Patent ID: 7877362

Claim:
A method for tracking a location of data stored to removable media, the method comprising: receiving a storage preference, the storage preference including a retention characteristic; identifying at least one data item that satisfies the retention characteristic and identifying a first set of one or more storage media including the at least one data item, wherein the first set of one or more storage media are associated with a first data storage device; copying the at least one data item from the first set of one or more storage media to a second set of two or more removable data storage media, wherein the two or more removable media are associated with a second data storage device communicatively coupled to the first data storage device; removing the second data storage device or the two or more removable media from communicative coupling with the first data storage device; tracking a location of a container, wherein the container contains at least the second set of the two or more removable media, wherein the container is not a vehicle, wherein tracking the container includes updating an index associated with the second set with data relating to a current location of the container, wherein tracking the container includes either tracking the current location of the container and not tracking the second set of the two or more removable media individually, or tracking both the current location of the container and the second set of the two or more removable media individually, and wherein tracking the container includes automatically receiving data associated with the container; and restoring the at least one data item, wherein the restoring comprises: receiving a request to restore the at least one data item; identifying both the container having the second set of the two or more removable media on which is stored the at least one data item, and the location of the container; providing a request for return of the container from the location; and, upon receiving the container that contains the second set of the two or more removable media, and after at least one of the removable media in the second set is loaded into a storage device, restoring the at least one data item.