Patent ID: 8903784

Claim:
A system comprising: at least one processor; a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: determine whether a first business record has reached a first record retention threshold; in response to determining that the first business record has reached the first record retention threshold, separate the first business record into a plurality of first data elements, wherein each of the plurality of first data elements has a respective plurality of first retention policies associated therewith; automatically select at least one first data element of the plurality of first data elements, wherein the at least one first data element is unnecessary to maintain integrity of the first business record and wherein the plurality of first data elements includes the at least one first data element and a remaining plurality of first data elements; remove the at least one first data element from the first business record; compress the remaining plurality of first data elements in accordance with a first compression ratio; determine a first respective selected storage location for each of the remaining plurality of first data elements based on the respective plurality of first retention policies associated therewith, wherein the first respective selected storage location includes a hot storage system; and store each of the remaining plurality of first data elements in the first respective selected storage location.