Separate archive from backup
Most organisations back up everything, every week, including terabytes of data that has not changed in years. That makes backups slow and storage costs high. Archiving fixes this by moving inactive data off primary storage to a cheaper tier, while keeping it searchable and easy to recall.
Archiving is often the forgotten part of an IT strategy because it means understanding what each department needs to keep, and for how long. The Spectra Digital Archive, powered by StorCycle software, is designed to make it straightforward.
How it works
- Scan: StorCycle scans your primary storage and reports what data exists, how old it is and when it was last accessed.
- Set policies: you decide what to archive, for example project folders untouched for 12 months, or completed research data sets.
- Migrate: data moves automatically to the target you choose: flash, disk, cloud or LTO tape, or several at once for redundancy.
- Recall: users find archived files through search, or through links left in the original location, and bring them back when needed.
Choose the storage tier based on how often and how quickly users need the data. Recent projects can go to disk. Data kept for compliance can go to tape and cloud.
StorCycle features
Flexible archive options
Active archive, project archive and long-term archive policies, all managed from one interface.
Multiple storage targets
Mix tape, disk, NAS and cloud. It scales without limit, supports redundant copies and keeps transfers low-impact but high-performance.
Easy to use
Simple setup, file search and reporting, and policy-driven automation, with both a web interface and APIs.
Data resiliency
Keeps original file formats so you are not locked in, adds ransomware protection with offline tape copies, and supports sustainability goals.
The benefits
- Preserve digital assets for decades
- Protect archive data from ransomware with offline tape copies
- Reduce the risk of intellectual property loss
- Store inactive information securely for long-term retention
- Shrink backup windows and backup storage by removing static data
- Cut primary storage costs, often dramatically
Why archiving belongs in every storage discussion
Data is growing faster than most budgets. Industry surveys regularly find that most organisations have no formal data retention strategy, and many struggle to move data to cheaper storage tiers. An archive tier based on StorCycle and LTO tape tackles both problems. It gives you a documented, policy-driven retention process, and it keeps the growing bulk of your data on the cheapest, greenest storage available.
We can run an assessment of your primary storage and show how much could be archived.