Trail Deletion Logic for Data Management Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

The accumulation of workflow trails in data management systems leads to increased storage capacity consumption, both on-premises and in cloud services, without a method to easily specify which trails have holding periods based on standards and laws, risking unnecessary deletion of trails that should be retained.

Innovation Solution

A data management apparatus that selects trails for deletion determination based on their association with workflows and regulation matters, calculating the holding expiration time from the generation date and the specified holding period, and only deleting trails when their holding expiration time has been exceeded.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If trails are kept without deleting them, then compliance with standards and laws is ensured, but storage capacity consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance with standards and lawsVSAvoidstorage capacity consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically calculating and setting the holding expiration time for each trail based on the regulation matter associated with its workflow. This pre-determined expiration time enables future automatic deletion while ensuring compliance, resolving the contradiction between retaining trails for compliance and reducing storage consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The trail management system performs self-service by automatically determining which trails should be deleted based on their associated regulation matters and calculated expiration times. The system autonomously manages trail retention without requiring manual intervention, balancing compliance requirements with storage optimization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Quantity of substance

If automatic file deletion is applied to trails, then storage capacity consumption is reduced, but trails that should not be deleted may be deleted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacity consumptionVSAvoidaccuracy of deletion determination

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by differentiating the retention policy for different trails based on their specific association with regulation matters. Each trail is evaluated individually against its corresponding regulation matter's holding period requirements, ensuring that only trails that truly qualify for deletion are removed, thus maintaining high accuracy in deletion determination while reducing storage consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring the current date and time against the calculated holding expiration times of trails. This feedback loop ensures that deletion decisions are based on up-to-date information and that trails are only deleted when their expiration time has been exceeded, preventing premature or incorrect deletions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If no deletion determination is performed, then operational simplicity is maintained, but storage capacity consumption increases indefinitely

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational simplicityVSAvoidstorage capacity consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The trail management system performs self-service by automatically calculating holding expiration times and determining which trails should be deleted based on their associated regulation matters. This automation maintains operational simplicity for users while effectively managing storage capacity through intelligent, autonomous trail retention decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating holding expiration times for all trails at the time of their creation or update. This advance preparation enables simple, automated deletion decisions in the future without requiring complex real-time analysis, thus maintaining operational simplicity while controlling storage consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12332843B2Data management apparatus, data management method, and computer program

Publication Date: 2025.06.17 HITACHI LTD

AI summary

A data management apparatus selects a trail from management data. The management data includes, for an operation item regarding a system to be operated, data representing a workflow representing one or a plurality of works constituting a business of a system operation and associated with the operation item, and data representing a regulation matter associated with the operation item for a standard or a law. A trail is associated with the workflow. The data management apparatus performs deletion determination that is determination as to whether or not the selected trail can be deleted. The deletion determination includes a determination as to whether or not the current date and time exceeds the holding expiration time of the selected trail. The holding expiration time of the selected trail is an expiration time determined from the generation date and time of the trail and the holding period represented by the regulation matter associated with the operation item corresponding to the workflow with which the trail is associated. When a result of the deletion determination is true, the data management apparatus deletes the selected trail.