What is archival storage? - Definition from Whatis.com

In computers, archival storage is storage for data that may not be actively needed but is kept for possible future use or for record-keeping purposes. Archival storage is often provided using the same system as that used for backup storage. Typically, archival and backup storage can be retrieved using a restore process.

This was last updated in May 2005

Dig Deeper

  • Coming in the August 2011 issue of Storage magazine

    A sneak peek at Storage magazine's August 2011 issue. Learn more about the state of backup deduplication, storage virtualization and new trends in data storage.

  • Coming in the July 2011 issue of Storage magazine

    A sneak peek at Storage magazine's July 2011 issue. Learn more about backing up virtual servers, performance tips and how to turn your data center storage into a storage cloud.

  • Storage magazine May 2011 PDF

    Download Storage magazine's all-digital issue at no cost. This month: The benefits, functions, future outlook and buying considerations for automated tiered storage technologies.

Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know.

Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com