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Data Archiving

Definition updated on November 2023

What is data archiving?

The process of copying data to a separate storage medium for long-term retention after it has ceased to be actively used is known as data archiving. Older data that is still significant to the organization or that must be kept on file for future reference or legal compliance is known as archive data. Files can be identified and retrieved because data archives are indexed and searchable. In order to decrease the amount of primary storage needed and associated expenses, archived data is kept on a less expensive tier of storage. Inventorying a company's data and determining which data is a candidate for archiving is a crucial part of any data archiving strategy. While some data archiving technologies allow both writes and reads, certain archive systems regard archive data as read-only to prevent alteration. Data archiving is best appropriate for data that needs to be kept around for operational or legal reasons, such as document files, emails, and perhaps even old database entries.