Reduce the cost of compliance: database archiving and Information Lifecycle Management - Storage Management

Computer Technology Review, Dec, 2003 by Jim Lee

* Archive precise subsets of related data and store archived data on the most appropriate and cost-effective storage medium

* Accurately remove precise subsets of related data from the application database based on their specifications, leaving all other data referentially intact

* Locate and browse a specific instance of a set of related data in an Archive File quickly and easily

* Selectively restore data to a separate archive database, mirrored archive tables or back into the production database environment, even if the data model has changed

* Provide business users with easy access to archived data upon request

* Demonstrate that basic application functions are unaffected by removing the historical data. In some cases, it might be necessary to make adjustments, either in the application or in the business processes, to resolve any effects of removing specific data

* Once the Proof of Concept success criteria are defined, all that remains is developing a Proof of Concept verification plan and setting up the test environment. In most cases, this effort takes just a few days.

Benefits of Active Archiving

Upon completing the Proof of Concept, the results will clearly indicate whether active archiving meets all the criteria and provides needed capabilities. Some expected benefits include the ability to:

* Archive almost 50% of the application database, resulting in shorter batch processing and maintenance windows, and significant improvements in performance and availability

* Store archived data to a near-line system and store some data in a separate archive database. This approach allows for faster access to archived data when needed and reduces the impact on the online system when accessing historical data in the production environment

* Store archived historical data on the most cost-effective and appropriate medium (online in an archive database, near-line on a file server, on optical devices, offline to tape, WORM devices, such as EMC Centera or NetApp's SnapLock) and enhance the value of SAN, NAS, HSM and other storage strategies

* Defer or eliminate the need to spend millions of dollars for the additional high-end processing units and reduce costs.

Selecting a proven database archiving solution eliminates the costs of developing, testing and maintaining an in-house solution, a much more complex and costly project. The Proof of Concept provides an effective way to ensure that the archiving software can perform the tasks required for a specific database environment. Once the application success criteria are defined, this "show me" technique puts the selected software to the test, conclusively proving the value of archiving to the organization.

The benefits of active archiving are clear. Removing rarely accessed historical data from application databases improves the performance and availability and can significantly reduce the costs associated with additional capacity upgrades. Most importantly, active archiving works within the framework of existing storage strategies to offer a value added proposition. Having the flexibility to store data cost effectively on the most appropriate medium offers advantages, and selecting a storage medium based on the types of data to be stored makes it easier to comply with data retention requirements throughout the information lifecycle.