7.Online vs. offline data storage

Data archives take a number of different forms. Some systems make use of online data storage, which places archive data onto disk systems where it is readily accessible. Archives are frequently file-based, but object storage is growing in popularity.

QUANTUM

The Quantum Scalar i3 tape library can be used for data archiving.

Other archival systems use offline data storage in which archive data is written to tape or other removable media using data archiving software, rather than being kept online. Because tape can be removed, tape-based archives consume far less power than disk systems. This translates to lower archive storage costs.

Cloud storage is another possible archive target. Amazon Glacier, for example, is designed for data archiving. This method is inexpensive, but requires an ongoing investment. In addition, costs can grow over time as more data is added to the storage cloud. Cloud providers usually store archived data on tape or slower, high-capacity hard disk drives. This archival process is almost always automated using archiving software. The capabilities of such software vary from one vendor to the next, but most archiving software automatically moves aging data to the archives according to a data archival policy set by the storage administrator. This policy may also include specific retention requirements for each type of data.

Some archiving software will automatically purge data from the archives once it has exceeded the life span mandated by the organization's data retention policy. Many backup software and data management platforms have added archiving functionality to their products. Depending on your needs, this can be a cost-effective and efficient way to archive data. However, these products may not include all of the functionality found in a dedicated archive software product.