAM policy.

This means OCI users need proper IAM permissions to work with buckets.

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Example IAM Policy for Object Storage

Allow group StorageAdmins to manage object-family in compartment Production

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Understanding OCI Namespace

Object Storage buckets exist inside a namespace.

A namespace is automatically generated for each OCI tenancy.

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Get Namespace

oci os ns get

Example output:

{
  "data": "mytenancynamespace"
}

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Useful Related OCI Object Storage Commands

List Objects in a Bucket

oci os object list \
--bucket-name mybucket

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Upload Object

oci os object put \
--bucket-name mybucket \
--file backup.zip

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Download Object

oci os object get \
--bucket-name mybucket \
--name backup.zip \
--file backup.zip

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Display Bucket Commands Help

You can get detailed help for individual bucket commands.

Example

oci os bucket create --help

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Display Output in Table Format

OCI CLI supports table formatting for readability.

Example

oci os bucket list \
--compartment-id <compartment_ocid> \
--namespace-name <namespace> \
--output table

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Why OCI CLI is Useful for Object Storage

• Automates storage management
• Useful for scripting
• Supports backups and restore automation
• Works well with DevOps pipelines
• Faster than manual console operations
• Supports Terraform and Infrastructure as Code

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OCI CLI and Cloud Shell

OCI CLI can run from:

• macOS Terminal
• Linux servers
• Windows WSL
• Oracle Cloud Shell

Oracle Cloud Shell already includes OCI CLI pre-installed and authenticated.

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Best Practices for OCI Buckets

• Use private buckets unless public access is required
• Enable encryption
• Use IAM least privilege policies
• Organize buckets by workload
• Monitor bucket usage
• Use lifecycle policies for cost optimization

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Conclusion

The command:

oci os bucket -h

is an excellent starting point for learning OCI Object Storage management using OCI CLI.

It provides visibility into all major bucket operations including:

• Bucket creation
• Listing buckets
• Updating bucket settings
• Deleting buckets
• Encryption management

OCI Object Storage combined with OCI CLI provides a powerful and automation-friendly cloud storage platform for enterprise workloads and cloud-native applications.