How can I zip/tar files on S3 without first copying them to the server?

Question

I have a Rails app that archives high-res images (and thumbs) on S3 (via the Paperclip plugin).

I would love to allow users to download multiple high-res files with a single download. Is it possible to create a .zip/.tar file on S3 without first copying them back to the server? Our app runs on a large dedicated box and I'd love to save the extra bandwidth hit.

Answer 1

You could get a dedicated EC2 instance to handle tarring up files off of S3 and relaying them to users. Beyond that, what you want to do isn't something possible.