Vaultastic Archival Models & Use Cases

Overview

Vaultastic supports multiple archival approaches to handle both real-time data capture and historical data ingestion.

These models operate within Vaultastic’s four-store architecture:

• Live Store
• Active Store
• Open Store
• Deep Store

Vaultastic also includes automated lifecycle management, which moves data across storage tiers based on:

• Data age
• Access frequency
• Retention policies

This ensures:

• Continuous ingestion without manual intervention
• Controlled storage growth
• Predictable long-term costs

Archival Ingestion Models

Vaultastic supports two ingestion models:

• Continuous (Live) Archival

  • Data is captured automatically as it is generated

  • No user intervention required after setup

• On-Demand Archival

  • Data is ingested in batches or schedules

  • Typically used for historical or migration scenarios

Both models can be used independently or together, depending on requirements.

These models operate within Vaultastic’s four-store architecture. 

Vaultastic also provides automated lifecycle management, which transitions data between storage tiers based on age and access requirements.

This architecture enables continuous archival without uncontrolled storage growth.

Archival Model Summary

Note:
Most organizations deploy a hybrid model combining both approaches.

Vaultastic Use Case Matrix

Continuous Archival Model

Continuous archival captures data automatically from production systems.

Typical Date Sources:

• Email systems

• Collaboration platforms

• Messaging platforms

• Cloud drives

• CRM 

• Ticketing systems

• Forms (e.g., Google Forms)

Data Flow:

• Data is ingested in real time
• Stored initially in Active Store
• Immediately indexed and searchable
• Lifecycle policies move data to:
  • Open Store (medium-term)
  • Deep Store (long-term)

Benefits:

• Complete capture of communications and records

• Immediate availability for search and compliance

• Protection from:

  • Accidental deletion

  • Ransomware events

• Automated cost optimization via tiered storage

When to Use:

Use Continuous Archival when:

• Regulatory compliance is required
• Data loss risk must be minimized
• Real-time supervision or monitoring is needed

On-Demand Archival Model

On-demand archival ingests data in batches or specific events.

Common Scenarios

• Historical mailbox ingestion
• Legacy system migration
• File-based archive imports
• Periodic compliance snapshots

Target Storage Options

Data can be directly ingested into:

• Active Store (if immediate access required)
• Open Store (default for most imports)
• Deep Store (for long-term retention only)

Benefits

• Controlled ingestion of large datasets
• Flexibility in selecting storage tier
• Suitable for one-time or scheduled bulk operations

When to Use

Use On-Demand Archival when:

• Migrating from legacy systems
• Cleaning up infrastructure
• Preserving historical data

Lifecycle Management and Cost Control

Vaultastic automatically transitions data between Active and Open/Deep storage tiers based on retention policies.

Lifecycle Behavior

• Data starts in Active Store
• Moves to Open Store based on age or access patterns
• Moves to Deep Store for long-term retention

Outcomes

• Active Store remains optimized for:
  • Search performance
  • Supervision workflows
• Older data is moved to lower-cost tiers
• Retention policies are enforced without manual intervention

 Key Considerations

• Lifecycle policies must align with compliance requirements
• Retrieval time increases for lower-cost tiers (especially Deep Store)

This enables continuous archival without increasing storage costs indefinitely.

Recommended Deployment Model

For most organizations, the recommended approach is:

Deployment Strategy

1. Enable continuous archival for all active systems
2. Use on-demand ingestion for:
   • Historical data
   • Migration projects
3. Configure lifecycle policies for cost control

Expected Outcomes

• Continuous data protection
• Flexible ingestion strategy
• Automated storage optimization
• Cost-efficient long-term retention

Data Flow Overview

This section clarifies how data moves across the system.

Continuous Archival Flow

Source Systems → Active Store → Open Store / Deep Store

On-Demand Archival Flow

External Data → Selected Target Store (Active/Open/Deep)

Key Differences

Implementation Considerations

Source Integration

• Ensure connectors are configured correctly
• Validate ingestion for:
  • Completeness
  • Frequency
  • Error handling

Storage Planning

• Define:
  • Retention policies
  • Tier transition timelines

Performance

• Active Store sizing impacts:
  • Search performance
  • Supervision workflows

Compliance Alignment

• Map lifecycle policies to:
  • Regulatory requirements
  • Internal data governance policies

Operational Best Practices

Use the Hybrid Model by Default

Avoid relying on only one ingestion method.

Validate Ingestion Regularly

• Monitor ingestion logs
• Check for data gaps

Optimize Lifecycle Policies

• Avoid keeping excessive data in Active Store
• Move data to lower tiers proactively

Plan for Retrieval Scenarios

• Deep Store retrieval may take longer
• Define retrieval SLAs internally

Test Before Large Migrations

• Run pilot ingestion for on-demand workloads
• Validate:
  • Data integrity
  • Metadata mapping

Summary

Vaultastic supports two complementary archival models:

• Continuous Archival for real-time capture and compliance
• On-Demand Archival for historical ingestion and migration

Combined with lifecycle management, this enables:

• Scalable archival
• Controlled costs
• Compliance-ready data retention