Recently my colleague at Seagate wrote an illuminating blog post about the hidden benefits of archiving. I thought I would further expand on Barbara’s post so the benefits of archiving don’t remain hidden.
An archive solution typically removes data from a production system and moves it to an archive for long-term retention. Customers can access archive data directly; no restores are required to view the data. So what benefits does this provide?
Customers use archiving for three main use cases: storage management, retention management, and e-discovery. First of all, since data is being removed, the performance of the production server is enhanced; it is no longer cluttered with old data that is infrequently accessed. In addition, backup windows shrink and recoveries are faster. And if you use an archive service (rather than a software product), data is moved directly to the Cloud and you don’t even need to buy or manage secondary storage.
As a long-term repository for data, an archive can help customers retain data for a variety of needs: comply with external regulations, internal retention guidelines, and also retain key intellectual property. Having data on-hand and accessible allows businesses to respond to FOIA regulations (Freedom of Information Act) and litigation mandates in FRCP (Federal Rules of Civil Procedure).
Finally, an archive can help when an attorney calls. An archive that provides a sophisticated search engine will help businesses sift through a mountain of data. One that also collects data that has been found to be “relevant” and enables a review to reduce the data set before being forwarded to attorneys reduces e-discovery costs. Proof that emails have not been altered is important as well; if it has been tampered with it cannot be used as evidence. Finally, a solution that provides export functionality is critical; you can’t respond to a request for information if you can’t get it out of your systems.
In a nutshell, an archive service can be invaluable for email retention challenges that just keep growing and growing.
Posted by Carine Blanchet
