Patent ID: 7653666

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for identifying objects for archiving, the method comprising the steps of: supplying a plurality of objects for archiving, wherein an object has an object type and includes at least one sub-object having a first sub-object type; providing an assignment scheme that assigns a plurality of sub-object types to the object type; determining the sub-object type of the at least one sub-object of the object; identifying the at least one sub-object of the object for archiving with the object and at least a second sub-object of the object having a second sub-object type for not archiving with the object, based on the assignment scheme and one or more archiving attributes associated with the assignment scheme, and based on a determination using the assignment scheme that the determined sub-object type is assigned to the object type of the object; based on the identification, archiving in a computer system the at least one sub-object with the object; changing the assignment scheme so that the second sub-object type is assigned to the object type; and based on the changed assignment scheme, subsequently archiving in the computer system a third sub-object having the second sub-object type with an object having the object type.