Document Archive on AWS

S3 Storage Classes for Archival Tiering

Amazon S3 offers multiple storage classes designed for different access patterns and cost profiles. FormKiQ leverages S3 lifecycle policies to move documents through storage tiers automatically as they age:

FormKiQ manages these transitions transparently — documents move through storage tiers based on configurable lifecycle policies without changing their metadata, search index entries, access controls, or audit trail. A document archived to Glacier Deep Archive is still searchable by metadata and full-text content, and still subject to its retention policy and access controls.

Durability and Integrity

Amazon S3 provides 99.999999999% (eleven nines) durability — meaning that for every ten million objects stored, you can statistically expect to lose one object every ten thousand years. For archival storage, this level of durability eliminates the data loss risk that drives organizations to maintain expensive redundant on-premises storage infrastructure.

S3 also supports object versioning, integrity checksums, and object lock (WORM) configurations that protect archived documents from accidental or unauthorized modification or deletion.

Archival Ingestion

Documents enter the archive through multiple pathways:

• Lifecycle transition — documents in active FormKiQ repositories automatically transition to archival status based on metadata, age, or workflow events (case closure, contract expiry, project completion)
• Bulk migration — large-scale ingestion of legacy archives from file shares, on-premises storage, legacy ECM platforms, or other repositories using the FormKiQ CLI or API
• Document Gateway Modules — structured ingestion from SharePoint, Google Drive, email, SFTP, and scanner capture for documents entering the archive directly from external systems
• Records disposition — records reaching the end of their active retention period can be transferred to the archive rather than destroyed, when the retention policy calls for preservation rather than disposition

Metadata and Search

Archived documents retain their full metadata and search index — ensuring they remain discoverable even after moving to low-cost storage tiers:

Access Controls

• Attribute-based access control (ABAC) — archived document visibility tied to metadata values, enabling access policies based on classification, department, sensitivity, or custom attributes
• Temporal access controls — access rules that change based on archival age or declassification schedules
• Read-only enforcement — archived documents protected from modification, with write access limited to metadata updates by authorized administrators
• Audit trail — every access to an archived document is recorded with timestamps and actor identification

Retention and Disposition

• Configurable retention policies — applied at the document, collection, or document-type level with automatic enforcement
• Legal hold — archived documents under legal hold are protected from disposition regardless of retention schedule
• Defensible disposition — audit-logged disposition workflows for documents reaching the end of their archival retention period
• Permanent preservation — documents designated for permanent retention are protected from disposition indefinitely, with periodic integrity verification

Immutable Storage (WORM)

For organizations with regulatory requirements for non-rewritable, non-erasable storage, FormKiQ supports S3 Object Lock configurations:

Object Lock is applied at the object level within S3, ensuring that individual archived documents are protected according to their specific regulatory requirements.

Common Migration Sources

Migration Process

1. Inventory and assessment — catalog the source archive to understand volume, file types, metadata availability, and retention requirements
2. Metadata schema mapping — define how source metadata (folder names, file properties, legacy ECM fields) maps to FormKiQ's metadata architecture
3. OCR and enrichment — scanned and image-based documents processed with OCR and IDP at ingestion to create searchable full-text indexes
4. Bulk ingestion — FormKiQ CLI or API handles high-volume ingestion with metadata application, classification, and storage tier assignment
5. Validation — document counts, metadata integrity, and search index completeness verified against source inventory
6. Retention assignment — archival retention policies applied to migrated documents based on document type, age, and regulatory requirements

Migration services are available as add-on professional services on Advanced and Enterprise editions.

What is a document archive on AWS?

A document archive on AWS is a governed, long-term document storage environment deployed on Amazon Web Services — combining S3's tiered storage classes for cost optimization with structured metadata, full-text search, access controls, and retention enforcement. Unlike unmanaged storage, a document archive maintains the searchability, governance, and auditability of archived content throughout its preservation lifecycle.

How does S3 storage tiering reduce archive costs?

Amazon S3 offers storage classes optimized for different access frequencies — from Standard (frequent access) through Glacier Deep Archive (rarely accessed). FormKiQ manages automatic transitions between these tiers based on configurable lifecycle policies. Documents that haven't been accessed move to progressively cheaper storage — potentially reducing storage costs by up to 95% compared to active-tier pricing — while remaining searchable by metadata and full-text content.

Can I search archived documents stored in Glacier?

Yes. FormKiQ maintains metadata and full-text search indexes in Amazon DynamoDB and OpenSearch regardless of the S3 storage tier. You can search for and identify archived documents instantly. Retrieving the document content itself may take minutes to hours depending on the Glacier tier, but the search and identification step is always immediate.

What is S3 Object Lock and when do I need it?

S3 Object Lock provides WORM (Write Once Read Many) storage — preventing documents from being deleted or overwritten for a defined retention period. Compliance mode Object Lock is required by regulations like SEC 17a-4 and FINRA, UK FCA SYSC rules, or MiFID II article 76 (EU) that mandate non-rewritable, non-erasable storage for certain financial records. FormKiQ supports Object Lock configuration for documents that require this level of immutability.

How do I migrate an existing archive to FormKiQ?

FormKiQ supports bulk migration from file shares, legacy ECM platforms, email archives, tape storage, existing S3 buckets, and cloud storage services. The process involves inventory assessment, metadata schema mapping, OCR processing for scanned content, bulk ingestion via the FormKiQ CLI or API, and validation. Migration services are available as add-on professional services on Advanced and Enterprise editions.

How is a document archive different from records management?

Records management is a governance discipline focused on retention enforcement, legal hold, and defensible disposition — controlling how long records are kept and ensuring they are disposed of lawfully. A document archive is focused on long-term preservation and cost-optimized storage — keeping documents accessible and governed over extended periods. FormKiQ supports both within a single platform — records management policies can govern archived documents, and documents can transition from active records management into archival storage as part of their retention lifecycle.

What happens to my archived data if I stop using FormKiQ?

Your archived documents remain in Amazon S3 within your own AWS account. You own the S3 buckets, the metadata in DynamoDB, and the search indexes in OpenSearch. You can access these resources directly through AWS or other tools at any time, regardless of your FormKiQ subscription status. FormKiQ's architecture ensures you are never locked into the platform for access to your own archived content.