Alternative for Reverse replication in AEM as a Cloud Service

[HarikrishnanBK]

Hi,
We have a requirement, where we upload a image on the publisher, and the same should reflect in author also.
When raised a Adobe support ticket for the same, this is the reply we got.

"I would like to inform you that unfortunately reverse replication (from Publish to Author) is not supported out‑of‑the‑box in AEM as a Cloud Service. -This is a fundamental architectural change: unlike on‑premise and Managed Services deployments, AEM Cloud Service does not support the traditional reverse replication agents. The cloud model expects content to be authored at the Author instance and then pushed (forward replication) to the Publishers.
Although Sling Content Distribution (SCD) is available for content transfer, the Sync Distribution configuration meant to mimic reverse replication is not feasible in AEM as a Cloud Service. -Because the traditional reverse replication mechanism is absent."

Is there any workaround to achieve this functionality?

[AMANATH_ULLAH]

@HarikrishnanBK 

Since reverse replication is not supported in AEM as a Cloud service, you can push the content to external storage like S3, Azure blob and then retrieve in both author and publisher

[ShivamKumar]

Hi @HarikrishnanBK ,

1. Use External Storage and Sync: Upload the image to an external storage service such as Amazon S3, Azure Blob, or similar. Then, trigger a workflow or custom logic to push the image into AEM Author.

2. Leverage AEM Assets HTTP API: If you are using AEM Assets, you can upload files directly to Author using the Assets HTTP API.

POST /api/assets/folder/image.jpg
Authorization: Bearer <access-token>
Content-Type: image/jpeg

3. Direct Upload to Author (Adobe Recommended): The most preferred approach is to upload the image directly to the Author environment using a secure upload interface or API.

[ashish_k_sharma]

Hi @HarikrishnanBK 
I have worked on similar requirement.

My approach was 

1. Create a workflow model with a Process Step.
2. In the Process Step, I had used the Assets API to 
   - Get the binary data of the uploaded file
   - Get the metadata of the uploaded file
   - Upload the binary data and metadata of the file in Author Instance.
3. Created a launcher which triggered the workflow created in Step 1 when anything was uploaded under a specific folder under dam.
   
   
   
   

I had used following references
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaQaO6vgDyE

https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/experience-manager-cloud-service/content/assets/admin/dev...

https://blog.developer.adobe.com/introduction-to-aem-as-a-cloud-service-asset-upload-http-api-fc560f...

[AmitVishwakarma]

Hi @HarikrishnanBK ,

Reverse Replication in AEM as a Cloud Service

In AEM as a Cloud Service, traditional reverse replication (transferring content from Publish to Author) is not supported due to architectural changes. This design encourages content creation and management primarily on the Author instance, with subsequent publication to the Publish environment.

Recommended Alternatives

1. Direct Binary Upload via Assets HTTP API

Utilize the Assets HTTP API to upload assets directly to the Author environment. This approach aligns with Adobe's recommended practices for AEM as a Cloud Service.

Steps:

Initiate Upload: Begin by initiating the upload process, which provides a pre-signed URL for uploading the binary.Experience League | Adobe 

Upload Binary: Use the provided URL to upload the asset's binary data.GitHub+1Experience League | Adobe+1

Complete Upload: Finalize the upload process to make the asset available in AEM.

For detailed information, refer to the Assets HTTP API documentation.Experience League | Adobe

2. External Storage Integration

Store assets in an external storage solution (e.g., Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage). From there, implement a mechanism to ingest these assets into the Author environment using AEM's APIs or workflows.

Advantages:

Scalability: External storage solutions can handle large volumes of assets efficiently.

Flexibility: Decouples asset storage from AEM, allowing for more versatile asset management strategies.

3. Custom Workflows in Publish Environment

Develop custom workflows in the Publish environment that, upon specific triggers (e.g., asset upload), send the asset data to the Author environment via API calls.

Considerations:

Security: Ensure secure communication between Publish and Author environments.

Error Handling: Implement robust error handling to manage potential failures during the transfer process.

For guidance on creating and customizing workflows, refer to AEM Workflow Best Practices.Experience League | Adobe+1Experience League | Adobe+1

Additional Resources

AEM Upload Tool: Adobe provides a tool to facilitate asset uploads to AEM, which can be used as a command-line executable or integrated into Node.js applications. GitHub

Dynamic Media Uploads: For scenarios involving Dynamic Media, Adobe offers guidance on uploading assets via HTTP POSTs. Experience League | Adobe

Regards,
Amit

[HarikrishnanBK]

Hi,

We are trying Direct Binary Upload via Assets HTTP API.
Tried using local token, but it keeps expiring.
Then we created a technical account in developer console.
After that is stuck upon how to proceed further with JWT authentication.
Anyone encountered similar issues??
And additionally, https://developer.adobe.com/developer-console/docs/guides/authentication/ this article suggesting to use OAuth and JWT credentials will stop working after June 30 2025.

[PrithviBadekila]

Please see the below solution 

AEMaaCS Meets AWS: An Alternative to Reverse Replication for Media Uploads Using AWS Lambda and S3 https://medium.com/@prithvibadekkila/aemaacs-meets-aws-an-alternative-to-reverse-replication-for-med...

[kautuk_sahni]

@HarikrishnanBK Just checking in — were you able to resolve your issue?
We’d love to hear how things worked out. If the suggestions above helped, marking a response as correct can guide others with similar questions. And if you found another solution, feel free to share it — your insights could really benefit the community. Thanks again for being part of the conversation!