Cloud Backup provides backup vaults and archive vaults to store backup data and archive data. Cloud Backup allows you to store hot data and cold data in the cloud.
Background information
You can use Cloud Backup to back up data to a cloud storage vault from Elastic Computing Service (ECS) instances, ECS databases, NAS file systems, Object Storage Service (OSS) buckets, and self-managed data centers that store files, databases, virtual machines (VMs), and large-scale NAS file systems. You can also perform disaster recovery and archive data based on the archive policies that you configure for the preceding resources. Backup data and archive data are stored in Cloud Backup storage vaults on Alibaba Cloud.
Backup vault
A backup vault is used to store your backup data. It is divided into the Standard tier and the Archive tier. After data is backed up, the backup data is first stored in the Standard tier. If you enable the automatic archiving feature, the backup data is forwarded to the Archive tier based on the specified archiving policy for long-term storage at low costs.
To maximize the redundancy of your backup data, Cloud Backup uses zone-redundant storage (ZRS)-enabled backup vaults by default in regions that support ZRS-enabled backup vaults. For regions that support only locally redundant storage (LRS)-enabled backup vaults, Cloud Backup uses LRS-enabled backup vaults. You do not need to manually select a backup vault type.
ZRS-enabled backup vaults are supported in the following regions: China (Hangzhou), China (Shanghai), China (Beijing), China (Zhangjiakou), China (Ulanqab), China (Shenzhen), China (Hong Kong), Japan (Tokyo), Singapore, Indonesia (Jakarta), and Germany (Frankfurt).
LRS-enabled archive vault
An archive vault provides highly durable data storage with low storage costs. You must restore archive data before you can access the data. The restoration takes approximately five minutes. You are charged for data retrieval tasks. Archive vaults are suitable for data that needs to be stored for a long period, such as profiles, medical images, scientific materials, and video footage.
LRS-enabled cold archive vault
A cold archive vault provides highly durable data storage with the lowest storage costs among the four storage types. You must restore archive data before you can access the data. The time required to restore archive data depends on the data size and the restoration mode. You are charged for data retrieval tasks. Cold archive vaults are ideal for storing cold data over an ultra-long period of time. Such data includes data that must be retained for an extended period of time due to compliance requirements, raw data that is accumulated over an extended period of time in the big data and AI fields, retained media resources in the film and television industries, and archived videos from the online education industry.