System and method for extended media retention

1. A computer-implemented method for storing and retaining data stored on storage media, wherein the storage media comprises a data set including a plurality of data elements, the method comprising:

creating a full backup of data elements in the data set;

creating a plurality of incremental backups of the data elements, wherein the incremental backups comprise data elements that have been modified since the creation of the full backup;

storing the created full backup and the created incremental backups to storage media; and

managing retention of the data stored on the storage media, including:

preventing overwrites to the storage media upon determining the storage media contains at least one incremental backup or full backup that satisfies a retention criteria, wherein the determining includes: for each incremental backup and full backup stored on the storage media:

obtaining an aging preference, wherein the aging preference includes a time period beginning at a time of creation of the incremental backup or the full backup that defines a period of retention for the incremental backup or the full backup,

wherein the period of retention for the full backup is different than the period of retention for at least one of the plurality of incremental backups;

retrieving index data indicating the date of creation of the incremental backup or the full backup;

comparing the retrieved index data with the obtained aging preference; and

determining that the incremental backup or full backup satisfies the retention criteria based on the comparison; and allocating the storage media to a scratch pool comprising a set of media to be overwritten upon determining no incremental backups or full backups satisfy the retention criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising freeing a portion of storage media, previously used to store the data elements, for other storage usage.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

deleting the data elements from a portion of the storage media.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining an aging preference comprises obtaining an aging preference from a storage policy.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data elements are data blocks.

6. A system for storing and retaining data stored on storage media, wherein the storage media comprises a data set including a plurality of data elements, the system comprising:

a backup component, wherein the backup component is configured to create a full backup of data elements in the data set and to create a plurality of incremental backups of the data elements, wherein the incremental backups comprise data elements that have been modified after creation of the full backup;

a storage component, wherein the storage component is configured to store the created full backup and the created incremental backups to storage media

wherein the storage component includes a tape library, magnetic media storage device, optical media storage device, tape drive, optical library, Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID), or CD-ROM jukebox;

a management component, wherein the management component is configured to overwrite at least a portion of the storage media upon determining the storage media contains at least one incremental backup or full backup that does not satisfy a retention criteria, wherein the determining includes:

for each incremental backup and full backup stored on the storage media:

obtaining an aging preference, wherein the aging preference includes a time period beginning at a time of creation of the incremental backup or the full backup that defines a period of retention for the incremental backup or the full backup,

wherein the period of retention for the full backup is different than the period of retention for at least one of the plurality of incremental backups;

retrieving index data indicating the date of creation of the incremental backup or the full backup;

comparing the retrieved index data with the obtained aging preference; and

determining that the incremental backup or full backup satisfies the retention criteria based on the comparison; and

allocating the storage media to a scratch pool comprising a set of media to be overwritten upon determining at least one incremental backup or full backup does not satisfy the retention criteria.

7. A system for storing and retaining data stored on storage media, the system comprising:

a means for creating a full backup of data elements in a data set;

a means for creating a plurality of incremental backups of the data elements,

wherein the incremental backups comprise data elements that have been modified after creation of the full backup;

a means for storing the created full backup and the created incremental backups to storage media,

wherein the means for storing includes a tape library, magnetic media storage device, optical media storage device, tape drive, optical library, Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID), or CD-ROM jukebox;

a means for preventing overwrites to the storage media upon determining the storage media contains at least one incremental backup or full backup that satisfies a retention criteria, wherein the means for blocking overwrites includes:

a means for obtaining an aging preference, wherein the aging preference includes a time period beginning at a time of creation of the incremental backup or the full backup that defines a period of retention for the incremental backup or the full backup, and wherein further the period of retention for the full backup is different than the period of retention for at least one of the plurality of incremental backups;

a means for retrieving index data indicating the date of creation of the incremental backup or the full backup;

a means for comparing the retrieved index data with the obtained aging preference; and

a means for determining that the incremental backup or full backup satisfies the retention criteria based on the comparison; and

a means for allocating the storage media to a scratch pool comprising a set of media to be overwritten upon determining no incremental backups or full backups satisfy the retention criteria.

8. Computer-readable memory whose contents cause a data storage system to perform a method of storing and retaining data stored on storage media, wherein the storage media contains a data set including a plurality of data elements, the method comprising:

creating a full backup of data elements in the data set;

creating a plurality of incremental backups of the data elements, wherein the incremental backups comprise data elements that have been modified since the creation of the full backup;

storing the created full backup and the created incremental backups to storage media;

managing retention of the data stored on the storage media, including:

preventing overwrites to at least a portion of the storage media upon determining the storage media contains at least one incremental backup or full backup that satisfies a retention criteria, wherein the determining includes, for each incremental backup and full backup stored on the storage media:

obtaining an aging preference, wherein the aging preference includes a time period of the incremental backup or the full backup that defines a period of retention for the incremental backup or the full backup, wherein further the period of retention for the full backup is different than the period of retention for at least one of the plurality of incremental backups;

retrieving index data indicating the date of creation of the incremental backup or the full backup;

comparing the retrieved index data with the obtained aging preference; and

determining that the incremental backup or full backup satisfies the retention criteria based on the comparison; and

allocating the storage media to a scratch pool comprising a set of media to be overwritten upon determining no incremental backups or full backups satisfy the retention criteria.