Patent ID: 8219619

Claim:
A data management server that is connectable to a plurality of content servers that store content data and metadata associated with the content data and to a client device that acquires the content data, the data management server comprising: a storage device; a communication device for communicating with the client device and the plurality of content servers; a memory storing instructions for causing the data management server to: collect the metadata from the plurality of the content servers, the metadata including: (1) first thumbnail storage location information identifying first storage locations on the plurality of content servers of thumbnail data associated with the content data, and (2) content storage locations of the content data on the plurality of content servers; collect, from the plurality of content servers, the thumbnail data associated with the content data based on the first thumbnail storage location information; store the collected thumbnail data in the storage device at second storage locations; convert the metadata to the same hierarchical format based on attribute information associated with the content data; store the converted metadata in the storage device, the stored metadata including: (3) second thumbnail storage location information identifying the second storage locations, and (2) the content storage locations; and in response to a request from the client device, transmit the stored metadata to the client device; and a processor configured to execute the instructions stored in memory.