Abstract: A digital data storage apparatus has primary, secondary and backing storage elements characterized by respectively longer access times. A level detector signals when the quantity of data in the secondary store exceeds a threshold amount. A data migrator responds by moving selected data files from the secondary store to the backing store. The apparatus also includes a baseline back-up element that stores archive copies of a set of selected data files. A full back-up element stores archive copies of those files that, (1) were originally copied to the baseline back-up set but have since changed, or (2) are not otherwise within the baseline back-up set. For those files which were originally copied to the baseline back-up set and which have not changed, the full back-up element stores pointers indicating locations of the respective files in the baseline back-up set.