Data archiving is part of an overall strategy for storing important corporate and government information using a secure method so that it is easily accessible at any time in the future. Most corporate data is important and is considered a digital asset that is saved on a data storage solution or an electronic archiving device.
Organizations need storage products that provide authenticity, long-term retention of data and low total cost of ownership over time, without sacrificing the need for fast access and reliability. However, confusion often arises over the difference between backup and archival storage products and the specific technologies that address each need. With continuing high overall storage growth rates and with approximately 80% of data being static fixed content, companies must understand and distinguish between their backup and archiving needs before choosing the appropriate storage solutions to meet those needs.
The Blu-Ray™ optical disc format was developed by the BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation). This group consisted of leading manufacturers including organizations such as: Hitachi, HP, JVC, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Sony, and TDK. The format was driven more in support of high-definition (HD) video for the consumer market, but with its ability to store large amounts of data, is applicable to the professional markets such as data archiving.
In today’s environment, the protection of sensitive data is imperative. Government and corporate compliance mandates are stiffening. HIPAA HITECH regulations now call for significant fines when personal health information is exposed, as well as public notification of such breaches. To protect sensitive data, encryption is the most effective way to achieve security. If data cannot be viewed then no breach can occur.
Direct Attached Libraries for data archiving differ from NAS solutions significantly. Where NAS solutions provide the ability for heterogeneous clients to easily connect over the local area network and store and retrieve files, Direct Attach Libraries must be connected to a third party server which then runs specialized library management software, also known as middleware, that controls the direct attached optical archive library, as exemplified in the diagram.
As data growth continues to accelerate, IT administrators are facing increasing pressure to improve the utilization of storage assets. The amount of data accumulated by corporations and organizations is increasing exponentially with approximately 80% of all data being static or inactive. The costs associated with storing this infrequently accessed data are at the forefront of IT administrator’s budget plans creating a need for efficient and cost effective data archiving solutions.
Alliance Storage Technologies, Inc. (ASTI) Network-Attached Storage (NAS) solutions make management of archive appliance systems easy. Our solutions are designed specifically for data archiving and incorporate features that can substantially reduce business risks and costs. These regulatory compliant data archiving solutions are suitable for any business, organization, or industry with a requirement for archiving data securely over the long term.
Alliance Storage Technologies, Inc. (Alliance) develops and manufactures products and solutions specifically for professional data archiving. Thousands of organizations use Alliance archive solutions worldwide across a wide variety of markets and applications, including medical, financial, government, insurance, and surveillance. Archiving products can be configured for each customer’s specific environment and are suitable for small organizations up to the largest enterprise or government.
Archive Solutions must offer compliant data storage providing extremely resilient, long-term storage capabilities that meet mandated regulatory compliance initiatives. Hence, the best Archive Media must meet stringent requirements associated with professional archive systems. These requirements include:
Optical technology has been the media of choice for professional data archiving for many decades beginning with its roots in the late 1960’s with Phillips, during which time there have been an impressive number of technology turns and improvements.
Behind every data archiving system there is technology (hardware and accompanying software) that actually stores the data, even if it is in the cloud. There are many factors involved with determining the right technology on which to store data including costs, maintenance, special environmental conditions (cooling/humidity), frequency of access, and the duration of retention.
UDO™ is the culmination of six generations of technological advancements in optical technology designed specifically for professional data archiving. It provides data authenticity for regulatory compliance or other applications where archived data must remain unchanged and authentic. UDO™ uses a phase change recording process that permanently alters the physical state of true Write Once, Read Many (WORM) recording layer material to maintain data integrity. UDO™ has been designed and proven to deliver over a 50-year-plus media life. First generation UDO™ media was 30GB capacity. Blue laser technology gives
