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File Archiving

File archiving is the process of preserving digital files for long-term data storage and retrieval. The goal of file archiving is to retain important files and documents in a secure, easily accessible, and cost-effective manner, while freeing up space on primary storage systems.

Manual file data management, backup and restore solutions, and dedicated file archiving systems are three ways to archive files. Manual file management moves files to a secondary storage location, such as a network share or external hard drive. Backup and restore solutions preserve files by creating snapshots of the data at regular intervals; snapshots can restore data in the event of data loss or corruption. Dedicated file archiving systems are specialized software solutions that are designed specifically for file archiving and provide features such as indexing, searching, and data retention policies.

File Archiving Challenges

File archiving reduces the risk of data loss, improves regulatory compliance, and reduces the costs associated with primary storage. Yet file archiving can present several challenges, including:

  • Data Storage Costs: Storing large volumes of data for a long time can be expensive, especially if the data is stored on traditional storage solutions, such as tapes or hard disk drives.
  • Scalability: As data volumes continue to grow, archiving solutions must be able to meet the increasing demand for storage capacity.
  • Data Retrieval: Archived files are difficult to locate and retrieve if they are not properly indexed or if the index becomes corrupted.
  • Data Retention: Organizations must ensure that their archiving solutions meet regulatory requirements for data retention, including data privacy and security laws.
  • Data Integrity: Archived files must be preserved in their original format and remain readable over time, which requires proper data preservation and data migration strategies.
  • Data migration: As archiving systems age or become obsolete, IT must migrate data to new systems, in particular cloud data migration, which can be time-consuming and complex.
  • Integration with other systems: Archiving solutions must integrate with other systems, such as backup and restore solutions, to ensure streamlined access.

Standards-based Transparent Data Archiving

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A true transparent data archiving solution creates literally no disruption, and that’s only achievable with a standards-based approach. Komprise Intelligent Data Management is the only standards-based transparent data archiving solution that uses Transparent Move Technology™ (TMT), which uses symbolic inks instead of proprietary stubs.

True transparency that users won’t notice

When a file is archived using TMT, it’s replaced by a symbolic link, which is a standard file system construct available in NFS, SMB, object store file systems. The symbolic link, which retains the same attributes as the original file, points to the Komprise Cloud File System (KCFS), and when a user clicks on it, the file system on the primary storage forwards the request to KCFS, which maps the file from the secondary storage where the file actually resides. (An eye blink takes longer.) This approach seamlessly bridges file and object storage systems so files can be archived to highly cost-efficient object-based solutions without losing file access.

Learn more about Komprise TMT for File Archiving

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