6.Data archiving vs. backup

Data archives are not to be confused with data backups, which are copies of data. Although both are considered secondary storage and use a lower-performance, higher-capacity storage medium than primary storage, they serve different purposes. Archives fill a data retention purpose, whereas backups are used for data protection and disaster recovery.

Data archives can be thought of as a data repository for infrequently accessed, but still readily available data. Backups, on the other hand, are part of a data recovery mechanism that can be used to restore data in the event it is corrupted or destroyed. Backup data often consists of important information that must be restored quickly when lost or deleted.