Systems and methods for using metadata to enhance data identification operations

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing electronic data are disclosed. Various data management operations can be performed based on a metabase formed from metadata. Such metadata can be identified from an index of data interactions generated by a journaling module, and obtained from their associated data objects stored in one or more storage devices. In various embodiments, such processing of the index and storing of the metadata can facilitate, for example, enhanced data management operations, enhanced data identification operations, enhanced storage operations, data classification for organizing and storing the metadata, cataloging of metadata for the stored metadata, and/or user interfaces for managing data. In various embodiments, the metabase can be configured in different ways. For example, the metabase can be stored separately from the data objects so as to allow obtaining of information about the data objects without accessing the data objects or a data structure used by a file system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for performing data identification operations involving electronic data, the method comprising:
 receiving an index generated by a journal application, the index identifying data interactions made by at least one other application to one or more data objects on a storage device;   updating, based on the index, metadata stored in a metabase;   receiving selected criteria identifying one or more properties of at least one data object;   accessing the metabase according to the selected criteria without accessing the data objects on the storage device; and   identifying, based on the accessing, the at least one data object that satisfies the selected criteria.