Data Warehousing Questions Medium
Data archiving in data warehousing refers to the process of moving or storing older or less frequently accessed data from the active data warehouse environment to a separate storage location. This is done to optimize the performance and efficiency of the data warehouse system.
The concept of data archiving is based on the understanding that not all data in a data warehouse is equally important or frequently accessed. As the volume of data in a data warehouse grows over time, it can impact the system's performance, making it slower and less efficient. By archiving older or less frequently accessed data, the active data warehouse environment can be relieved of the burden of managing and processing large amounts of data that are not actively used.
Data archiving involves identifying and categorizing data based on its relevance and usage patterns. Typically, data that is no longer actively used for reporting, analysis, or decision-making purposes is considered for archiving. This can include historical data, outdated or expired data, or data that is rarely accessed.
Once the data to be archived is identified, it is moved to a separate storage location, such as tape drives, disk arrays, or cloud storage. The archived data is still retained for future reference or compliance purposes but is no longer actively processed or queried in the data warehouse environment.
Archived data can be compressed or transformed into a different format to optimize storage space and reduce costs. It is important to maintain proper documentation and metadata about the archived data to ensure its accessibility and understandability in the future.
Data archiving offers several benefits in data warehousing. Firstly, it improves the performance and responsiveness of the data warehouse system by reducing the volume of data that needs to be processed. This leads to faster query response times and improved overall system efficiency.
Secondly, data archiving helps in cost optimization by reducing the storage requirements of the active data warehouse environment. Since archived data is stored in less expensive storage mediums, it helps in reducing the overall infrastructure and maintenance costs.
Lastly, data archiving ensures data governance and compliance by retaining historical data for regulatory or legal purposes. It allows organizations to meet data retention requirements without burdening the active data warehouse environment.
In conclusion, data archiving in data warehousing is a process of moving or storing older or less frequently accessed data to a separate storage location. It helps in improving system performance, reducing costs, and ensuring data governance and compliance.