--- title: "Managing CTERA Archive" slug: "adding-or-editing-archive-cloud-folders" tags: ["Portal"] updated: 2026-08-27T14:48:19Z published: 2026-08-27T14:48:19Z canonical: "kb.ctera.com/adding-or-editing-archive-cloud-folders" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.ctera.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Managing CTERA Archive CTERA Archive enables users with permission to seamlessly move inactive data from primary storage into cost‑efficient archive cloud folders while keeping it accessible by CTERA services and as metadata. Centralized retention policies, quotas, and dedicated archive roles ensure compliant long‑term preservation and controlled restoration of historical data at scale. CTERA Archive is achieved by using secondary, cheaper, storage to store archive data. The archive cloud folder is defined with a folder group that has a storage class defined for it that saves the cloud folder content in cost‑efficient **online** secondary storage, such as AWS Glacier Instant Retrieval storage or Azure Cool or Cold tier storage. An **Archive Storage License** is required for this feature and the subscription plan **Secondary Storage** value must be specified to cover the archived content. Archived data is immutable: It cannot be altered, thereby providing reliable data compliance, for legal and historical purposes. **Note** CTERA recommends using CTERA InsightAI to analyse your storage to identify what storage you have that could be moved to cheaper **online** secondary storage. ## Enabling CTERA Archive CTERA provides a role, *Archive Operator* and a permission, **Manage Data Archive** that you use to manage CTERA Archive settings. The *Archive Operator* role automatically has the **Manage Data Archive** permission enabled. You can also set the **Manage Data Archive** permission for a *Read/Write Administrator* and *Compliance Officer*. After a cloud drive folder is defined as an archive folder, a user that is assigned the *Archive Operator* role, which includes end users, can move inactive data from primary storage into cost‑efficient secondary storage within the portal end user view, as described in [Managing File Archiving to Secondary Storage](/v1/docs/managing-file-archiving-to-secondary-storage). **To enable CTERA Archive** - Make sure that the administrator has the **Manage Data Archive** permission enabled. For details, see [Managing Administrator Users](/v1/docs/managing-administrator-users-5-1-1#customizing-administrator-roles). ## Setting up CTERA Archive on a folder The **Archive** option can only be defined when initially setting up the cloud drive folder. **To enable archiving for a Cloud Folder** 1. Select **Global File System > Cloud Drive Folders** in the navigation pane. The **Cloud Drive Folders** page is displayed. ![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-7CZMZS9W.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T03%3A59%3A26Z&se=2026-11-11T04%3A59%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=Q%2Fmlb9e5i728tCHx7mprrCC7mBgOA6ymzQBkwhdroD8%3D) 2. Create a new folder, click **New** The **New Cloud Drive Folder** page is displayed. ![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-TZ8ZXR65.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T03%3A59%3A26Z&se=2026-11-11T04%3A59%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=Q%2Fmlb9e5i728tCHx7mprrCC7mBgOA6ymzQBkwhdroD8%3D) **Note** You can also set up a cloud folder with WORM compliance enabled by clicking **New** in the **Archives** tab, in which case the the **Folder Type** section is not displayed as the **Archive** option for the **Folder Type** is set automatically. ![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-E2EB0OV8.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T03%3A59%3A26Z&se=2026-11-11T04%3A59%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=Q%2Fmlb9e5i728tCHx7mprrCC7mBgOA6ymzQBkwhdroD8%3D) 3. Complete the fields as described in [Adding or Editing Cloud Folders](/v1/docs/adding-or-editing-cloud-folders-1-1-1) without saving the new cloud drive folder. Specify a folder group for the cloud folder that has a storage class defined for it that saves the cloud folder content in cost‑efficient storage. 4. If you are an *Archive Operator* or either a *Compliance Officer* or *Read/Write Administrator* with the **Manage Data Archive** permission enabled, described in [Managing Administrator Users](/v1/docs/managing-administrator-users-5-1-1), select the **Archive** option for the **Folder Type**. The **Archive** option can only be defined when initially setting up the cloud drive folder. 5. Select the **Archive** tab. ![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-941JEJL6.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T03%3A59%3A26Z&se=2026-11-11T04%3A59%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=Q%2Fmlb9e5i728tCHx7mprrCC7mBgOA6ymzQBkwhdroD8%3D) 6. Slide **Archive** on. ![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-MVCPFMDS.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T03%3A59%3A26Z&se=2026-11-11T04%3A59%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=Q%2Fmlb9e5i728tCHx7mprrCC7mBgOA6ymzQBkwhdroD8%3D) 7. Complete **Archive details** - **Retention Mode** - **Enterprise** – For the duration of the retention period, users with the **Manage Data Archive** permission and **Allow Permanently Delete Archive Source Previous Versions** permission can permanently delete files. This mode is useful when the enterprise does not have external compliance regulations but wants to impose enterprise-wide regulations. In this case, compliance is enforced for everyone in the enterprise except for administrators with the required permission. - **Compliance** – For the duration of the retention period no one can delete or make changes to files in the folder. - **Retention Period** – How long Data Archive compliance is applied. 8. Check the **I Understand** box. 9. Click **Save**. The archive folder is created. ![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-RFMSMQZL.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T03%3A59%3A26Z&se=2026-11-11T04%3A59%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=Q%2Fmlb9e5i728tCHx7mprrCC7mBgOA6ymzQBkwhdroD8%3D) ## Changing the Archive Details Unless **Archive** was enabled when the folder was created in the **New Cloud Drive Folder** page, archive settings cannot be set for the folder. If **Archive** was enabled when the folder was created, you can edit the archive settings. **To edit an archive folder:** 1. Select **Global File System > Cloud Drive Folders** in the navigation pane. The **Cloud Drive Folders** page is displayed. ![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-YS68C8E9.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T03%3A59%3A26Z&se=2026-11-11T04%3A59%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=Q%2Fmlb9e5i728tCHx7mprrCC7mBgOA6ymzQBkwhdroD8%3D) 2. Click the archive folder to edit. The folder page is displayed with the folder name as the page title. ![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-M5R4FGXS.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T03%3A59%3A26Z&se=2026-11-11T04%3A59%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=Q%2Fmlb9e5i728tCHx7mprrCC7mBgOA6ymzQBkwhdroD8%3D) 3. Edit the folder details. 4. Click the **Archive** tab. ![Image](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-1TFS7JZ2.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T03%3A59%3A26Z&se=2026-11-11T04%3A59%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=Q%2Fmlb9e5i728tCHx7mprrCC7mBgOA6ymzQBkwhdroD8%3D) 5. Edit the archive details. - **Retention Mode** - **Enterprise** – For the duration of the retention period, users with the **Manage Data Archive** permission and **Allow Permanently Delete Archive Source Previous Versions** permission can permanently delete files. This mode is useful when the enterprise does not have external compliance regulations but wants to impose enterprise-wide regulations. In this case, compliance is enforced for everyone in the enterprise except for administrators with the required permission. - **Compliance** – For the duration of the retention period no one can delete or make changes to files in the folder. - **Retention Period** – How long Data Archive compliance is applied. 6. Click **Save** The changes only apply to new files added to the cloud folder and not files that are already in the cloud folder