This article analyzes the needs and proposes a cloud based comprehensive reference architecture based on the concept of “Archiving-as-a-Service”. The reference architecture is designed in the context of new technology and organization for storing the documents and ensuring their security, reliability, availability, and authenticity over long periods of time. The article aims to bring changes in the practices of archiving documents by proposing comprehensive reference architecture with possibilities of wider approach to current outsourcing problems. This perspective, addresses the impact of cloud computing on today’s archiving business, archiving service gaps, and the need of changes in the archive practice. The prototype implementation of selected modules, consider monitoring and supervising the archive documents. Finally, the authors justify the comprehensive reference architecture with the performance evaluations for some crucial services such as archiving, re-encryption, confirmation of integrity and proof of existence.