How many copies of archived data should be made?
There is no single answer -- it depends on the importance of your
data, its retention requirements, and your confidence in the media.
Honestly, if your data is important enough to
archive for future use, then it's probably worth making
multiple copies. Also, look at using multiple mediums. If you do
choose to make multiple copies, be sure to keep your copies in
different places. For example, one copy may go to a virtual tape
library (VTL) as a backup, and another copy may go from VTL to
tape. The VTL copy may reside on site, but the tape copy may be
moved to offsite storage. Similarly, you may choose to replicate
critical files on site, but send backup data to a VTL in another
region across a WAN. Spreading out the copies reduces your risk.
Go back to the beginning of the
File Archiving FAQ Guide.
Does file archiving require content- or CAS-based storage?
It depends on why you're
archiving your data. If you're archiving for
compliance, it's critical to understand the specific
regulations or policies you are obligated to uphold. Some
compliance regulations indicate that you have to preserve and
protect the data in an unchanging/unalterable state. That might
require storage on a WORM device or a disk-based
content-addressed storage (CAS) system with access controls
that prevent file changes using authentication and preservation
checksums. Some storage solutions tout this approach as the
"preferred" archiving technique, but that's not necessary in every
situation. For general-purpose file archiving without regard to
compliance regulations, an ordinary disk or tape system would
probably be adequate.
Go back to the beginning of the
File Archiving FAQ Guide.