Datahold

Datahold is a term used in data management to describe a long-term, immutable repository designed for preserving data for future access and compliance. A datahold emphasizes durability, traceability, and governance, storing primary datasets and their metadata in a way that supports verifiability over time. Architecture typically combines write-once, read-many storage, cryptographic integrity checks, metadata catalogs, and policy-driven retention. Data is stored in standardized formats to maximize interoperability, and includes versioning to capture updates and provenance. Access controls, audit logs, and tamper-evident seals are common features to support regulatory or legal hold requirements.

Common use cases include regulatory archiving, legal holds and eDiscovery, scientific data preservation, and organizational records management. It complements active data platforms such as data lakes and data warehouses by providing a separate layer for immutably preserved data.

While not a universally defined standard, the term appears in vendor catalogs and enterprise data-management discussions as a capability rather than a product, and its exact definition may vary by vendor.

Organizations may deploy datahold across cloud storage, on-premises tape libraries, or hybrid architectures, using retention policies that specify required retention periods and deletion rules. Challenges include costs, retrieval latency, format obsolescence, and ensuring privacy and compliance across jurisdictions.