Assessment: Is legacy data archiving needed?

Before completing this assessment, determine whether the legacy data needs to be retained. See Assessment: Is retention needed?

• Should we port the data from the legacy system to an archiving application?

1. If the legacy hardware and/or software is not or potentially will not be reliably supported by the vendor, what is the risk of continuing to run on unsupported software/hardware?

• If the risk is very low, go to step 2.
• If the risk is unsustainable, the data must be archived. See Steps: Determining the best-fit archiving solution.

2. If the legacy hardware and/or software is reliably supported by the vendor, what is the annual dollar cost? Include the cost of upgrading if that will be needed within the retention period.

• If the cost is under $10 - 15 thousand per year for the length of the retention period, consider retaining the legacy system. For a more precise evaluation, see Steps: Determining the best-fit archiving solution.
• If the cost is over $10 thousand per year for the length of the retention period, see Steps: Determining the best-fit archiving solution.