Cold storage is a type of cloud storage that is designed for data that does not need to be accessible

in a timely manner, such as backup, archive, or historical data. Cold storage offers the lowest cost per

gigabyte of storage, but also the highest cost and latency for data retrieval. Cold storage is suitable

for data that is rarely accessed, has low performance requirements, and can tolerate delays of hours

or days. Cold storage can help a company save on cloud storage costs by reducing the use of more

expensive storage tiers, such as hot, warm, or cool storage. Cold storage can also provide high

durability, security, and scalability for long-term data retention.

Cold storage is different from other storage types, such as block, object, or tape. Block storage is a

type of cloud storage that stores data in fixed-sized blocks that are attached to a virtual machine as a

disk volume. Block storage provides high performance and low latency for data that needs frequent

and random access, such as databases, operating systems, or applications. Object storage is a type of

cloud storage that stores data as objects that consist of data, metadata, and a unique identifier.

Object storage provides high scalability and durability for data that needs simple and direct access,

such as files, images, videos, or documents. Tape storage is a type of physical storage that stores data

on magnetic tapes that are stored in tape libraries or vaults. Tape storage provides low cost and high

capacity for data that needs offline or long-term backup, but also has high retrieval time and risk of

data loss or degradation. Reference: What Is Cold Data Storage? Storing Cold Data in the

Cloud, Amazon S3 Glacier Storage Classes | AWS, The Complete Guide to Cold Data Storage -

NetApp, Hot Storage vs Cold Storage in 2023: Instant Access vs Archiving, How cold storage is

redefining the new data era