Patent ID: 8065277

Claim:
A method of extracting original data from at least one file that resides on one or more different mediums operating on one or more different platforms, wherein the original data is extracted and stored at a target location without unnecessary replication of duplicate data, comprising the steps of: obtaining content data and metadata relating to the original data of the at least one file, wherein the at least one file is stored in a first environment created on the one or more different mediums operating in the one or more different platforms; in a second environment created on the one or more different mediums operating in the one or more different platforms and the target location, storing the content data and the metadata of the at least one file, wherein the content data is associated with the metadata, and wherein the second environment is different from the first environment; obtaining an original location corresponding to the at least one file, the original location indicative of where the at least one file is stored in the first environment; in the second environment, storing the original location in a location table, wherein the location table includes the following: a link to the content data stored in a content hash table, indexed in response to the original location indicative of where the at least one file was stored in the first environment; and a link to the metadata stored in a metadata hash table, indexed in response to the original location where the file was stored in the first environment; reconstituting at least a piece of the at least one file by accessing at least one of the following in the location table: the link to the content data, in response to the original location; and the link to the metadata, in response to the original location; and storing the content data in the content hash table and the metadata in the metadata hash table, wherein the storing operation further comprises the steps of; generating a digital signature from the content data; and utilizing the digital signature to compare the content data of the least one file that is being extracted with content data already resident at the target location to avoid replication of content data and only storing content data that is not duplicative of the content data that is already resident at the target location.