Description I: PHR Record Entries must be transitioned over its lifecycle from online data structures to near-line or off-line data structures. The archive function performs this transition of Record Entries from an online, production PHR-S to offline storage for information that is not being purged/destroyed. The system must provide such archive and restore functions to extract and preserve indefinitely, Record Entries selected to be removed from the live production PHR-S database and retained. Record Entries must be archived and restored in such a manner as to permit them to be returned to their original or similar information structures. Archived Record Entries must also include corresponding metadata to ensure logical and semantic consistency of the information for subsequent access upon restoration. The archive function should provide both an automated, configurable capability as well as a user-invoked archival function to enable selected Record Entries to be preserved, or flagged for preservation. In the first instance, rules are specified to enable the system to conduct archiving in an unattended fashion. This is often the case for periodic system maintenance requirements (e.g., nightly processing where archival, data summarization and possibly purging of information occurs). In the second instance the system should provide the ability to select Record Entries to be preserved for future reference and access, such as in the case where selected Entries need to be preserved and retained for litigation. In restoring information, it may occur that Record Entries being restored are a subset of the Entries originally archived. For example, when all Record Entries for a patient encounter were archived and only a particular set of Record Entries related to a study or result are to be restored. The system may provide for such finer granularity of restoration. Archiving and restoring of Record Entries must be performed in a timely fashion, consistent with the operational requirements of both PHR users and system and technology capabilities. The system must enable compliance with records retention according to scope of practice, organizational policy or jurisdictional law.