Systems and methods for data management using zero-touch tagging

Abstract

Systems and methods for data management using tagging rules and/or policies. The systems and methods described herein may allow users or administrators to easily label data, so as to organize the data in using any suitable terminology or parameters. Tagging rules (or tag rules) may apply or assign one or more tags to a data file or object. A tag may relate to various components of the data file or object. For example, a tag may relate to a creation date, author, size, or information within the data, such as whether the file or object includes a picture. Once the data is associated with one or more tags, policies may determine how the data is manipulated, stored, accessed, or otherwise used. Policies may relate to actions or operations to be performed with respect to data having one or more particular tags.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A data handling system comprising:
 a tag rule database storing tag rules as non-transitory computer readable media, each tag rule defining when data should be tagged;   a policy database storing policies as non-transitory computer readable media, each policy defining when a policy operation should be performed with respect to tagged data;   a controller programmed with computer executable instructions for:
 receiving data comprising at least one of a data file and a data object; 
 comparing the received data to a tag rule to determine if the data should be tagged with a tag; 
 based on the comparison, tagging the data by storing an association between the data and the tag; and 
 comparing the tag to a policy to determine if a policy operation should be performed with respect to the data; and 
   a mapping database storing, as non-transitory computer readable media, associations between data and tags.