Abstract: The invention includes a system for data file archival management including: a robotic data storage system having multiple non-volatile storage media, input and output means for reading and writing to the storage media, adapted and configured for storing data files, and having a command-line software code portion adapted and configured to provide a command-line user interface to control the robotic tape data storage system; a server; a business logic software code portion resident in memory on the server, configured and adapted for adding and searching metadata about the data files, where the metadata is organized as a relational database; a plurality of personal computers or workstation clients connected to the server computer over a network; a GUI software code portion resident in the memory of the personal computers, workstations, or of a server in communication with the personal computers or workstations, configured and adapted for providing a graphical user interface to at least a portion of the business