System and method for record retention date in a write once read many storage system

A write-once-read-many (WORM) storage system having a file system comprising:

• a WORM utility residing in the file system that commits files to a designated volume based upon an open protocol file attribute provided to the file system after the file is stored in the designated volume and that provides a selectable retention period during which the file cannot be modified after being committed.

A record on a storage system that is recorded so as to have write-once-read-many (WORM) characteristics comprising:

• a retention period value stored in a permanent open protocol data field associated with the record, the retention period thereby providing an instruction to the storage system so that the record cannot be modified in any way until the retention period expires.

A record on a storage system that is recorded so as to have write-once-read-many (WORM) characteristics comprising:

• retention period value stored in permanent association with the record, the retention period thereby providing an instruction to the storage system so that the record cannot be modified in any way until the retention period expires and the record being individually deletable from the storage system after the retention period expires.

A compliance clock for ensuring that data sets in a write-once-read-many (WORM) storage system are not modified prior to a retention date thereof comprising:

• a counter that counts a plurality of repetitive events in the storage system and assigning a time value relative to a count of the events;
• and
• a generator that compares the count to an external clock time input and that adjusts the time value based upon the external clock time input based upon a bounded drift rate between the external clock input and the time value.

A method for establishing a write-once-read-many (WORM) volume in a storage system wherein predetermined of the data sets therein are each locked against modification until expiration of a respective retention date comprising the steps of:

• identifying a type of WORM volume as at least one of either an untrusted administrator WORM volume or a trusted-administrator WORM volume;
• and
• allowing only untrusted administrator activities to be performed on each of the predetermined of the data sets in an untrusted administrator WORM volume and allowing trusted administrator activities to be performed on each of the predetermined of the data sets in a trusted administrator WORM volume.

A WORM storage system adapted to store records in a write-once-read-many configuration comprising:

• an application program interface for applying a respective retention date in the form of metadata to each of the records;
• and
• a trusted clock, separate from a system hardware clock that is used to unlock WORM features on each of the records when a respective retention date expires.