Patent ID: 8412681

Claim:
A system for archiving content from multiple, different types of enterprise applications in a central location, the system comprising: multiple, different application connectors that are configured to interface with multiple, different enterprise applications operated by an organization, the multiple, different application connectors including at least: a first application connector configured to interface with a first type of enterprise application operated by the organization, and a second application connector configured to interface with a second type of enterprise application operated by the organization, the second type of enterprise application being different than the first type of enterprise application; an archival system connector that is configured to interface with a central archival system, the central archival system being configured to archive content from the multiple, different enterprise applications in a central location; and an application server that is configured to receive, using the multiple, different application connectors, content to archive from the multiple, different enterprise applications, and control, using the archival system connector, the central archival system to archive, in the central location, the content received from the multiple, different enterprise applications such that content from the first type of enterprise application is archived together in the central location with content from the second type of enterprise application, wherein the application server includes a computer system and is further configured to: receive user input defining a complex record type that includes information from the multiple, different enterprise applications; define the complex record type based on the received user input; detect an archival operation that uses the complex record type; in response to detection of the archival operation that uses the complex record type, identify content needed from the multiple, different enterprise applications to populate the complex record type and identify metadata needed from the multiple, different enterprise applications to populate the complex record type; access the identified content and the identified metadata; and control, using the archival system connector, the central archival system to store, in a single record of the complex record type, the accessed content and the accessed metadata.