Unified Retention Policy for Enterprise Data Objects

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing retention-based archiving systems face redundancy and maintenance issues due to differing retention policies assigned by different systems for related data objects, leading to inconsistent retention intervals and disposal methods.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that implement a single retention policy for related data objects by matching and reconciling retention information metadata across different systems, ensuring consistent retention intervals and disposal methods through an archive connector software layer that communicates with retention-based archiving applications and the archive store.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple systems assign retention policies to related data objects, then each system can determine appropriate retention policies for its specific data objects, but redundancy and maintenance problems occur due to inconsistent retention information metadata

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveretention policy complianceVSAvoidretention policy management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple retention policies from different systems into a single unified retention policy for related data objects. The archive store receives retention information from multiple sources (ERP systems, retention-based archiving applications) and consolidates them into one policy that applies to all related objects, eliminating redundancy and inconsistency while maintaining compliance requirements from all source systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The archive store acts as an intermediary between multiple source systems and the final data objects. It receives retention information from various systems, processes and reconciles the different policies, then applies a single unified retention policy to the related data objects, thereby mediating the conflict between multiple policy assignments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate retention policies are assigned to related files by different systems, then each system can manage its own data objects independently, but inconsistent retention intervals and disposal methods create maintenance problems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem independenceVSAvoidretention policy maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The archive store provides a universal retention policy management function that serves multiple source systems simultaneously. It can handle retention information from different types of systems (ERP, archiving applications) and apply a unified policy across diverse data objects, making the system versatile while simplifying maintenance through centralization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The archive store mediates between independent source systems and the data objects they manage. It allows each system to independently assign retention policies to its data objects while simultaneously ensuring consistency across all related objects by reconciling and applying a single unified retention policy, thus maintaining system independence while improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Duration of action of stationary object

If different systems determine retention policies with the same retention interval, then the retention duration may be consistent, but the retention information metadata will differ creating redundancy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveretention interval consistencyVSAvoidmetadata redundancy

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The archive store merges retention information from multiple systems into a single standardized metadata structure. Even when different systems determine retention policies with the same retention interval, the archive store consolidates the metadata into one unified representation, eliminating redundant metadata while preserving the consistent retention interval requirement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8856081B1Single retention policy

Publication Date: 2014.10.07 OPEN TEXT CORP

AI summary

The invention provides instructions to a retention-base archiving application or other enterprise content management application (such as EMC Documentum) for identifying which data objects should share the same retention policy based upon content and context, even if the retention policies for each data object was originally selected by different archiving applications. By matching together data objects with the same retention interval, and/or matching together data objects with the same policy name (i.e., policy ID), a single retention policy can be assigned to related data objects, no matter the source of each related data object or which application selected the particular retention policy for each data object.