Patent ID: 8078583

Claim:
In a computer system, a method for accessing electronic data, the method comprising: intercepting a read request for electronic data in a computer system with a file system, wherein the read request is for the electronic data stored in a first storage location associated with a first directory of a first directory path in a network attached storage device, wherein the electronic data has been moved to a second storage location associated with a second directory in a different storage device, and wherein the second storage location is identified with a stub file; determining the second storage location of the electronic data by reading information contained in the stub file with one or more computer processors; invoking a restore operation with one or more computer processors to determine the second directory in which the electronic data is stored in the second storage location; and mounting the second directory in the file system by associating the second directory with at least a portion of the first directory path; retrieving, in response to the read request, the electronic data from the second storage location via the mounted second directory without transferring the electronic data to the first storage location associated with the first directory in the network attached storage device.