[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”2%|20%|2%|20%|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”4%|0%|4%|0%|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”6%|0%|6%|0%|true|true” border_color_top=”#e1e1e1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”7b1bf5ad-cc2a-4448-981c-4963d88bd6e8″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
An archive\u2014hosted in the cloud or elsewhere\u2014is a little like a storage backup. Unlike a backup, however, an archive is for data that\u2019s stored long term and infrequently accessed.<\/p>\n
But what exactly is a cloud archive, how is it different from traditional methods to archive data, and what are some of the top cloud archive best practices you should follow?<\/strong> We\u2019ve got the answers for you. Let\u2019s get it.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”26px” width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|tablet” max_width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px|0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px|||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_cta title=”Big Data Ingest for Cloud Archive” button_url=”https:\/\/app.massive.io\/en\/signup” button_text=”Sign-Up for Free” module_class=”starttrial” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h5″ header_font=”||||||||” header_font_size=”26px” header_line_height=”1.3em” body_line_height=”1.8em” background_color=”#202332″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”#072231″ background_color_gradient_end=”#031119″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”18px” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#0472ef” button_bg_color_gradient_start=”#0472ef” button_bg_color_gradient_end=”#005dc6″ button_bg_color_gradient_direction=”90deg” button_border_width=”0px” button_font=”Roboto|700|||||||” button_custom_padding=”10px|42px|10px|42px|true|true” custom_margin=”||20px||false|false” link_option_url=”https:\/\/app.massive.io\/en\/signup” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” border_color_top=”#3d72e7″ border_color_left=”#3d72e7″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”-13px” box_shadow_style_button=”preset1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_custom_padding__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_custom_padding__hover=”|2em|||false|false” button_border_width__hover=”0px” button_bg_color__hover=”#005dc6″ button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n Ingest massive amounts of data into multiple cloud archive solutions like Amazon S3 Glacier from a centralized location. [\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”2%|20%|2%|20%|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”4%|0%|4%|0%|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”6%|0%|6%|0%|true|true” border_width_top=”1px” border_color_top=”#e1e1e1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”7b1bf5ad-cc2a-4448-981c-4963d88bd6e8″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_id=”Why-Archive-Media-Or-Other-Data?” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Video and post-production houses often use data archiving to free up storage space and ensure they still have access to the files in case they need them (during an information audit, or if a client asks for footage from three years ago, or disaster recovery, for example).<\/p>\n Archive storage is also known as cold data storage. For video editors and other post professionals, keeping data in cold storage helps free up space in faster, more responsive \u201chot\u201d storage such as RAID arrays or network attached storage<\/a> (NAS) devices.<\/p>\n Archives often have strict rules around who can store and access data due to security concerns and because egress from cold storage is expensive and time-consuming.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”2%|20%|2%|20%|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”4%|0%|4%|0%|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”6%|0%|6%|0%|true|true” border_width_top=”1px” border_color_top=”#e1e1e1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”7b1bf5ad-cc2a-4448-981c-4963d88bd6e8″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_id=”What-is-a-Cloud-Archive?” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A cloud archive<\/a> is exactly what it sounds like\u2014it\u2019s an archive hosted in the cloud, typically via a storage-as-a-service public cloud such as Amazon S3 object storage or Google Cloud Storage. Cloud archiving has been popular ever since companies figured out they can use the cloud to:<\/p>\n Before the cloud, most media houses used Linear Tape-Open<\/a> (LTO), a type of magnetic tape, to store archived data.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”Cloud-archive-vs.-cloud-backup” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A cloud archive and cloud backup<\/a> may sound the same, but they\u2019re not:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”Cloud-archive-vs.-tape-archive” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n LTO tape has been used for years and is the traditional go-to of any media archivist. LTO tape archives typically hold data on magnetic tape kept in cartridges, which are then stored in a safe location (typically offsite).<\/p>\n LTO tape is often used for archiving because tapes are durable, have a long shelf life (up to 30 years), and are cheaper than keeping archived data on disks. The downside of tape libraries is that tapes require specific storage conditions<\/a> of a consistent temperature of around 70 degrees F with 40 percent relative humidity.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/massive.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/How-to-Set-Up-and-Manage-a-Cloud-Archive-1.jpg” alt=”Placeholder image” title_text=”How-to-Set-Up-and-Manage-a-Cloud-Archive-1″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_line_height=”1.8em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n SOURCE: TechTarget<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Because of the slow egress associated with some cloud cold storage, it can even be faster to get data out of a tape library than cloud storage.