Systems and methods for recovering electronic information from a storage medium

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for retrieving certain electronic information previously stored on certain storage media after a threshold set in the storage retention criteria has been exceeded in an electronic information storage system that stores electronic information on storage media in accordance with a storage retention criteria is provided. The method includes storing a record in a memory associated with a system manager that assigns the storage retention criteria to the certain electronic data, designating the storage media available for overwrite after the threshold set in the storage retention policy has been exceeded, identifying the certain storage media available for overwrite, and retrieving information from the certain media after the threshold set in the storage retention policy has been exceeded.

1 . A computer-implemented method for selecting a spare storage medium to be used in a data storage operation, wherein the spare storage medium includes data designated to be overwritten, the method comprising:
 accessing at least one index that stores—
 first index information regarding a first spare storage medium, and 
 second index information regarding a second spare storage medium; 
   identifying the first spare storage medium associated with the first index information,
 wherein the first index information identifies data stored on the first spare storage medium, and 
 wherein the first spare storage medium includes data designated to be overwritten; 
   identifying the second spare storage medium associated with the second index information,
 wherein the second index information identifies data stored on the second spare storage medium, and 
 wherein the second spare storage medium includes data designated to be overwritten; and 
   selecting the first spare storage medium for use in a data storage operation based on the accessing of the first index information and the second index information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first index information identifies data having a lower priority of preservation than the data identified by the second index information. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first index information identifies data older than the data identified by the second index information. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 overwriting the data stored on the first storage medium during the data storage operation; and   deleting the first index information only after the data stored on the first storage medium is partially overwritten.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 overwriting the data stored on the first storage medium during the data storage operation; and   deleting the first index information only after the data stored on the first storage medium is substantially overwritten.   
     
     
         6 . A data storage system, comprising:
 at least one client computing device; and   at least one data storage device coupled to the client computing device via a network, wherein the data storage device includes at least a first spare storage medium and a second spare storage medium;   wherein the client computing device is programmed to:
 access at least one index having—
 first index information regarding the first spare storage medium of the data storage device, and 
 second index information regarding the second spare storage medium of the data storage device; 
 
 identifying the first spare storage medium associated with the first index information,
 wherein the first index information identifies data stored on the first spare storage medium, and 
 wherein the first spare storage medium includes data designated to be overwritten; 
 
 identifying the second spare storage medium associated with the second index information,
 wherein the second index information identifies data stored on the second spare storage medium, and 
 wherein the second spare storage medium includes data designated to be overwritten; and 
 
 selecting the first spare storage medium for use in a data storage operation based on the accessing of the first index information and the second index information. 
   
     
     
         7 . The data storage system of  claim 6 , wherein the first index information identifies data having a lower priority of preservation than the data identified by the second index information. 
     
     
         8 . The data storage system of  claim 6 , wherein the first index information identifies data older than the data identified by the second index information. 
     
     
         9 . The data storage system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 overwriting the data stored on the first storage medium during the data storage operation; and   deleting the first index information only after the data stored on the first storage medium is partially overwritten.   
     
     
         10 . The data storage system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 overwriting the data stored on the first storage medium during the data storage operation; and   deleting the first index information only after the data stored on the first storage medium is substantially overwritten.   
     
     
         11 . A method for selecting a spare storage medium to be used in a data storage operation, wherein the spare storage medium includes data designated to be overwritten, the method comprising:
 identifying a first spare storage medium associated with first index information that identifies data stored on the first spare storage medium;   identifying a second spare storage medium associated with second index information that identifies data stored on the second spare storage medium;   selecting the first spare storage medium for use in a data storage operation based on a review of the first index information and the second index information,
 wherein the first spare storage medium includes data designated to be overwritten; 
   retrieving a storage medium;   verifying that the retrieved storage medium is the first spare storage medium,
 wherein the verifying includes automatically reading data from the retrieved storage medium; and, 
   when the retrieved storage medium is verified to be the first spare storage medium, then overwriting, with new data, the data designated to be overwritten on the first spare storage medium.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first index information identifies data having a lower priority of preservation than the data identified by the second index information. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first index information identifies data older than the data identified by the second index information. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 overwriting the data stored on the first storage medium during the data storage operation; and   deleting the first index information only after the data stored on the first storage medium is partially overwritten.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 overwriting the data stored on the first storage medium during the data storage operation; and   deleting the first index information only after the data stored on the first storage medium is substantially overwritten.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the automatically reading data from the retrieved storage medium includes reading an on media label (OML) on the retrieved storage medium. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the automatically reading data from the retrieved storage medium includes reading a header file on the retrieved storage medium. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising systematically searching media libraries to locate the first spare storage medium when the retrieved storage medium is verified not to be the first spare storage medium.