Email Record Policy Specification via XML Attachment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Senders of email communications lack control over record management policies, as existing systems pre-specify policies based on server settings rather than user-defined preferences.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a mechanism where email communications can include a file attachment specifying policies in XML format, allowing senders to dictate how their emails are managed as records, including retention duration and security levels, which are then stored accordingly by a Record Management System (RMS).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If policies are pre-specified on the server system, then record management is automated and consistent with organizational policies, but senders lack control over their email record management preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The sender specifies record management policies in advance by including a policy file attachment with the email communication. This preliminary action allows the sender to define their preferences before the email is processed, resolving the contradiction by enabling both automation (the system automatically applies the specified policies) and sender control (the sender defines those policies).
Solution Approach 2:
A policy file attachment serves as an intermediary between the sender's control requirements and the automated record management system. The attachment contains policy specifications that bridge the gap, allowing senders to exert control while the RMS performs automated management according to those specifications.
2Device complexity
If uniform record management policies are applied to all emails, then server management is simplified, but individual sender preferences and specific email requirements cannot be accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying uniform policies to all emails, the system allows each email to have its own locally specified policy through attachments. This enables different policy qualities for different emails based on sender preferences and email-specific requirements, resolving the contradiction between simplified management and customization.
Solution Approach 2:
Record management policies are segmented from a uniform server-wide approach into individual email-specific policies defined by senders. Each email can have its own policy attachment, allowing customization without complicating the overall server management architecture.
3Ease of operation
If senders can specify policies for each email, then user autonomy and email-specific control are enhanced, but the system complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
Senders serve themselves by specifying their own record management policies through attachments. This self-service approach enhances user autonomy while avoiding the need for complex centralized policy configuration systems, as each sender manages their own preferences independently.
Data Source
AI summary
Specifying the policies with which (portion of) an email communication is to be stored as a record, within the content of the email communication. In an embodiment, an attachment file specifies such policies in the form of XML tags. As a result, a user may merely need to attach a file specifying the desired policies, and send the email communication. In one implementation, the user specifies a pre-specified email address as a recipient to cause the email communication to be saved as a record.