Nonarchived

Nonarchived is an adjective describing data, documents, or materials that have not been moved to an archive or long-term storage. Nonarchived items are typically considered current or active and remain accessible in primary systems rather than in an archival repository.

In information management and data governance, distinguishing nonarchived from archived content helps balance accessibility, performance, and preservation. Nonarchived data is usually subject to routine updates, backups, retention rules, and possible deletion according to policy. Archived content is preserved for long-term historical value or compliance, often stored in less-accessible formats or separate storage.

Lifecycle and transition: the move from nonarchived to archived status occurs on schedule or by usage, age, or content type. This separation supports workflows that require fast access to active information while ensuring that older records are retained in a separate, long-term storage solution.

Examples include active emails in a mailbox that have not been moved to an archive mailbox, current customer records in a live database, or unpublished website drafts that have not yet been published nor archived. Logs or transaction records may be kept in nonarchived form during ongoing operations and later moved to an archive for long-term preservation.

Note: not all systems use the term nonarchived; similar concepts include active, current, live, or non-archival. It is primarily a practical descriptor in data lifecycle management rather than a formal standard.