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Retention management enables a content repository to delete stored documents when their retention period is over. The functionality itself is provided by default implementation and integration with the product SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge. There are a few steps that you need to accomplish before you can start using retention management. 

General

Archiving object customization 

To register archived files into retention management we need to identify two values:

• Retention date

• Legal entity

To be able to get these values, you need to specify which table and field contain this information for all archiving objects you want to use retention management.

How to identify retention date and legal entity

Archiving object file contains data of multiple tables, you have to choose one table which field will be used to identify the retention date and legal entity.

Firstly you have to identify the tables used in an archived object:

• Open DB15 transaction

• Fill desired archiving object

Now you know how to identify tables that could be used for the specified archiving object. Based on your retention management policy, choose a table that contains the required information.

The retention date field needs to contain date information (at least year is required) otherwise registration of the file could fail with parsing error.

How to fill customizing

Transaction: /DVD/CRP_RM_SETUP

If you already identified the retention date and legal entity field, you can now fill in the customizing using the mentioned /DVD/CRP_RM_SETUP transaction.

• Click on the New entry button

• Fill required fields

• Click on the Execute button

Example for BC_SBAL

Open

Automatic reg. document parameters

Registration of stored documents is a necessary step to be able to use retention management. This can be done manually or automatically when the document is successfully stored in the storage. Here you can find how to activate automatic registration.

• Open transaction /DVD/CRP

• Double click on Automatic reg. document parameters tree node

  • Fill tool as CRP_RM

  • Find parameter REG_RET_ENABLED

    • Click on the edit button

    • Set value to X

    • Confirm

Automatic registration will be automatically executed after the next successful store task. Technically registration will be executed in a separate job with the job name: DVD_RM_REG_DOCUMENT

Manual registration of the document

There are scenarios when you would need to register the document manually. For example, you used our content repository without retention management and now you want to use it for already stored files. Also when an error occurs during automatic registration and you solve the reason why it has failed, you would like to catch up with this document to retention management. Here you can find the described report you can use.

• Open transaction /DVD/CRP

• Double click on Manual registration of the document

Report parameters

Logs

For each execution of the report, the application log is created. This applies to manual as well as automatic registration. You can find detailed information about the registered documents. 

Default implementation

This release was created especially for systems which release is lower than 7.4 as SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge implementation required at least a 7.4 release.

Extended cockpit

Default retention management implementation is delivered as part of the standard release package as of version 2011 therefore retention management your product cockpit will be automatically extended with Retention management setup steps.

Open

In case you already have SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge on your system, the extended cockpit shows you SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge retention management options by default. In case you want to use default implementation instead of SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge you can do it by expert settings (Tool: CRP) by setting parameter DEFAULT_RETENETION_IMPL to X.

Retention definition

The required step is to set a retention definition. There are two options on how to set retention for the archive document.

• Specifically for the legal entity of archiving object

  • This is possible only for sessions/files that contain only one legal entity

• Generally using asterisk

Set retention

If your use case requires the definition of specific retention for legal entity value, firstly you need to make sure that archiving files in fact sessions fulfill the following prerequisite.

• All records in the archive file have the same legal entity value

Therefore you need to consider this before you start with the creation of archive variants in the SARA transaction.

Retention then can be set using the following step list:

• Open transaction /DVD/CRP

• Double click on the Retention definition tree node

  • Click on the New entries button

  • Fill in the following details

    • Source ID

    • Archiving object

    • Legal entity - legal entity value relevant for arching object

    • Retention Period, Retention Period unit, and rounding period

  • Save

Generic retention values

In case you need to define retention rules for all values in the respective field (Source ID, Archiving object, Legal entity) use an asterisk (*) as value.

The retention rule will be chosen from most specific to most general.

Deletion date calculation

Date after which data can be deleted is calculated using the given Retention period, Retention period unit, and Rounding unit as follows:

1. Current date round to start of current rounding period = Rounded current date

2. Rounded current date shift it down by retention period and retention unit and round it by rounding period = Deletion date

If the following is true Deletion date > Retention date of the current document, the document will be marked for deletion.

