Optimizing document management with an AWS enterprise object storage solution

Public sector agencies need to modernize document management addressing risks and costs while complying with government security frameworks. An enterprise object storage (EOS) solution, built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), aims to deliver secure, cost-effective, and compliant storage with antivirus scanning, per-tenant encryption, and add-on features such as Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 digital signing, full text search, and optical character recognition (OCR). By combining AWS services with EOS enhancements, agencies can reduce costs, integrate with legacy, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) systems, and scale to millions of files while maintaining strict auditability.

Public sector agencies often face the same recurring challenges when it comes to storing and managing documents. They must comply with cybersecurity frameworks, which require strict controls around digital signatures, antivirus scanning, and encryption. Agencies regularly experience departmental restructures, meaning they need storage systems that can adapt quickly to new alignments without compromising data integrity.

Agencies have strict requirements for version control and audit tracking, but traditional systems often lack the required level of detail. On top of this, agencies are under pressure to control costs at a time when the volume of documents and files continues to grow. EOS was designed by working backwards from these pain points with the goal of delivering compliance, flexibility, auditability, and cost efficiency.

Key benefits of EOS

EOS strengthens security and compliance by integrating directly with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for authentication and authorization and applying antivirus scanning to every file as it enters the system. Data is encrypted both at rest and in transit, with separate keys applied for each system to provide isolation and residency. EOS also provides metadata management designed for auditability—so agencies can demonstrate compliance at any time.

From a financial perspective, agencies can modernize using EOS without the overhead of traditional file storage or expensive block storage. By adopting a serverless architecture, EOS minimizes operational management with the use of Amazon API Gateway and AWS Lambda and keeps costs predictable using Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) storage. This means agencies can scale storage in line with their needs without paying for unused capacity, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership compared to legacy platforms.

Agencies can build custom workflows that connect across departments or between systems using EOS APIs for both file and metadata management. It has already been proven at scale, managing millions of files in production environments and supporting collaborative workflows across multiple agencies. EOS adapts seamlessly to evolving public sector IT requirements. Most agencies operate a mix of SaaS, COTS, and legacy systems, which makes integration an essential component. With EOS, they can modernize without disruption because it streamlines document migration from legacy systems while maintaining compliance, security, and version history. The solution reduces migration risks and costs by providing automated tools and clear audit trails throughout the transition process.

The following graphic illustrates the EOS workflow.

Figure 1: High-level solution diagram of the enterprise object solution

Architecture

The EOS solution demonstrates how AWS services work together to create a document management platform. By using serverless and managed services, EOS helps provide secure, scalable, and cost-effective document storage capabilities. The architecture implements AWS Well-Architected principles through intentional service selection and integration patterns.

The following service mapping details how each AWS service implements specific functionalities while adhering to Well-Architected principles. Each service description includes its primary responsibilities, key features, and architectural significance within the solution. Understanding these service roles and their interactions is important for implementing and maintaining an effective document management system:

