Archive Storage. Data you will never need again. Until you do.
Archive data is the silent risk in many organisations. Rarely accessed, expensive on fast storage, and when an auditor or legal dispute arrives, suddenly urgently needed. weSystems operates a cold archive service based on IBM magnetic tape infrastructure, orchestrated by Miria by Atempo and distributed across four European data centers. Audit-proof, GDPR-compliant, GoBD-ready and at prices that make archiving economically viable.
Archiving is not an IT question. It is a compliance question.
For many organisations, data retention obligations are not optional. The German Commercial Code stipulates ten years for accounting records. The GoBD regulates how tax-relevant documents must be retained. GDPR and industry-specific regulations add further requirements. And anyone operating in healthcare, financial services or the public sector knows even stricter rules on top of that.
The problem: organisations that leave archive data on Performance Storage or Backup Storage for years pay far too much for it. Magnetic tape is the most economical technology for long-term archiving that exists, with a lifespan of several decades and near-zero energy consumption when not actively reading or writing.
Our Archive Storage combines the best of both worlds. Data initially sits in S3 Object Storage and is automatically archived to IBM magnetic tape by Miria according to defined lifecycle rules. Orchestration runs fully automatically. Restoration happens through the same S3 APIs. And the entire infrastructure is distributed across four European data centers at least 100 kilometres apart, with Erasure Coding 8+4 as the redundancy mechanism.
What makes this Archive Storage technically stand out.
IBM magnetic tape infrastructure
Magnetic tape is not outdated. It is the most reliable and economical technology for long-term storage that exists. With a lifespan of several decades and 95% energy savings compared to equivalent HDD systems, tape is the right choice for data that is rarely accessed.
Erasure coding 8+4
Erasure Coding 8+4 means your data is fully recoverable even if up to four of the twelve storage segments are lost simultaneously. That is significantly more robust redundancy than simple replication.
Four European data centers
The infrastructure is distributed across four European data centers at least 100 kilometres apart. Even if an entire location fails, your archive remains available. Local disasters, power outages or maintenance have no impact on your archived data.
Audit-proof and audit-ready
WORM technology (Write Once, Read Many) and complete logging of all access events make the archive revision-proof. Every read access, every restoration and every change is documented and provable for audits.
Most cost-efficient archiving available
From €0.0018 per GB per month, our cold archive service is one of the most affordable archiving services in Germany. From 3 PB volume there is an additional 7% discount. For data that must be retained for decades, that is a significant cost advantage.
When Archive Storage is the right choice.
Statutory retention obligations
Accounting records under GoBD and HGB, personnel files, contracts, tax-relevant documents. Anyone who needs to move this data to affordable and legally compliant storage after active use will be well served by our Archive Storage.
Medical and clinical data
Patient records, imaging data, laboratory documentation. In healthcare, retention periods are often very long and cannot be economically managed on expensive storage.
3-2-1 backup strategie
Anyone implementing the 3-2-1 rule fully needs an offsite copy on a different medium. Our Cold Archive meets exactly this requirement and protects your data against ransomware attacks too, because tape archives are not directly accessible to attackers.
Research and development data
Measurement data, simulation results, raw data from test series. Rarely actively used but indispensable for verification processes or reanalysis. Stored safely and cost-effectively on magnetic tape for decades.
Autonomous vehicles and AI training data
As our project with a leading European automotive manufacturer shows: 2 PB of new data per month, 40 PB already archived, retention obligation of 10 to 12 years. Miria orchestrates the entire data path from collection through a cache near Berlin to the cold archive.
Automatic lifecycle from Performance and Backup Storage
Active data sits on Performance Storage. Older data moves to Backup Storage. Data that only needs to be retained for compliance reasons moves automatically into Archive Storage. We build this lifecycle fully automatically according to your retention rules.
Tape Archiving
Storing your data for more than 10 yearsper GB/Month
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From a data volume of 3 PB and more you get additional discount of 7%.
Recovery of Data
If you need to restore parts of your dataper GB/Month
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The recovery time takes up to 48 hours, depending on the size of the data to be recovered.
This table exclusively shows the costs for archiving on magnetic tapes.
The prices for medium-term storage and standard object storage traffic can requested.
A discount of 7% is granted for data volumes over 3 PB.
The billing for the Cold Archive service is based on the occupied storage space on magnetic tapes and object storage, with an accuracy of 1 GB.
