Record information management based on self-describing attributes

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

• identifying a type of data contained in a first dataset that is to be stored in a storage array, wherein the storage array comprises a plurality of storage zones, and wherein the plurality of storage zones includes at least two different types of storage technologies;
• generating a metadata file for the first dataset that contains self-describing information for the first dataset, wherein the metadata file is generated based on the type of the data, and wherein the self-describing information is appended to the first dataset and defines a time for storing the first dataset, a location for storing the first dataset, and a first non-storage process to be applied to the first dataset while the first dataset is stored in the storage array, is removed from the self-describing information once the first non-storage process is executed;
• and
• sending the first dataset to a first storage zone of the plurality of storage zones, wherein the self-describing information includes an instruction to send the first dataset to the first storage zone for at least a defined period of time.

A system comprising:

• a storage array comprising a plurality of storage zones, wherein the plurality of storage zones includes at least two different types of storage technologies;
• a processing system including at least one processor;
• and
• a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
• identifying a type of data contained in a first dataset that is to be stored in the storage array;
• generating a metadata file for the first dataset that contains self-describing information for the first dataset, wherein the metadata file is generated based on the type of the data, and wherein the self-describing information is appended to the first dataset and defines a time for storing the first dataset, a location for storing the first dataset, and a first non-storage process to be applied to the first dataset while the first dataset is stored in the storage array, is removed from the self-describing information once the first non-storage process is executed;
• and
• sending the first dataset to a first storage zone of the plurality of storage zones, wherein the self-describing information includes an instruction to send the first dataset to the first storage zone for at least a defined period of time.