Microsoft 365 Archive moves inactive SharePoint content into a lower-cost storage tier within Microsoft 365. It supports both site-level and file-level archiving.
Archived content is no longer directly available for normal use, but remains searchable through supported Microsoft 365 search and compliance experiences. Metadata and permissions are retained.
Site-Level Archiving
Section titled “Site-Level Archiving”- An administrator archives the entire supported SharePoint site, including its document libraries, files, lists and metadata.
- Users cannot open the archived site or work with its content through the normal site interface.
- Reactivating an archived site brings the site back into active storage. Site-level archiving should be distinguished from Microsoft’s separate file-level archiving capability.
Microsoft 365 Archive Costs
Section titled “Microsoft 365 Archive Costs”At an illustrative archive storage rate of $0.05 per GB per month, the annual cost of 1 TB, calculated as 1,000 GB, is:
12 × $0.05 × 1,000 = $600 per year
This is 25% of an illustrative additional SharePoint storage cost of $0.20 per GB per month, equivalent to $2,400 per TB per year.
Archive storage charges apply when combined active and archived SharePoint storage exceeds the tenant’s included or licensed storage capacity. Actual charges depend on your storage allocation and applicable pricing.
Microsoft no longer charges a reactivation fee for archived SharePoint content. Reactivated content is subject to a restriction on re-archiving, described in Microsoft’s current documentation as four months. Active storage capacity and costs must be considered during that period.
Operational Considerations
Section titled “Operational Considerations”- Choose between site-level and file-level archiving according to the required scope and access needs.
- Site reactivation returns the archived site to active storage. Check available tenant capacity before reactivating large sites.
- Account for the restriction on re-archiving when planning temporary access to archived content.
- File-level archiving has application and file-type limitations. Review Microsoft’s current guidance for the clients used by your organisation.
- If content needs to be delivered to another site, Teams team or third party, assess the transfer method and version-history requirements separately.
Microsoft Documentation
Section titled “Microsoft Documentation”SMART Offload
Section titled “SMART Offload”SMART Offload moves the binary content of selected SharePoint documents and versions to Azure Blob Storage while keeping the document items, metadata and version history metadata visible in SharePoint.
Azure Blob Storage can offer substantially lower storage charges than additional SharePoint Online storage. Total costs depend on the selected Azure tier, usage, licensing and implementation.
Selection and Incremental Offload
Section titled “Selection and Incremental Offload”- Select individual files, folders or document libraries for offload.
- Apply selection criteria such as file size, modified date and whether to include subfolders.
- Offload historical versions while retaining the current version in SharePoint.
- Incrementally offload additional historical versions as users continue editing retained current versions.
- Include newly added files in subsequent offload runs.
Flexible Restore and Job Management
Section titled “Flexible Restore and Job Management”- Restore individual files, folders or document libraries.
- Restore to another SharePoint site or a document library used by Teams, including version history.
- Support copying and moving offloaded files, with subsequent restore of the copied or moved files.
- Import multiple Offload and Restore jobs from external data sources.
Offload During Migration
Section titled “Offload During Migration”With SMART Migration, documents can be offloaded as part of the migration process itself.
Users can request the restore of selected documents or folders to their own Teams team or SharePoint site, allowing content to be brought back where it is needed.
Restore Without Additional SMART Offload Licence Charges
Section titled “Restore Without Additional SMART Offload Licence Charges”Restore files or libraries without additional SMART Offload licence charges. Azure retrieval, transaction, data transfer and any Archive rehydration charges may still apply, together with any partner service fees.
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