Clustered hierarchical file services

A system for object-based archival data storage includes an object-based storage subsystem having respective data storage devices, at least one file presentation interface that interfaces to client platforms, an administration interface having graphical user interface (GUI) and a command line interface (CLI), a meta data subsystem for storing meta data about files, and includes a virtual file subsystem having a virtual file server (VFS), a policy subsystem, and a scalable interconnect to couple the object-based storage subsystem, the at least one file presentation interface, the administration interface, the meta data subsystem, and the policy subsystem, wherein the policy subsystem provides system rules predetermined by a user for at least one of hash based integrity checking, read-only/write-ability/erase-ability control, and duplicate data treatment corresponding to files and file objects.