Patent ID: 7761428

Claim:
A computer implemented method for archiving structured and associated unstructured data comprising: identifying a structured data object to be archived, the data object associated with one or more retention rules; defining, in a storage system, a first target hierarchical path for the identified data object; identifying two or more unstructured data instances associated with the identified data object; defining, in the storage system, a second target hierarchical path for a first of the identified unstructured data instances associated with the identified structured data object, wherein the second hierarchical storage path corresponds, at least in part, to the first hierarchical storage path; archiving the structured data object into an archive object in the storage system at the first hierarchical path, the archive object associated with one or more retention rules; and archiving the first particular unstructured data instance in the storage system at the second hierarchical path, wherein archiving the first particular unstructured data instance comprises storing the first particular unstructured data instance as a first node at the second hierarchical path; archiving a second unstructured data instance associated with the identified data object in the storage system at the second hierarchical path, wherein archiving the second unstructured data instance comprises storing the second unstructured data instance as a second node at the second hierarchical path; and automatically propagating the one or more retention rules to the first particular unstructured data instance and the second unstructured data instance.