System and Method for Managing Information Retrievals for Integrated Digital and Analog Archives on a Global Basis

Abstract

A system and method for managing information retrievals from all of an enterprises' archives across all operating locations. The archives include both digital and analog archives. A single “virtual archive” is provided which links all of the archives of the enterprise, regardless of the location or configuration of the archive. The virtual archive allows for data aggregation (regardless of location) so the a user can have data from multiple physical locations on a single screen in a single view. A single, consistent and user friendly interface is provided through which users are able to access multiple applications through a single sign-on and password. Logical tables that are used to direct information retrieval requests to the physical archives. The retrieved information is reformatted and repackaging to resolve any incompatibility between the format of the stored information and the distribution media.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method for accessing and implementing a data storage system that provides access to remote storage areas, the method comprising;
 presenting a plurality of access interfaces for providing access to the remote storage areas for user computers via a plurality of software applications executing on a storage server of the data storage system;   servicing access requests from at least one user computer with an access interface providing access to a target one of the plurality of remote storage areas, wherein the user computer implements an application programming interface (API) that presents information from the target one of the remote storage areas to software applications executing on the user computer;   servicing access requests from at least one application executing on the user computer with a second access interface to provide access to the target one of the remote storage areas; and   processing an electronic message to provide access to a target one of the plurality or remote storage areas.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the electronic message includes a message describing requested information. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the information includes a date or date range of the requested information. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising identifying a type of access request and determining a processing method based on the type of access request. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising processing the access request to determine the target storage location of the requested information. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising determining whether the access request includes information located at multiple storage locations. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising generating synchronization flags for coordination when the request includes information located at multiple storage locations. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising authenticating the user in response to the access request and allowing access to multiple remote storage areas based on the access request. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising receiving the access request from any one of an Internet application, a client-server application, an application program interface, and a messaging based application. 
     
     
         32 . A data management and storage system comprising:
 a storage server that maintains a plurality of remote storage areas;   a plurality of software applications executing on the storage server to provide a plurality of different access interfaces for accessing the remote storage areas, wherein the plurality of access interfaces comprise:
 a first access interface to provide access to a target one of the plurality of remote storage areas in response to access requests from a user computer in which an operating system of the user computer includes application programming interface (API) routines that provide access to the target one of the plurality of remote storage areas to software applications executing on the client computer; and 
 a second access interface receiving information requests via a messaging system executing on the user computer. 
   
     
     
         33 . A data storage and management system comprising:
 at least one user computer;   a storage server communicatively coupled to the user computer via a network, wherein the storage server provides access for the user computer to a remote storage area in response to an access request received from the user computer over the network;   a plurality of software applications executing on the storage server to provide a plurality of different access interfaces for accessing the remote storage area;   an operating system executing on at least one of the user computers and including an application programming interface that communicates with at least one of the access interfaces of the storage server to retrieve data files within the remote storage area; and   a communication software application executing on at least one of the user computers to directly communicate with another of the access interfaces of the storage server without invoking the application programming interface of the operating system.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the storage server receives requests to retrieve one or more data files. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the plurality of software applications executing on the storage server comprise an application interface manager providing input and output services to client computers by determining the remote storage area where the requested information is stored. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the application interface manager includes an input processing section validating the requests for information and an output processing section formatting the retrieved information in a format compatible with communication media employed by the user computers. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the plurality of software applications executing on the storage server further comprise an archive information manager for transmitting the requests for information to the remote storage area and receiving the retrieved information from the remote storage area. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 33 , further comprising multiple storage servers for accessing the remote storage areas. 
     
     
         39 . A method for accessing data files stored in remote storage areas from a remote computer, the method comprising:
 selecting one of a set of remote storage areas provided by a storage server for a user in response to a request received via a computer network, wherein the storage server provides a plurality of software applications to present a plurality of different access interfaces for accessing the set of remote storage areas;   receiving an access request via one of (1) an application programming interface routine provided by a client computer that communicates with an access interface presented by the software applications of the storage server to manage remote data files within the remote storage areas, and (2) a communication software application executing on the user computer to request remote data files within the remote storage areas; and   communicating the access request to the storage server via the computer network and one of the provided access interfaces; and   accessing the files from the remote storage areas with the storage server for user viewing.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein communicating the access request to the storage server comprises issuing a request to the storage server to retrieve a remote file from at least one of the remote storage areas. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the access request includes user information. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising authenticating the user information before accessing the remote file. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein authenticating the user information includes identifying the user by input information. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the communication software application comprises one of a web browser and a messaging based application. 
     
     
         45 . A data storage and access system comprising
 at least one storage server including, the storage server maintaining and communicating with a plurality of remote storage areas;   a plurality of software applications executing on the storage server to provide a plurality of different access interfaces for accessing the remote storage areas, wherein the access interfaces comprise;
 a user interface for receiving requests for archived data in the remote storage areas from user computers and for transmitting the requested data back to the user computers after the data is accessed from a corresponding remote storage area; 
 an access interface for allowing a web browser executing on the client computer to access the server and connect with the remote storage areas; and 
 a messaging interface operable to receive an electronic message and access a remote storage area in response to the message. 
   
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the electronic message includes a description of a requested document. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the request comprises user identifying information and a request type. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the request comprises an encryption type. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the request comprises an authentication type. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the request comprises a request parameter string.