Cloud Backup provides backup vaults and archive vaults to store backup and archive data. These vaults support all data storage scenarios, from hot to cold data.
Background information
Cloud Backup provides backup, disaster recovery, and policy-based archive management for resources such as databases on ECS instances, CPFS, NAS, OSS, Tablestore, and files, databases, and virtual machines in on-premises data centers. Backup and archive data are stored in Cloud Backup vaults.
Backup vaults
Backup vaults store your backup data and consist of a Standard layer and an Archive layer. After a backup is complete, the backup data is first stored in the Standard layer. If you enable automatic data archiving, the backup data is moved to the Archive layer based on the specified policy. This method provides long-term, low-cost storage.
To ensure maximum redundancy for your backup data, in regions that support zone-redundant backup vaults, Cloud Backup uses zone-redundant backup vaults by default. If a region only supports locally redundant backup vaults, Cloud Backup uses locally redundant backup vaults. You do not need to manually select the vault type.
Currently, the regions that support zone-redundant backup vaults are China (Hangzhou), China (Shanghai), China (Beijing), China (Zhangjiakou), China (Ulanqab), China (Shenzhen), China (Hong Kong), Japan (Tokyo), Singapore, Indonesia (Jakarta), and Germany (Frankfurt).
General backup vault
Stores backup data from ECS file backups, OSS backups, on-premises NAS backups, Alibaba Cloud NAS backups, CPFS backups, Tablestore backups, local file backups, SAP HANA backups, and VMware backups.
Database backup vault
Stores backup data for databases such as MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server.
OSS backup vault (30-day free trial)
Stores OSS backup data during a 30-day free trial. After you convert to a paid plan, the vault type changes to a general backup vault.
As with a general backup vault, backup data is automatically deleted after its retention period expires.
If you do not convert to a paid plan before the free trial ends, the backup vault is retained for an additional 30 days. If you do not convert to a paid plan within this period, the backup vault is deleted.
NAS backup vault (30-day free trial)
Stores Alibaba Cloud NAS backup data during a 30-day free trial. After you convert to a paid plan, the vault type changes to a general backup vault.
As with a general backup vault, backup data is automatically deleted after its retention period expires.
If you do not convert to a paid plan before the free trial ends, the backup vault is retained for an additional 30 days. If you do not convert to a paid plan within this period, the backup vault is deleted.
Tablestore backup vault (30-day free trial)
Stores Tablestore backup data during a 30-day free trial. After you convert to a paid plan, the vault type changes to a general backup vault.
As with a general backup vault, backup data is automatically deleted after its retention period expires.
If you do not convert to a paid plan before the free trial ends, the backup vault is retained for an additional 30 days. If you do not convert to a paid plan within this period, the backup vault is deleted.
Container backup vault
Stores backup data for Alibaba Cloud Container Service for Kubernetes (ACK) clusters.
Archive vaults
Archive vaults are available as locally redundant archive vaults and locally redundant cold archive vaults.
Archive vault (locally redundant)
This vault provides a highly durable, low-cost data storage service. Data must be restored before it can be accessed. Restoration takes approximately 5 minutes and incurs data retrieval fees. This vault type is suitable for scenarios that require long-term data retention, such as for archival data, medical images, scientific materials, and film footage.
Cold archive vault (locally redundant)
This vault provides a highly durable data storage service with the lowest storage cost of all storage classes. Data must be restored before it can be accessed. The restoration time depends on the data size and the selected restoration mode. Restoration incurs data retrieval fees. This vault type is suitable for extremely cold data that requires very long-term storage. Example scenarios include data retained for compliance, raw data accumulated over time in big data and artificial intelligence (AI) fields, long-term media assets in the film industry, and archived videos in the online education sector.
Differences between the Archive layer and archive vaults
Item | Archive layer | Archive vault |
Type | An Infrequent Access storage layer within a backup vault. | A standalone vault type. |
Purpose | To retain backup data for a long time but rarely access it, use the automatic data archiving feature. This feature moves backup data from the Standard layer to the Archive layer to reduce data protection costs. | To store cold data that is rarely accessed but must be retained for a long time at a low cost. |
Access frequency | Rarely accessed | Almost never accessed |
Supports automatic archiving | Support | Not applicable |
Billing | The storage capacity fee for the Archive layer is based on the amount of data stored. For more information, see Pricing. | The storage capacity fee for an archive vault is calculated based on the actual storage capacity that the archived data occupies in the Cloud Backup archive vault. For more information, see Archive billing. |
Vault billing
Fees are incurred for using vaults. For more information, see Billing methods and billable items.
Use resource plans to obtain greater discounts and reduce costs. For more information, see Resource plan purchase guide.
How to view vaults
Method 1: Repository management
Log on to the Cloud Backup console.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
In the left-side navigation pane, click Storage Vaults.
The Storage Vaults page displays all backup vaults and archive vaults. You can view the following information about each storage vault: name, ID, type, status, creation time, the amount of source data, the amount of data stored in the storage vault, and the number of backup plans. For more information about storage vaults, see Vault types.
Method 2: In the Cloud Backup console, view the Overview page.
