File Classification Aids File Management

A new File Classification Infrastructure (FCI) in Windows Server 2008 R2 classifies files based on the file’s location and content so that files with the same classification are managed consistently. For example, files containing personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers can be classified as private so that backup utilities will encrypt the backup. Although administrators will find the infrastructure useful, using it to its full potential will require updates to management tools so that they can use classification properties to manage files.

A Growing Problem

As data volumes increase and storage requirements grow, overall costs of file storage and management typically increase even if the cost of storage hardware declines. Regulations may require organizations to maintain more business data and keep it longer, while keeping sensitive employee and customer information private. Although some management functions are currently possible, such as expiring all files older than a certain date, it is harder to only expire files that are a given age (such as greater than 10 years old), but only if the file’s contents are not critical to the business.