Data archiving methods and best practices for small businesses

For some companies, choosing the appropriate data archiving method is critical from a compliance standpoint. Other companies may just have a policy of holding on to the data for the long term. Either way, many organizations struggle with the right approach to archive data storage. These challenges can be even more acute among small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) who may be faced with the same regulatory requirements on a much tighter budget.

To help you recover from or avoid data archiving problems, SearchSMBStorage.com has compiled the most relevant articles and tips on data archiving methods for SMBs. Find out how to choose the best data archiving software for your company, the pros and cons of cloud email archiving, whether or not to use tape or disk for archiving, and how to determine what file archiving tool to use for your SMB. Also, read our tutorial on email archiving systems for SMBs. And if you want more information on data archiving methods for your business, you can visit SearchDataBackup's exclusive section on data archiving and backup.

Choosing data archiving software and other data archiving best practices

There are several data archiving best practices that people should follow, but they either don't follow them, or don't follow them correctly. First, people who realize they need to archive their data usually use their backups as their archives. Second, many people don't use data archiving software. And third, if their company doesn't have any data archiving requirements, they'll usually archive some amount of their data anyway, which could lead them to legal troubles. In this column, find out what information you need to archive, how to document your data retention policies, and how to choose your data archiving software. Read the full column on choosing data archiving software and other data archiving best practices.

Cloud email archiving services: Users reveal the good, bad and the ugly

Small businesses that are trying to deal with a growing amount of email archives often turn to cloud email archiving because of their low costs and unlimited storage capacity. But are they all they're hyped up to be? SearchSMBStorage.com talked to two cloud email archiving customers, the Environmental Defense Fund and Babies411.com, about their experiences with cloud email archiving. Read the full story on the pros and cons of  cloud email archiving services.

When it comes to data archiving, tape still rules, but disk and cloud storage are on the radar

The type of medium you store your data archives on depends on what you're storing your data archives for. If you plan on needing access to your archives frequently, then disk may be the better choice. If your organization archives data that will be accessed infrequently, then tape may be the better choice. Find out more about tape vs. disk for data archives in this article, and how to choose the best medium for your data storage environment.

Getting started with cloud archiving: Tips for smaller businesses

Cloud backup and cloud archiving are two very different things. Cloud backup provides data backup and recovery offsite, but it only focuses on backup and recovery. Cloud archiving on the other hand is focused on regulatory compliance, e-discovery, historical reference and content distribution. In this article, find out more about cloud archiving vs. cloud backup, and how to get started with  cloud archiving if you're a small business.

Email archiving systems: A tutorial on email archiving

Many SMB owners are either not familiar with email archiving or don't do it correctly. In this tutorial on email archiving, find out how to get started with email archiving if you're a small business, the difference between backups and archives, and the differences between on-site, hosted and hybrid email archiving products. Read the full tutorial on email archiving systems.

Data file archiving for small businesses: Determining what file archive tools to use for your SMB

Data file archiving for small businesses doesn't differ much from file archiving for large enterprises. The main difference comes down to scale and the focus of the business. In this Q&A, find out what file archiving is, the difference between file archiving for SMBs vs. large enterprises, what types of organizations should use file archiving, different archiving tools available and what SMBs should do to get started with file archiving. Read or listen to the full Q&A on small business data file archiving.