Archive data is inactive or non-critical data which has been transferred to a specific type of long-term storage, usually to free resources for more active or critical data and for other purposes as well. Archive data differs from backup data in that archive data is consists of primary copies of the data being stored, rather than secondary copies.
Archive data is often placed on lower-cost storage than critical backup data, including magnetic backup tape,
CD, CD-R or DVD media, and other storage media. Some companies make archive data available on d
isk-based storage, however, for ease of access and to maintain compliance with Federal regulations regarding management of electronic records. Disk-based archives often provide more simplified storage management and faster access to archive data.
Backup lifecycle management (BLM) is an archive data management tool which uses tiered storage to address the concerns of managing enterprise archive data while meeting legal requirements. BLM places different archive data on appropriate devices at a specific point in the data lifecycle. BLM allows administrators to automate the elimination of duplicated files and enforce policy-based criteria for the most cost-effective storage, while reducing the overall size of archives. BLM comprehensively manages the backup period of the data lifecycle, managing rules for when backup data becomes archive data and how the data is indexed for long-term archiving.
Additionally, BLM produces a "destruction certificate" confirming that archive data on disk has been destroyed. Backup management administrators can establish a variety parameters for data destruction, such as the number of generations of data copies, time since last access, or event-based time considerations, including the number of years since a financial closing or since a patient medical treatment.
