Archiving

What is Archiving?

Archiving is the systematic approach to storing, managing and searching for files, e-mails, instant messages and other application data. Archiving provides a single-instance store of data in a central storage device, allowing an organization to free up disk space by eliminating duplicate files.

Archiving lets you define data retention policies for various data and users. Such policies ensure the proper storage of data and ultimate deletion when no longer needed. Archiving enables users to perform advanced searches - emails or instant messages can be searched and flagged for legal review during an e-discovery process, or prevented from being deleted or altered.

Video: Learn about continuity best practices from a CDW-G Specialist.

How Will Archiving Solutions Benefit My Organization?

Archiving provides structure to unstructured data. Archiving solutions can help you to:

• Automate storage and data life cycle
• Simplify backup and reduce recovery windows
• Reduce total cost of data storage
• Comply with data retention policies and regulations

How Can I Help My Organization Embrace Data Archiving?

To better understand the potential ROI of implementing an archiving solution, you should know:

• How often your data is accessed
• Where your data resides and what costs are associated with that storage
• How many duplicate files are stored
• How much of your data is searchable
• How tamper-resistant your files are

What Are the Components of an Archiving Solution?

An effective archiving solution is typically comprised of a mix of the following:

Archiving Software

Archiving software automates the movement of data through various tiers of storage during the data's life cycle. Archiving software can delete the file at the end of its retention period. It also provides single-instance storage of each file, freeing up disk space and processing power for backup and storage systems.

E-Discovery Software

Using archiving software as a base, e-discovery software employs advanced search features and systematic archiving inventories, enabling users to quickly search all files and e-mails for a particular topic. Legally-significant files can be flagged to ensure they are not altered or deleted per data rention policies.

Archiving Storage Devices

Archiving storage devices move data off production servers which improves performance and simplifies administrative management. These devices can be as simple as a dedicated server, a network attached storage (NAS) or, for enterprise needs, a storage area network (SAN).

Getting Started with Archiving

Your CDW-G Account Manager and certified storage specialists are ready to assist you with each and every phase of choosing and leveraging the right archiving solution for your IT environment. Our approach includes:

• An initial discovery session to understand your goals, requirements and budget
• An assessment review of your existing environment and definition of project requirements
• Detailed vendor evaluations, recommendations, future environment design and proof of concept
• Procurement, configuration and deployment of the final solution
• 24x7 telephone support as well as ongoing product lifecycle support