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Cold data

Computer data that is rarely accessed

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors

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Source updated June 20, 2024

In computer storage, cold data refers to data that is rarely accessed, therefore considered "cold".

Cold data is the opposite of hot data, which is data that is frequently accessed.

01Uses

To optimize storage costs, cold data can be stored on lower performing and less expensive storage media. For example, solid state disks may be used for storing hot data, while cold data can be moved to hard drives, optical discs, tapes, or migrated to cloud storage.

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This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Cold data”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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