Patent ID: 7584227

Claim:
A method for tracking a location of electronic data stored to removable media, the method comprising: receiving a storage preference, the storage preference including a data characteristic and a retention characteristic; identifying at least one data item that satisfies the data characteristic and the retention characteristic and identifying a first set of one or more storage media including the at least one data item; copying the at least one data item from the first set of one or more storage media to a copy set of one or more removable media; aggregating the copy set of one or more removable media in a container; tracking a location of the container, wherein the container is not a vehicle, and wherein tracking the container includes updating an index associated with the copy set with data relating to a current location of the container and not tracking the copy set of one or more removable media individually, and wherein the tracking includes receiving data associated with the container, wherein the data is received from the container automatically; 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 copy set 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 and after at least one of the removable media in the copy set is loaded into a storage device, restoring the at least one data item.