Two tech terms often thought to be alike, data backup and data archiving, both entail creating a copy of an organization’s data for use in the future. This is the main way they are comparable. They are actually used for two purposes that are quite different. The following will discuss a number of the important differences between data backup and data archiving, along with their crucial common features.

Purpose

A backup is a duplicate of active and current data which can be utilized for operational recoveries if data is corrupted or lost. A backup’s chief objective is for the restoration of data. In contrast, an archive is meant to be used as a data repository that must be maintained for an extended period. However, it may or may not be crucial for operations. To illustrate, data kept for compliance with regulations that is archived may not be suited for use as backup.

Data Backup vs. Archive

Stored backup data is a duplicate of existing operational data currently in use by an organization. This is data presently accessed and modified regularly. Archived files are typically no longer being used, are altered infrequently, and are not needed regularly. Thus, there will be no impact on staff if such files were transferred from everyday storage. If necessary, file stubbing would easily allow archived files to be accessible again.

Duration

The duration of data backup storage is a significantly shorter period of time than that for archiving. As determined by its importance for operations, the frequency backup data is updated may range from once a day to several times daily. In contrast, archives may store great amounts of data for decades. Thus, maintaining data integrity over extended periods is of much higher importance.

Part 2 will discuss Location, Searchability, and Speed.

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