Patent ID: 8856081

Claim:
A method for retaining a plurality of data objects, comprising: receiving, by an archive store, a first data object having associated metadata that includes retention information for the first data object; receiving, by the archive store, a second data object having associated metadata that includes retention information for the second data object; comparing, by the archive store, the retention information of the first data object with the retention information of the second data object; determining if the retention information of the first data object and the retention information of the second data object match any existing retention policies; assigning, by the archive store in response to the comparing the retention information step, a single retention policy with both the first data object and the second data object if the retention information of the first data object matches the retention information of the second data object; and creating, by the archive store in response to the comparing the retention information step, a first new retention policy for the first data object and a second new retention policy for the second data object, each of the first new retention policy and the second new retention policy incorporating respective retention information, and assigning the first new retention policy with the first data object and the second new retention policy with the second data object, when the retention information of the first data object does not match the retention information of the second data object and when neither the retention information of the first data object nor the retention information of the second data object match any existing retention policies.