<\/p>\n But LTO tape has generally fallen out of favor when compared to cloud archive options, which are often less expensive with better security, search functionality, redundancy, uptime, and convenience.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_cta title=”Centralize Data Ingest With MASV” button_url=”https:\/\/app.massive.io\/en\/signup” button_text=”Try MASV for Free” module_class=”starttrial” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h5″ header_font=”||||||||” header_font_size=”26px” header_line_height=”1.3em” body_line_height=”1.8em” background_color=”#202332″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”#072231″ background_color_gradient_end=”#031119″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”18px” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#0472ef” button_bg_color_gradient_start=”#0472ef” button_bg_color_gradient_end=”#005dc6″ button_bg_color_gradient_direction=”90deg” button_border_width=”0px” button_font=”Roboto|700|||||||” button_custom_padding=”10px|42px|10px|42px|true|true” custom_margin=”||20px||false|false” link_option_url=”https:\/\/app.massive.io\/en\/signup” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” border_color_top=”#3d72e7″ border_color_left=”#3d72e7″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”-13px” box_shadow_style_button=”preset1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_custom_padding__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_custom_padding__hover=”|2em|||false|false” button_border_width__hover=”0px” button_bg_color__hover=”#005dc6″ button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n MASV acts as a single entry point to any connected storage destination, from hottest to coldest, on-prem or in the cloud. [\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”2%|20%|2%|20%|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”4%|0%|4%|0%|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”6%|0%|6%|0%|true|true” border_width_top=”1px” border_color_top=”#e1e1e1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”7b1bf5ad-cc2a-4448-981c-4963d88bd6e8″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_id=”Challenges-Around-Cloud-Archive-(and-How-to-Solve-Them)” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Implementing and managing a cloud archive isn\u2019t without its challenges\u2014although some of these challenges often stem from a lack of in-house cloud expertise, which can in turn lead to misconfigurations.<\/p>\n And misconfigurations can then lead to higher costs, lower performance, and a lack of trust around the efficiency of ingesting content into a cloud data archive.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”How-do-cloud-misconfigurations-happen?” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n One of the main benefits of cloud storage in general is its virtually unlimited scale in capacity\u2014but the price of unlimited scale is that it\u2019s very easy to shoot yourself in the foot. With that in mind, getting a cloud archive implementation right requires plenty of planning and strategizing.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, many companies skip the planning stage and dive right in.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201c(Broadcasters new to cloud) will often experiment and try things themselves initially, but they usually get burned by cost after leaving an EC2 instance on over the weekend, for example,\u201d said Nick Soper, cloud product manager at media cloud consultancy Tyrell, in an interview with MASV<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n After all, it\u2019s somewhat easy to be lulled into a false sense of security by the shiny management consoles deployed by a cloud archiving service (our advice: Don\u2019t use the console, except in limited circumstances.<\/strong> But more on this later).<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/massive.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/How-to-Set-Up-and-Manage-a-Cloud-Archive-2.png” alt=”Placeholder image” title_text=”How-to-Set-Up-and-Manage-a-Cloud-Archive-2″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_line_height=”1.8em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n SOURCE: Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#f2f4f9″ custom_padding=”3%|3%|3%|3%|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \ud83d\udca1 Read more: Best Practices For Securing Your Storage Connection<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” module_id=”Challenge 1:-Storage-cost” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Some cloud misconfigurations, like leaving an Amazon S3 object storage bucket accessible by the public (known as a \u201cleaky bucket<\/a>\u201d), can lead to major cybersecurity and data breach risks.<\/p>\n But other misconfigurations can lead to inefficient workflows, escalating costs, and the misconception that cloud archive is more expensive.<\/p>\n Just one misconfiguration can cause massive spikes in cloud costs\u2014for example, by not locking down archival storage workflows to a specific bucket or path, and allowing business users to ingest current data into a cloud archive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Cold cloud storage is generally cheaper than hot storage options. But saving current data in archival storage can lead to very high egress fees if (when?) you need to access that data.<\/p>\n\n
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\n
<\/p>\nWhy Archive Media Or Other Data?<\/h2>\n
What is a Cloud Archive?<\/h2>\n
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Cloud archive vs. cloud backup<\/h3>\n
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Cloud archive vs. tape archive<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nChallenges Around Cloud Archive (and How to Solve Them)<\/h2>\n
How do cloud misconfigurations happen?<\/h3>\n
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Challenge 1: Storage cost<\/h3>\n