Archive (ON-Archive and ontape) 
Purpose
You can archive your Informix database using the Informix tools
ON-Archive or ontape . For more information, see What is an Archive?
If you are using
ON-Bar , the term archive has been replaced by "whole-system backup" and "storage space backup". Refer to What are Whole-System and Storage-Space Backups?An archive with
ON-Archive or ontape is similar to a whole-system or storage-space backup with ON-Bar . For more information about creating backups with ON-Bar , see Whole-System and Storage-Space Backup (ON-Bar).Prerequisites
You have decided which tool you are going to use for archive (
ON-Archive or ontape ) or database backup ( ON-Bar ). Refer to Comparison of ON-Bar, ON-Archive, and ontape for Data Recovery. If you decide to use ON-Bar , see Database Backup (ON-Bar).
You must use the same tool for
You have completed the preparations for archive with your chosen tool:
Process Flow
Result
You now have an archive of your database, which you can use in the event of failure to
restore the database.
See also:
Informix documentation