“Cold data” is data rarely accessed by a user or application. As such, cold data doesn’t require the fast-access that hot data typically needs, so it’s usually located on the least-expensive hard-disk drives or low-cost Cloud storage (opposed to speedy flash/solid-state storage or expensive Cloud services). Examples of cold data include archived content, completed project files, or obsolete documents that may be required for regulatory or legal compliance.
“Cold data” is data rarely accessed by a user or application. As such, cold data doesn’t require the fast-access that hot data typically needs, so it’s usually located on the least-expensive hard-disk drives or low-cost Cloud storage (opposed to speedy flash/solid-state storage or expensive Cloud services). Examples of cold data include archived content, completed project files, or obsolete documents that may be required for regulatory or legal compliance.
There are a lot of numbers thrown around about what exactly is the threshold for cold data (i.e. how long does the file have to go untouched before it should be considered cold data). This can be anywhere from 3 to 6 months. But generally speaking, if the data won’t be accessed any time soon and it is not a critical file, then it’s safe to label it as cold storage for now.
Software is available that can determine if data on your system or server is cold or hot data, or certain storage platforms are capable of determining this and then automatically transfer the files to the appropriate drive location. These applications really help keep things running as smoothly and as efficient as possible, which is especially important for businesses with complicated, resource-heavy work flows.