Content-based storage management

Abstract

A system and method for data management according to the content of the data. The present invention enables data to be stored in one of a plurality of different storage options according to at least one characteristic of the data, in which the at least one characteristic is related to the content of the data. The present invention comprises a rule-based storage management mechanism for the processes of archiving and/or retrieving data. It should be noted that at least one storage option according to the present invention is optionally deletion and/or destruction of the data, such that the data may optionally be removed from storage media or may optionally not be stored initially on the storage media. Optionally and more preferably, the data is stored for a time interval according to the at least one characteristic of the data. Most preferably, the data is moved to a different type of storage option after an event occurs, for example the time interval has elapsed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for managing data storage according to content of the data, comprising: 
 determining at least one characteristic of the data according to the content;    selecting one of a plurality of storage options according to said at least one characteristic of the data; and    placing the data into said selected storage option.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said selected storage option causes deletion of the data.  
     
     
         3 . The method of claims  1  or  2 , wherein said plurality of storage options include storage options having at least two different types of devices.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said different types of devices have different access times.  
     
     
         5 . The method of any of claims  1 - 4 , wherein at least one storage option includes an on-line storage device.  
     
     
         6 . The method of any of claims  1 - 5 , wherein at least one storage option includes an off-line storage device.  
     
     
         7 . The method of any of claims  1 - 6 , wherein at least one storage option includes a near-line storage device.  
     
     
         8 . The method of any of claims  1 - 7 , wherein said at least one characteristic of the data includes metadata associated with the data.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said metadata is obtained by analyzing the data.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the data is analyzed manually.  
     
     
         11 . The method of claims  9  or  10 , wherein the data is analyzed automatically.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the data is analyzed automatically according to a type of the data.  
     
     
         13 . The method of claims  9 - 12 , wherein the data includes a plurality of different types of data, and said plurality of different types of data is analyzed concurrently.  
     
     
         14 . The method of claims  11 - 13 , wherein the data is rendered into a common format before being analyzed automatically.  
     
     
         15 . The method of claims  11 - 13 , wherein the data is rendered into a common format after being analyzed automatically.  
     
     
         16 . The method of any of claims  1 - 15 , wherein said at least one characteristic of the data is compared to at least one rule for determining said storage option to be selected.  
     
     
         17 . The method of claims  15  or  16 , wherein said at least one rule includes a time interval for holding the data in said selected storage option.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data is migrated from a first selected storage option to a second selected storage option after said time interval has elapsed.  
     
     
         19 . The method of any of claims  16 - 18 , wherein said at least one rule is entered manually.  
     
     
         20 . The method of any of claims  16 - 18 , wherein said at least one rule is generated automatically.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said at least one rule is generated automatically according to business data.  
     
     
         22 . The method of any of claims  16 - 21 , wherein said at least one rule includes an action to be performed on the data according to an event, wherein said event is related to said at least one characteristic of the data.  
     
     
         23 . The method of any of claims  1 - 22 , further comprising receiving data from an input source before determining said at least one characteristic of the data, wherein said input source includes at least one of video data, audio data, coded data, e-mail messages, e-mail attachments, chat messages, other types of messaging system messages, documents transmitted by facsimile and user interface data, and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         24 . The method of any of claims  1 - 7 , wherein the data is analyzed manually to determine said at least one characteristic of the data.  
     
     
         25 . The method of any of claims  1 - 7 , wherein the data is analyzed automatically to determine said at least one characteristic of the data.  
     
     
         26 . The method of claims  24  or  25 , wherein the data is obtained from a plurality of input sources, each input source providing a different type of data.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the data is analyzed automatically according to a type of the data.  
     
     
         28 . The method of claims  26  or  27 , wherein the data is rendered into a common format before being analyzed automatically.  
     
     
         29 . The method of claims  26  or  27 , wherein the data is rendered into a common format after being analyzed automatically.  
     
     
         30 . The method of any of claims  9 - 29 , wherein feedback from an analysis of the data is used for determining said at least one characteristic of the data.  
     
     
         31 . A system for data management according to content of the data, comprising: 
 (a) an analyzer for analyzing the data to determine at least one characteristic of the data;    (b) a rule engine for comparing said at least one characteristic of the data to at least one rule; and    (c) a storage manager for receiving a decision from said rule engine for at least storing the data.    
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , further comprising a client, wherein said rule engine determines if data is to be retrieved to said client.  
     
     
         33 . The system of claims  31  or  32 , further comprising an input source for providing data to said analyzer, wherein said rule engine determines if the data is to be used as feedback to said input source.  
     
     
         34 . The system of any of claims  31 - 33 , wherein an operation of said rule engine is manually triggered.  
     
     
         35 . The system of any of claims  31 - 33 , wherein an operation of said rule engine is automatically triggered.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said rule engine is an initiator of a process for at least storing the data.