Veeam has made Data Cloud Vault Archive generally available. The new archive tier moves old, rarely used backups from expensive storage to more affordable cloud storage. The data remains immutable, encrypted, and air-gapped. Veeam positions the service as an alternative to tape.
The release coincides with Veeam Data Platform v13.1, which includes malware scanning for NAS and support for six additional hypervisors. Vault Archive represents the final stage of the backup lifecycle. Critical recovery points remain on the faster Veeam Data Cloud Vault, while obsolete data is automatically moved to the archive tier.
Organizations are storing more and more data for longer periods, under increasing regulatory pressure, in what Veeam calls an “agentic AI world.” Without a separate archive tier, that inactive data often ends up on premium storage that is actually intended for fast recovery. That results in unnecessary costs.
Vault Archive specifically targets ROT data (redundant, obsolete, or trivial). Large unstructured datasets, such as NAS backups, can also be sent directly there. Through NAS Direct to Archive, this happens without an intermediate step on more expensive storage. Customers can also scan data to verify clean recovery points before they enter long-term retention.
Tape is on its way out
Tape has long been considered the standard solution for low-cost long-term retention. But physical media comes with its own set of challenges: transportation, offsite logistics, delayed recovery, and management. With Vault Archive, Veeam offers a cloud-based alternative that mimics the air-gapped properties of tape while remaining accessible on demand.
Vault Archive supports user-defined data placement and customer-controlled key management. “Long-term retention of that data has become a cyber resilience, compliance and cost challenge all at once,” said Rehan Jalil, President of Products and Technology at Veeam. According to him, customers gain a secure and cost-effective way to move obsolete backups and cold data off premium storage.
Both Veeam Vault Archive and Data Platform v13.1 are generally available starting today.
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