Example of deletion date calculation

Current date 12.10.2020

Retention Period: 2

Retention Period unit: ANN (years)

Rounding unit: MON (months)

Retention date of the current document: 08.07.2018

1. Current date round to start of current rounding period = Rounded current date

   1. Round to next rounding period (date: 12.10.2020, rounding period: MON) = 01.10.2020

2. Rounded current date shift it down by retention period and retention unit and round it by rounding period = Deletion date

   1. Shift (date: 01.10.2020, retention period: 2, Retention period: ANN, Rounding period: MON) = 01.10.2018

Deletion date 01.10.2018 > Retention date 08.07.2018 therefore document will be marked for deletion.

Set retention generally

You can set default retention for source, archiving object, or legal entity this retention will be applied when

• No retention rules are defined for a specific legal entity

• Archiving file contains more than one legal entity value

SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge implementation

Prerequisites

SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge transports imported the system. License for product SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge and SNP Glue™ is required.

Extended cockpit

If you chose to use our service also with Retention management and you imported all relevant transports to the system your product cockpit will be automatically extended with Retention management setup steps.

Please read the complete section to do the proper configuration of retention management.

Logical system setup

To use retention management, you need to set up a logical system in SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge and pair it with the required sources created for the Outboard service. Each source in which files should be subject to retention management needs to have a defined logical system. This can give you the possibility of multiple scenarios.

• One logical system for one source

• One logical system for multiple sources

You can choose based on your use case preferences. However, we recommend having a second option, so you have multiple sources mapped to one logical system.

Creation of logical system 

Transaction: /DVD/RMX_SARA_SETUP

Before you create a logical system you need to know for which archiving object/s will be used. The setup report will generate so-called business objects (for each Archiving object) and assign them to a logical system. 

Report parameters

How to pair a logical system to source

Outboard service can store files into multiple sources. If you want to register files from a particular source to retention management you need to map it to a logical system.

Source system definition contains the following two fields:

• SID - Source System ID

• Client - Source Client

These fields need to be set identically as Source System ID and Source sys. Client during the creation of a logical system.

Example of mapping

Logical system creation

Source definition

As a result, the logical system DV_111 will be created and linked from source DV_CR.

Retention definition

Another required step is to set a retention definition. There are two options on how to set retention for the archive file.

• Generally for complete archiving object

• Specifically for the legal entity of archiving object

  • This is possible only for sessions/files that contain only one legal entity

Specific retention for archiving objects and legal entities can be set in the transaction.

Set retention for complete archiving object

You can set default retention for archiving objects, this retention will be applied when

• No retention rules are defined for a specific legal entity

• Archiving file contains more than one legal entity value

You can set default retention by following the step list:

• Open transaction /DVD/RMX_EXPERT

• Double click on tree node /DVD/RMX_OBJDIR: Object directory

  • node location in tree: /OutBoard SNP OutBoard™ DataFridge/Metadata Management/General/Business Object Maintenance/

• Fill Object Identifier with the name of <logical system>.<archiving object> and execute

  • example DV_111.BC_SBAL

• Click on the Edit entry button

• Fill desired Retention period and Retention period unit and execute

Set retention for specific archiving object and legal entity

Transaction: /DVD/RMX_SARA_RET

If your use case requires the definition of specific retention for legal entity value, firstly you need to make sure that archiving files in fact sessions fulfill the following prerequisite.

• All records in the archive file have the same legal entity value

Therefore you need to consider this before you start with the creation of archive variants in the SARA transaction.

Retention then can be set using the following step list:

• Open transaction /DVD/CRP

• Double click on the Retention definition tree node

  • Click on the New entry button

  • Fill in the following details

    • Object Identifier - <logical system>.<archiving object>

    • Legal entity - legal entity value relevant for arching object

    • Retention and Retention Period

  • Execute