A Method for File Valuation in Information Lifecycle Management

ILM is based on the idea that in an enterprise different information have different values. Valuable information is stored on systems with a high quality of service (QoS). The value changes over time and therefore migration of information is required to cheaper storage systems with a lower QoS. Automated migration makes ILM dynamic. Such automation requires storage systems to understand what files are important at what time so that right policies can be applied. In this point ILM nowadays lacks information valuation methods. This paper looks at how the value of a file can be measured. Different from traditional methods using metadata leading to a classical decimal-value we show how the value can be derived using a probabilistic method. Here the value of a file is calculated from usage information and expressed as a “probability of further use”. This is a new method which allows valuation depending on the future importance of a file. Feasibility of the new method is verified by generating file migration rules for ILM.