US 7,801,864 B2 · Systems and methods for using metadata to enhance data identification operations

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing electronic data are disclosed. Various data management operations can be performed based on a metabase formed from metadata. Such metadata can be identified from an index of data interactions generated by a journaling module, and obtained from their associated data objects stored in one or more storage devices. In various embodiments, such processing of the index and storing of the metadata can facilitate, for example, enhanced data management operations, enhanced data identification operations, enhanced storage operations, data classification for organizing and storing the metadata, cataloging of metadata for the stored metadata, and/or user interfaces for managing data. In various embodiments, the metabase can be configured in different ways. For example, the metabase can be stored separately from the data objects so as to allow obtaining of information about the data objects without accessing the data objects or a data structure used by a file system.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method for performing data identification operations involving electronic data, the method comprising:

receiving an index generated by a journal application, the index identifying data interactions made by at least one other application to one or more data objects on a storage device;
accessing with one or more computer processors the data interactions in the index to obtain first metadata associated with the one or more data objects, wherein the first metadata is generated by the at least one other application or a file system associated with the storage of the one or more data objects;
receiving second metadata associated with the one or more data objects, wherein the second metadata is not generated by the at least one other application or the file system;
updating a metabase, based on the index with the first and second metadata, wherein the metabase is in addition to the file system;
receiving selected criteria identifying one or more properties of at least one data object;
accessing the first and second metadata in the metabase according to the selected criteria without accessing the file system associated with the data objects;
and
identifying, based on accessing either the first or second metadata in the metabase, the at least one data object that satisfies the selected criteria.

5 more elements

A system for performing data identification operations involving electronic data, the system comprising:

at least one storage device configured to store a plurality of data objects having first metadata and content associated therewith;
a journal file maintained by a monitoring module, the journal file identifying data operations directed to one or more of the plurality of data objects by at least one application;
one or more computer processors that obtain the first metadata associated with the one or more of the plurality of data objects identified in the journal file, wherein the first metadata is generated by the at least one application or a file system associated with the storage of the one or more of the plurality of data objects;
one or more of the computer processors configured to obtain second metadata associated with the one or more of the plurality of data objects identified in the journal file, wherein the second metadata is not generated by the at least one other application or the file system;
at least one metabase comprising a plurality of records storing the first and second metadata associated with one or more of the plurality of data objects, the plurality of records being updated based on the first and second metadata obtained by the one or more computer processors, wherein the metabase is in addition to the file system;
and
one or more of the computer processors configured to receive a selected criteria and to access the metadata in the at least one metabase without accessing the file system associated with the data objects to identify based on the metadata in the metabase, at least one data object of the plurality of data objects that satisfies the selected criteria.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for using metadata to enhance data identification operations

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for using metadata to enhance data identification operations

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27