The actual billing is done per GB/hour, based on an average of 720 hours per month. For better understanding, the price is shown per GB/month.
The minimum archiving period is 180 days. If an archive is deleted before this period, i.e., on a day between the 0th and 180th day of the contract term, additional costs will be incurred: [180 days minus the day of deletion] multiplied by the price for the respective storage category.
Data volumes under 1 TB can also be archived in a container. However, the billing will be for 1 TB.
Let’s go
We support you with the first steps. How to use the Archive Storage for your project.
Create a standard Object Storage container from an S3 endpoint; then load your data into this container using the S3 APIs.
Archive your data in the container in libraries on magnetic tapes. Then manage the life cycle of your archives via the S3 APIs: Archive, Restore, Delete.
Your archives can be monitored via an S3 API and listed according to content and status.
Anyone archiving data for 10 or 30 years does not do so lightly. They are trusting that the provider will still be there in ten years, that the infrastructure will still function in fifteen years and that the data will genuinely be recoverable when needed. That is a different category of trust from a monthly cancellable cloud service.
We take that seriously. Our archive infrastructure is distributed across four European data centers, built to a technical standard designed for decades, and operated by a team that does not treat long-term archiving as a peripheral product but as a critical responsibility. We have implemented archiving projects at petabyte scale and we know what it means when data genuinely has to be there.
What our customers particularly appreciate: we advise honestly on which archiving strategy makes sense for their specific situation. Not every data volume needs the same solution. And not every compliance requirement can be met with a standard package. Talk to us before you commit.
Related Services
Backup Storage
For regular data backup with fast access for restorations. The second layer in the storage lifecycle before data moves into long-term archiving.
S3 Object Storage
The intermediate layer in the archiving process. Data initially lands in an S3 container and is automatically archived to magnetic tape.
Performance Storage
A storage solution optimized for high speed and low latency, designed to support demanding applications and workloads. It offers fast data access times and high I/O performance, making it ideal for business-critical applications that require high performance.
Frequently asked questions
What is Archive Storage for businesses?
Archive Storage is a specialised storage solution for the long-term retention of data that is rarely accessed but must be kept for years for legal or regulatory reasons. weSystems operates Cold Archive on IBM magnetic tape infrastructure, orchestrated by Miria by Atempo, across four European data centers.
What is the difference between backup and archiving?
Backups serve short-term recovery after failures and are regularly overwritten. Archiving retains data long-term, immutably and in an audit-proof way. Archived data is not modified after being stored but must remain recoverable when needed.
Which statutory retention periods apply to businesses?
The German Commercial Code (HGB) stipulates 10 years for accounting records. The GoBD regulates retention of tax-relevant documents. In healthcare, financial services and the public sector, even longer or stricter periods may apply. Our Archive Storage is designed for all common compliance requirements.
How does archiving work technically?
Data is first placed in an S3 Object Storage container. Miria by Atempo orchestrates the automatic transfer to IBM magnetic tape according to defined lifecycle rules. Restoration happens via the same S3 APIs. The entire process runs fully automatically without manual intervention.
How secure is the archived data?
The infrastructure is distributed across four European data centers at least 100 kilometres apart. Erasure Coding 8+4 ensures data is fully recoverable even if multiple storage segments fail simultaneously. WORM technology prevents subsequent modifications.
Is Archive Storage GDPR-compliant?
Yes. All data is stored in European data centers and does not leave the EU. Archiving is GDPR-compliant, GoBD-ready and meets industry-specific requirements such as HIPAA or HGB. weSystems is certified to ISO 27001:2022.
How long does restoring archived data take?
Restoration time is up to 48 hours depending on the volume of data to be restored. For scenarios requiring more frequent access, we recommend a caching system that enables restoration without accessing the tape archive.
Is there a minimum contract term?
The minimum archiving period is 180 days. If an archive is deleted before this period, proportional costs apply. The archiving container has a contract term of 6 months.
What does Archive Storage cost?
Archiving on magnetic tape costs from €0.0018 per GB per month. Restoration is charged at €0.0063 per GB. From a volume of 3 PB a 7% discount applies. Prices for Object Storage traffic and medium-term storage are available on request.
Can Archive Storage be part of an automated storage lifecycle?
Yes. We build fully automated data paths with Miria by Atempo where data moves automatically from Performance Storage through Backup Storage into Cold Archive according to defined retention rules. For a leading European automotive company we implemented exactly this lifecycle at petabyte scale.