ApsaraVideo VOD provides the following storage classes to cover various data storage scenarios from hot data storage to cold data storage: Standard, Infrequent Access (IA), Archive, and Cold Archive. This topic describes how to change the storage class of a media asset.
Overview
ApsaraVideo VOD provides tiered storage for media assets. You can change the storage classes of media assets. This allows you to store media assets as Standard, IA, Archive, or Cold Archive objects in ApsaraVideo VOD. The following items describe the storage classes:
Standard: highly reliable, highly available, and high-performance storage. This storage class is suitable for data that is frequently accessed.
IA: long-term storage at lower prices compared with the Standard storage class. This storage class is suitable for data that is less frequently accessed.
Archive: long-term storage at lower prices compared with the IA storage class. This storage class is suitable for data that is infrequently accessed.
Cold Archive: long-term storage at lower prices compared with the Archive storage class. This storage class is suitable for data that is rarely accessed.
Tiered storage is supported for various data storage scenarios from hot data storage to cold data storage. You can choose storage classes based on your business requirements.
Usage notes
Tiered storage is supported only in the China (Shanghai), China (Beijing), China (Shenzhen), and Singapore regions.
You can use tiered storage for only audio and video files. Tiered storage is not supported for other types of media files such as images and auxiliary media assets.
You are charged data storage and retrieval fees when you use the tiered storage feature. For more information about billing, see Media storage.
Comparison of storage classes
Item | Standard | IA | Archive | Cold Archive |
Minimum billable size Note If the size of a file is smaller than the minimum billable size, you are charged for the minimum billable size. | None | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB |
Minimum storage duration Note If a file is stored for less than the minimum storage duration, you are charged storage fees based on the minimum storage duration. | None | 30 days | 60 days | 180 days |
Data retrieval fee | None | You are charged based on the size of the retrieved data. Unit: GB. | You are charged based on the size of the restored data. Unit: GB. | You are charged based on the restoration priority that you selected and the size of restored data. Unit: GB. |
Data access | Real-time access (milliseconds of latency) | Real-time access (milliseconds of latency) | Data can be read after data is restored. The restoration takes 1 minute. | Data can be read after data is restored. The higher the restoration priority, the less the time required for restoration. The time required for object restoration varies based on the restoration priority:
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Executable operation | You can play and delete a file, and use the file for content production such as transcoding, editing, and snapshot capture. |
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Scenario | Standard is suitable for various business applications, such as social networking applications, image, audio, and video resource sharing applications, large websites, and big data analytics. Examples: program download and mobile applications. | IA is suitable for scenarios in which data is infrequently accessed, such as data accessed once or twice a month. Examples: hot backup data and surveillance video data. | Archive is suitable for scenarios in which data needs to be stored for a long period of time and rarely accessed, such as archival data, medical images, scientific materials, and video footage. | Cold Archive is suitable for storing cold data over an ultra-long period of time. Such data includes data that must be retained for an extended period of time due to compliance requirements, raw data that is accumulated over an extended period of time in the big data and AI fields, retained media resources in the film and television industries, and archived videos from the online education industry. |
Storage class modification
Modification rule
You can change the storage class of a Standard object to any class.
IA objects have the minimum storage duration of 30 days. You cannot change the storage class of an IA object that is stored for less than 30 days.
Archive objects have the minimum storage duration of 60 days. You cannot change the storage class of an Archive object that is stored for less than 60 days. You can change the storage class of an Archive object to only Standard after the object is restored. In this case, you are charged data retrieval fees.
Cold Archive objects have the minimum storage duration of 180 days. You cannot change the storage class of a Cold Archive object that is stored for less than 180 days. You can change the storage class of a Cold Archive object to only Standard after the object is restored. In this case, you are charged data retrieval fees.
Storage scope
You can change the storage classes of all audio and video resources or only the source files.
All: changes the storage classes of all audio and video resources including the source file and transcoded streams to a specific storage class. The storage classes of other media resources such as snapshots are not modified.
Source file: changes the storage class of the source file to a specific storage class. The storage classes of other media resources are changed to Standard.
NoteIf you change only the storage class of the source file to Archive, Cold Archive, or IA, you cannot perform operations such as transcoding and snapshot capture on the audio or video file.
Procedure
Change the storage class of a media asset
Before you change the storage class of a media asset, take note of the rules described in Storage class modification.
Use the ApsaraVideo VOD console
Use the ApsaraVideo VOD API
Restore a media asset
You can access Standard and IA objects in real time. You must restore Archive and Cold Archive objects before you can access the objects. The restoration takes a while. This allows you to temporarily access Archive and Cold Archive objects.
You are charged data retrieval fees when you restore objects. For more information about billing, see Media storage.
When you restore an Archive or Cold Archive object, a Standard replica of the object is generated for temporary access. You are charged the temporary storage fees of the replica for the duration during which the replica is available based on the Standard storage class.
You cannot submit a restoration task for an audio or video file that is in the Restoring state. The file cannot be used for playback or content production such as transcoding, editing, or snapshot capture.