coldarchival
Cold archival refers to strategies and systems designed to preserve digital materials for long periods with little or no need for frequent access. The goal is durability and cost efficiency rather than speed of retrieval. Cold archival contrasts with hot or warm storage, which prioritize quick access. In practice, cold archival often involves offline or nearline storage media and documented preservation policies to protect against data loss and technological obsolescence.
Common implementations include magnetic tape libraries (for example, LTO), archival-grade optical media, and offline hard drives
Best practices emphasize multiple copies across separate locations (the 3-2-1 rule), careful media handling and environmental
Limitations include retrieval latency, ongoing migration costs, and the risk of vendor- or format-specific obsolescence. Planning