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Writer's pictureNelson Nahum

The $2.4 Million question: Why Geyser Data is the Smarter Choice for Long-Term Archival Over AWS Glacier

We recently got a request to give a quote to a potential customer who needs 10 petabytes (PBs) of archive storage. They're interested in comparing the prices of Geyser Data and AWS Glacier. After a thorough analysis, we found that choosing Geyser Data over AWS Glacier could save them a cool $2.4 million. Here is the quote:


Dear XYZ,


Thank you for considering Geyser Data for your data archival needs. After analyzing your requirements for storing 10 PB of data over 7 years with an estimated 2% data retrieval per month, we’re excited to share that Geyser Data Cloud Tape Library can save your organization over $2.5 million compared to using AWS Glacier. 


Here’s a breakdown of the total costs over 7 years:

Storage Solution

Total 7-Year Cost

Savings

Geyser Data Cloud Tape Library

$2,520,000

-

AWS Glacier Flexible Retrieval

$4,956,000

$2,436,000


7 Year Cost Comparison: AWS Glacier vs Geyser Data
7 Year Cost Comparison: AWS Glacier vs Geyser Data

With Geyser Data, you will benefit from predictable pricing, zero retrieval fees, and a reliable, secure, and environmentally sustainable solution backed by Spectra Logic 45 years of experience in Tape technologies.


Detailed Cost Analysis

To provide complete transparency, let’s break down how these figures were calculated.



Geyser Data Cloud Tape Library Costs

We charge $27 per month per LTO-9 tape with a capacity of 18 TB. For maximum data protection, your data will be written to two tapes, resulting in an effective cost of $3 per TB per month.


  • Monthly Storage Cost:10,000 TB × 3 USD/TB/month = 30,000 USD

  • 7-Year Storage Cost:30,000 USD/month × 12 months/year × 7 years = 2,520,000 USD


Important: Geyser Data has no data retrieval or egress fees. You can access up to 5% or any portion of your data as often as needed without additional charges.

Total 7-Year Cost with Geyser Data: $2,520,000



AWS Glacier Flexible Retrieval Costs

AWS Glacier charges $0.0036 per GB per month for storage and additional fees for retrieval, egress, and API requests.


  • Monthly Storage Cost:10,000 TB × 3.60 USD/TB/month = 36,000 USD/month

  • 7-Year Storage Cost:36,000 USD/month × 12 months/year × 7 years = 3,024,000 USD


Retrieval Fees (2% per month)

  • Data Retrieval Fee:200 TB/month × 0.0125 USD/GB = 2,500 USD/month

  • Egress Fee:200 TB/month × 0.09 USD/GB = 18,000 USD/month

  • API Request Fee:(200 TB / 4 MB/file) × 0.05 USD / 1,000 requests = 2,500 USD/month

  • Total Retrieval Costs per Month:2,500 + 18,000 + 2,500 = 23,000 USD/month

  • Total Retrieval Costs Over 7 Years:23,000USD/month × 12 months/year × 7 years = 1,932,000 USD


Total 7-Year Cost with AWS Glacier:

3,024,000 USD (Storage) + 1,932,000 USD (Retrieval) = 4,956,000 USD


Overall Savings compared to AWS Glacier:

By choosing Geyser Data over AWS Glacier, you will save:

4,956,000 USD − 2,520,000 USD = 2,436,000 USD


What If You Need to Retrieve All Your Data After 7 Years?

If your organization needs to retrieve the entire 10 PB of data at the end of the 7 years, Geyser Data offers free data retrieval. However, AWS Glacier would charge:


  • Retrieval Fee:10,000 TB × 0.0125 USD/GB = 125,000 USD

  • Egress Fee:10,000 TB × 0.09 USD/GB = 900,000 USD

  • API Request Fee:(10,000 TB / 4 MB/file) × 0.05 USD / 1,000 requests = 125,000 USD


Total Cost to Retrieve All Data from AWS Glacier:

125,000 + 900,000 + 125,000 = 1,150,000 USD


Additional Cost of Retrieving All Data with AWS Glacier: $1.15 million



In Summary

By choosing Geyser Data Cloud Tape Library, your enterprise stands to save at least $2,436,000 over a 7-year period compared to AWS Glacier, and you'll avoid the $1.15 million retrieval fee if you ever need to bring back all your data.

We're confident that Geyser Data offers the best value for your long-term data archival needs. Please let us know if you'd like to proceed or if you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

Geyser Data Team

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