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Overview
Microsoft 365 Archive allows organizations to move SharePoint Online content to lower-cost archive storage while retaining the ability to reactivate the content when required.
Microsoft 365 Archive can be applied to:
Entire SharePoint sites (site-level archiving)
Individual SharePoint files (file-level archiving)
Because archived content is not fully accessible through Microsoft APIs, archiving affects how Druva discovers, backs up, and restores SharePoint Online data.
This article explains how Druva handles archived SharePoint sites and files and describes the resulting backup and restore behavior.
đNOTE: Microsoft 365 Archive is configured and managed in Microsoft 365 Admin center. Druva automatically detects archived content and adjusts backup and restore operations accordingly.
Archived SharePoint Sites
When a SharePoint site is archived in Microsoft 365, the site becomes inaccessible through Microsoft Graph APIs. As a result, Druva cannot continue backing up the site until it is reactivated.
Backup Behavior for Archived Sites
Event at source | Druva behavior | Where you see it |
Site moves from Active to Archived | Backup for the site is automatically disabled. Backup jobs fail with an error. | Site Listing Page, Site Summary, and Activity Stream |
Already archived site is discovered | Backup is automatically disabled for the site. | Configured Sites list displays Backup Status as Disabled. |
Site moves from Archived to Reactivated | Backup is automatically enabled for the site. | Next discovery cycle |
đNOTE: Microsoft reactivates SharePoint sites that were archived within the last 7 days immediately. For sites that have been archived for more than 7 days, the reactivation process can take up to 24 hours. To verify whether a site has been reactivated, check the Site Status on the SharePoint sites page in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
Restore and Download Behavior for Archived Sites
Event at source | Druva behavior | Where you see it |
In-place restore to an archived site or Restore as a Copy | Blocked: A notification is displayed in the restore workflow. | Restore wizard |
Restore to a different site, or restore to a new site | Allowed: Behavior is the same as standard restore. | Restore wizard |
Site is reactivated, then restore is attempted | Standard restore behavior applies. | Restore wizard |
Download | Standard download behavior applies. | Restore wizard |
To learn more about restoring Restore SharePoint Online Data see; Restore SharePoint Online Data.
Impact of Site Archiving on Previous Backups
When a site is archived, all existing snapshots are preserved and remain accessible for recovery. Druva does not delete any backup data during the archival process, and snapshots continue to be governed by your established retention policy. You can still retrieve data from these snapshots while the source site is in an archived state.
However, if you wish to perform an in-place restore to the original site, you must reactivate the site within Microsoft 365 before the operation can proceed. For detailed reactivation steps, please refer to the Microsoft Documentation.
Archived SharePoint Files
When an individual file is archived in Microsoft 365, Druva retains the last backed-up version of the active file, including its full content, and labels it with an Archived Icon in subsequent backup snapshots. This is a metadata change only. Druva does not create stub-only backups, so archived files remain fully recoverable.
Backup Behavior for Archived Files
The table below shows what Druva backs up for each file state at the source:
File state at source | What Druva backup snapshots contain | Activity Stream |
File is already archived | Ignored / Not backed up. Non backed-up archived files are inaccessible via Microsoft APIs. Druva skips the file until it is reactivated at the source | Skipped |
Moves from active to archived (previously backed up) | Retains the last backed-up version of the active file with full content, displayed with an Archived Icon in subsequent snapshots | Updated |
Reactivated (archived to active) | Backed up as an active file. The Archived Icon is removed from subsequent snapshots, and any pre-archived files previously skipped are backed up for the first time. | Updated |
Deleted from Microsoft 365 | Removed from the latest snapshot. Retained in historical snapshots labeled Archived. | - |
Visual Indicators & Selection Controls in Snapshot Viewer:
Archived Icon: Files archived at the source display a distinct Archived Icon next to the file name in the Snapshot Viewer.
Selection Controls: Checkboxes for archived files remain enabled, allowing administrators to select them for direct Download or Restore operations.
Retention of Archived Files
Druva applies snapshot-level retention to archived, unarchived, and deleted files. A file remains available for recovery as long as at least one snapshot that contains it has not expired. After the last snapshot that carries the file expires, the file is purged from Druva storage.
Restore and Download Behavior for Archived Files
The recovery experience is the same for archived and active files. How an archived file restores depends on both what the backup snapshot contains and the file's current state at the source. The table below covers each combination:
What the snapshot contains | File state at source | Restore location & option | Restore behavior |
File labeled Archived | Any | Restore as a Copy, Different Site, or New Site | Restores successfully as an Active File at the destination. |
File labeled Archived | Archived at source | In-Place Restore (Same site) with Overwrite Selected | Restores as an Active File, replacing and overwriting the archived file at the source. |
File labeled Archived | Archived at source | In-Place Restore (Same site) without Overwrite | The archived file is skipped. The restore job completes as Successful, and the event is recorded in the Activity Log. |
File labeled Archived | Any | Download | Direct download supported; content and size remain identical to the last backed-up active version. |