Introduction
SaaS applications like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Jira hold mission-critical business data spanning customer interactions, IT workflows, and project management. While these platforms enable agility, they present challenges for long-term archiving and compliance. Unlike email or file systems, SaaS data is dynamic, interconnected, and often lacks native compliance-grade retention capabilities. This blog explores methods for archiving SaaS apps and highlights common gaps organizations should address.
Methods of SaaS App Archiving
1. API-Based Capture
- How it Works: Use vendor-provided APIs (e.g., Salesforce APIs, ServiceNow REST APIs, Jira APIs) to extract records, metadata, and attachments.
- Advantages: Rich metadata capture, flexible integration, supports custom workflows.
- Limitations: Subject to API throttling, changes, or gaps in coverage (e.g., workflow histories).
2. Connector-Based Integration
- How it Works: Leverage pre-built connectors from archiving vendors.
- Advantages: Faster deployment, purpose-built compliance integration.
- Limitations: May not cover custom objects or advanced workflows in SaaS apps.
3. Export & Batch Ingestion
- How it Works: Schedule data exports (CSV, XML, JSON) and ingest into an archive.
- Advantages: Simple to implement, vendor-independent.
- Limitations: Batch frequency may miss real-time updates; context can be lost.
4. Native Archiving Features
- Salesforce: Limited native data retention and export options.
- ServiceNow: Some built-in reporting and export tools.
- Jira: Audit logs and exports available, but not designed for compliance archiving.
Common Gaps in SaaS Archiving
1. Incomplete Coverage
- APIs or connectors may not capture custom fields, workflow states, or attachments.
- Export methods may omit metadata or relational context.
2. Lack of Context
- Business processes often span multiple SaaS apps. Archiving data in silos can lead to the loss of cross-platform relationships.
3. Immutability Limitations
- Native SaaS exports typically lack WORM (Write Once, Read Many) storage guarantees.
4. eDiscovery Challenges
- Archived SaaS data may be challenging to search, classify, or produce during litigation.
5. Compliance Risks
- Default retention in SaaS apps may not meet SEC, FINRA, HIPAA, or GDPR mandates.
Best Practices
- Adopt API + Connector Hybrid: Use APIs for flexibility and connectors for compliance coverage.
- Ensure Immutability: Store SaaS data in compliance-grade archives (e.g., WORM storage).
- Preserve Metadata: Capture relationships, timestamps, and workflow states for defensibility.
- Align with Retention Policies: Map SaaS data categories to corporate retention schedules.
- Test eDiscovery: Validate that archived SaaS data can be searched and exported reliably.
Conclusion
Archiving SaaS apps like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Jira requires a multi-layered approach. While APIs, connectors, and exports provide methods for data capture, gaps remain in coverage, immutability, and compliance readiness. By combining technical methods with robust governance practices, organizations can transform SaaS archiving from a compliance gap into a defensible and resilient strategy.