Information classification

1. In a computer system that stores data objects, a method for providing information management for data objects, the method comprising:

at a processor of a computer system,

automatically collecting information describing data objects in the computer system, the information including first metadata collected from each data object,

applying first rules to the data objects, wherein application of the first rules to the data objects causes the generation of second metadata relating to the data objects, wherein each data object is associated with its own generated metadata, wherein applying the first rules further comprises ignoring some of the rules based on a particular data object, wherein the first rules includes ignore rules, hash rules, content rules, and external classifier rules;

applying second rules to at least the first metadata and the second metadata of each data object to assign at least one category of information management to each of the data objects, wherein each category assigned to a particular data object is based at least in part on the collected metadata and the generated metadata relating to that particular data object;

identifying one or more service level objectives for each data object based on the assigned categories of each data object such that each data object is associated with service level objectives that are determined from the service level objectives of other data objects, the one or more service level objectives of each data object corresponding to one or more services to be provided to each data object, wherein the one or more service level objectives concern control of one or more aspects relating to the use of each of the data objects; and

mapping the one or more service level objectives of each data object to a service level available in the computer system, wherein the service level for each data object includes a bundle of services that are provided to the data object and such that each data object receives customized services.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more service level objectives comprise one or more of access control, data encryption, data deletion, disaster recovery, backup, and retention.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein some of the generated metadata relates to a lifecycle of the data object.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising assigning one or more additional categories of information management to each of the data objects.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically collecting information comprises using a plurality of adapters to collect the information including metadata regarding each object.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second rules use metadata associated with each data object describing the capabilities, features, hash, and/or content of each data object.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the objects include at least one of directories, volumes, files, folders, user data, system data, applications, services, operating systems, instructions, and computer settings.

8. In a computer system that stores data objects, a method for providing information classification to provide information management to the data objects, the method comprising:

at a processor of a computer system,

applying first rules to each of the data objects to generate metadata for each of the data objects, wherein applying the first rules further comprises ignoring some of the rules based on a particular data object, wherein the first rules includes ignore rules, hash rules, content rules, and external classifier rules;

applying second rules to at least the generated metadata in order to assign categories of information management for each data object based on metadata of each data object including the generated metadata;

identifying one or more service level objectives for each data object based on the assigned categories of each data object such that each data object is associated with service level objectives that are determined from the service level objectives identified for other data objects, the one or more service level objectives corresponding to one or more services to be provided to each data object, wherein the one or more service level objectives comprise one or more of access control and data encryption; and

mapping each of the one or more service level objectives of each data object to one of the service levels available in the computer system, wherein each service level includes a bundle of services available from the provider; and

providing the services to the data objects, wherein the services are customized for each of the data objects.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the mapping performed only if, for each service level objective, a predetermined criterion is met.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the one or more service level objections further comprise one or more of data deletion, disaster recovery, backup, and retention.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first rules include one or more of hash rules, content rules, and classifier rules.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the generated metadata is used by the second rules to assign the categories and wherein data objects can belong to more than one category of information management.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating metadata comprises one or more of:

identifying an author of a particular data object;

identifying a key word in the particular data object;

identifying a pattern in the particular data object;

identifying information in the particular data object associated with compliance with a policy;

identifying information in the particular data object associated with corporate compliance; and

identifying a lifecycle of the particular data object.

14. In a computer system that stores data objects, a method for providing information classification of data objects, the method comprising:

at a processor of a computer system,

automatically collecting information describing each of the data objects in the computer system;

applying first rules to each of the data objects, wherein the first rules are based on the collected information, and wherein application of the first rules to each of the data objects causes the generation of metadata relating to the data objects, wherein applying the first rules further comprises ignoring some of the rules based on a particular data object, wherein the first rules includes ignore rules, hash rules, content rules, and external classifier rules;

applying second rules to the collected information and the generated metadata to assign categories of information management to each of the data objects, wherein the categories assigned to a particular data object is based at least in part on metadata, including the generated metadata, relating to that particular data object;

identifying one or more service level objectives for each data object based on the assigned categories of each data object such that each data object is associated with service level objectives that are determined from the service level objectives identified for other data objects, the one or more service level objectives corresponding to one or more services to be provided to each data object, wherein one or more of the service level objectives concern loss of the data objects; and

mapping the one or more service level objectives of each data object to one of multiple service levels available in the computer system, wherein the service levels each include a bundle of services that are provided to the corresponding data objects, wherein each data object receives services that are customized, wherein data objects with different service level objectives may receive different services.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more service level objectives concerning loss of the data objects comprises one or more of data deletion, and disaster recovery.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more service level objectives further comprise one or more of backup, retention, tiered storage, encryption, and access control.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein generating additional metadata further comprises performing one or more of:

applying a hash to each object;

performing content analysis;

requesting external analysis of each object;

indexing each object;

searching for keywords in each object; and

searching for patterns in each object.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein some of the generated metadata relates to a lifecycle of the data object.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the objects include at least one of directories, volumes, files, folders, user data, system data, applications, services, operating systems, instructions, and computer settings.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second rules are applied independently to the metadata associated with each data object describing the capabilities, features, hash, and/or content of each data object.

21. In a computer system that stores data objects, a method for providing information classification of data objects, the method comprising:

at a processor of a computer system,

identifying first rules and second rules relating to information management service levels in the computer system;

automatically collecting information describing each of the data objects in the computer system;

applying the first rules to each of the data objects individually, wherein the first rules are based on the collected information, and wherein application of the first rules to each of the data objects causes the generation of metadata relating to the data objects, wherein applying the first rules further comprises ignoring some of the rules based on a particular data object, wherein the first rules includes ignore rules, hash rules, content rules, and external classifier rules,

applying the second rules to at least the collected information and the generated metadata to assign categories of information management to each of the data objects, wherein the categories assigned to a particular data object are based at least in part on metadata, which includes the collected information and the generated metadata, relating to that particular data object;

identifying one or more service level objectives for each data object based on the assigned categories of each data object such that each data object is associated with service level objectives that are determined from the service level objectives identified for other data objects, the one or more service level objectives corresponding to one or more services to be provided to each data object, wherein a first one of the service level objectives concerns protection of the data objects by prevention of the performance of one or more unauthorized processes concerning the data objects,

mapping the first service level objective to a first service level available in the computer system for each data object associated with the first service level objective, wherein the first service level includes a first bundle of services, and

providing a service from the first bundle of services to the corresponding data objects, wherein only data objects whose assigned categories are mapped to the first service level objective receive the first bundle of services.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first service level objective concerns protection of the data objects comprises access control.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first service level objective concerns protection of the data objects comprises encryption.