• Document management – Amazon S3 provides the primary storage service for document data in the solution, maintaining document history through version control. S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically optimizes storage costs by moving documents between access tiers based on usage patterns. S3 Object Lock capabilities enable compliance and retention requirements for regulated documents. AWS Lambda functions execute document processing operations. It implements secure validation of document formats and sizes during upload processes and enables concurrent processing of multiple documents while maintaining system performance. Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS) provides reliable message queuing for document processing operations. The service enables asynchronous document processing to optimize system performance under varying loads.
• Metadata management – Amazon DynamoDB stores and manages document metadata with consistent performance characteristics and auto scaling capabilities. It implements a flexible schema design to accommodate varying metadata requirements across different document types.
• Access management – Amazon Cognito manages system-to-system authentication through secure credential management. The service implements OAuth 2.0 flows for secure token-based authentication between systems. The service provides detailed authentication logs, and the application’s client maintains its own set of credentials and access scopes within the identity pool. Amazon API Gateway manages API access control and request routing in the solution. API Gateway provides throttling controls to protect backend services during high load periods.
• Antivirus service – EOS on AWS implements flexible malware scanning through multiple integration options. The solution supports Amazon GuardDuty Malware Protection for built-in AWS malware scanning capabilities that helps comply with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-53 requirements. AWS Marketplace antivirus solutions can be integrated through the event-driven processing workflow. Custom antivirus implementations are supported through Lambda based scanning services. The antivirus service processes incoming documents through Amazon SQS managed scan queues and records results in DynamoDB. Files are quarantined automatically if threats are detected, maintaining system security integrity.
• Operational management – Amazon CloudWatch monitors system components and maintains operational metrics. The service implements automated alerting based on defined operational thresholds. CloudWatch provides detailed dashboards for system performance visualization. AWS CloudTrail records API activities across the solution. The service maintains immutable audit logs for compliance and security requirements. CloudTrail enables detailed analysis of system usage patterns and security events.
• Infrastructure automation – AWS CodePipeline orchestrates the complete deployment workflow for the EOS solution. The service automates build, test, and deployment processes across multiple environments. CodePipeline integrates with source control to enable continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) practices. AWS CodeBuild executes build and test processes for the EOS infrastructure and application code. The service maintains build logs and artifacts for troubleshooting and audit purposes.

The following diagram shows the high-level architecture.

Figure 2: High-level architecture of the enterprise object storage solution

Real-world applications

EOS has already been deployed in several public sector scenarios. Agencies have used it to replace aging enterprise document management platforms with a modern, compliant alternative. It has enabled secure interagency collaboration, particularly during restructuring, when departments need to share documents without compromising compliance. EOS also supports cross-department file sharing, maintaining version control while multiple stakeholders collaborate on documents. In large-scale modernization projects, EOS has proven capable of migrating millions of records from legacy systems into a secure, scalable, cloud-based storage solution. These public sector agencies have had success using EOS:

• Replacing legacy enterprise content management platforms – A justice and public safety department relied on paper-based processes when file attachments in their legacy document platform exceeded 5 MB. EOS was deployed to integrate with disparate platforms (SaaS, custom-built, and on-premises), performing at scale and managing millions of file objects and associated metadata while maintaining stringent security and governance controls.
• Integration with SaaS customer relationship management (CRM) platforms – A state government customer adopted EOS, extending its core functionality with AWS Professional Services to support document assembly and PDF composition for a SaaS customer relationship management (CRM) platform. The customer could then use modern, serverless, and cost-effective AWS services while maintaining a consistent end user experience with their CRM and improving performance for frontline workers.
• Uploads from mobile devices using an app – An environmental agency combined EOS with a frontend developed by AWS Professional Services to enable on-the-go uploads from mobile devices. By enabling uploads from field devices, surveyors cost-effectively captured high-resolution imagery and video with associated metadata using Amazon S3. With the data stored in AWS, intelligent processing using additional services became possible.
• Achieving Essential Eight compliance – A transport department used EOS to achieve Essential Eight compliance by using the antivirus service included in EOS. This capability was integrated with an IT service management (ITSM) SaaS platform, where end users would upload file attachments to be referenced in records. Because the ITSM platform didn’t have antivirus functionality, EOS was used to provide vulnerability scanning with an up-to-date vulnerability database.

Conclusion

The risks and costs associated with legacy document management systems are no longer sustainable for public sector organizations. EOS on AWS provides a modern alternative that meets government security requirements, reduces costs through serverless scalability, and delivers the flexibility required to integrate with existing systems and workflows. By adopting EOS, agencies can modernize their storage infrastructure, enable secure collaboration, and implement a low-cost solution with minimal financial and operational overhead while maintaining compliance.

EOS is available through AWS Professional Services, and every deployment is tailored to the specific security, compliance, and operational needs of the customer.

Next steps

Contact your AWS account team or AWS Professional Services to explore how EOS can be customized for your requirements.