Patent ID: 8095541

Claim:
An apparatus for managing electronic data stored in one or more data storage parts, said apparatus comprising: an index information storage part configured to store index information indicating a plurality of data types of electronic data and a plurality of index items, and indicating, for each specific data type of the plurality of data types, a corresponding subset of one or more of said plurality of index items that are associated with, and relevant to, the specific data type of electronic data; and a data management part configured to maintain said index information stored in said index information storage part, and generate and maintain for each specific electronic data, metadata corresponding to each specific index item of the corresponding subset of said index items indicated in the index information as being associated with and relevant to the data type of the specific electronic data, wherein each metadata for a particular electronic data is in accord with a corresponding data property of the particular electronic data, and wherein when an additional index item is added to said index information along with an indication that the additional index item is associated with and relevant to a first data type, said data management part automatically generates, for each particular electronic data of the first data type, additional metadata corresponding to said additional index item for the particular electronic data based on data properties extracted from the particular electronic data that are associated with the additional index item, and additional metadata for a specific electronic data of the first data type is automatically generated based on data properties associated with the additional index item that are extracted from the specific electronic data and additional metadata for another electronic data of the first data type is automatically generated based on data properties associated with the additional index item that are extracted from said another electronic data.