ILM - Succinctly, a process for maintaining information storage at the least possible cost, while concurrently maintaining appropriate levels of availability.

The term can mean different things in different contexts (application, environment, hardware, network management, etc).

When Creativyst produces custom web based database applications for example, ILM considerations are usually part of the requirements phase.

For example, consider a database application that tracks computer equipment assets. When equipment is retired or returned to the leasing company, many details available in the active equipment records are no longer needed and the records can be moved to a smaller, possibly less easily accessed form. Determining what information should be maintained in the history record from the original active record structure is an ILM process. It often involves speculation on what types of questions you will want to ask of such data. You may want to track this historical information to see equipment by requestor, department, or location just to name a few.