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Create a Retention Policy

In this article you will learn how to create a Retention Policy!

Retention Policy is the area of Management Studio where you can create and manage Data Retention Policies and Schedules.

  • Data Retention Policy Schedules set the dates, times and term that data and records are searched to ensure they meet previously set legal and business data archival requirement policies (defined in the Data Retention Policies).
  • Data Retention Policies define the length of time data is retained in DataStore®DSX.

When the time limit is reached, the data is deleted.

Note: Policy Schedules run at predetermined (i.e. scheduled) times and, if required, for a term set by you.

Retention Policy Schedule

When creating (or editing) a Retention Policy Schedule, the following options should be configured:

  1. In the tree view, expand Configuration and select Retention Policy.
  2. In the Retention Policy Options section select the Enable Retention Policy tick-box. This starts the Retention Policy process according to the schedule's configured time slot and term. When this option is cleared, the Retention Policy process will not be performed and any files which have been stored longer than defined in a configured Retention Policy will not be removed from the system.

Note: At least one Time Slot must be configured when Enable Retention Policy is selected. If there are no Time Slots configured, Enable Retention Policy will be unavailable.

  1. In the User text box, enter the DataStore®DSX user name under which you want the Schedule to run. If you do not enter a valid user name, the user name of the account under which you are currently logged in will be used. This User may be displayed in Audit Logs. In this example, enter user John Smith.
  2. By default, a schedule will start immediately. (Therefore, if the Use Start Date is selected and a date and time from the past is used, the schedule starts immediately, if Use Start Date is cleared, the schedule starts immediately.) If, however Use Start Date is selected and a future date and time is entered, the schedule starts in the future. In this example, select the Use Start Date tick-box.
  3. In the Schedule Start Time text box, click on a Date, Year or Time and directly type in the required values or, click on the calendar symbol and select a Date, Month and Year. (You can click on the Month and Year or the “<” and “>” symbols on the left and right of the Month and Year to change the displayed Month and Year view.)
  4. If required, select the Indefinite tick-box to ensure there is no end time set for the schedule. Alternatively, to set a Term End Time, in the Schedule End Time text box, click on a Date, Year or Time and directly type in the required values or, click on the calendar symbol and select a Date, Month and Year. (You can click on the Month and Year or the “<” and “>” symbols on the left and right of the Month and Year to change the displayed Month and Year view.)

Note: At least one Time Slot must be configured when Enable Retention Policy is selected. If there are no Time Slots configured, Enable Retention Policy will be unavailable.

  1. In the Execution Times section, click Add New Time Slot.
  2. Select and set the Daily, Weekly, Monthly or Yearly schedule details, as required.
  3. When you have completed the schedule, select a Start time and End time for the schedule.
    For example, select Daily, then select the days of the week you want the Retention Policy to run.
  4. Click Save to save the schedule.
  5. Now that you have a Schedule, you need to create the Data Retention Policy.

Data Retention Policies

Note: When users are created in Management Studio, by default, they are denied permission to Manage Retention Policies and Read Retention Policy. Unless users are given these permissions, they will not be permitted to view (and therefore use) the Retention Policy option in Management Studio.

  1. In the tree view, expand Data Retention and select Retention Policies.
  2. Right-click Retention Policies and select New from the menu.
  3. In the Retention Policy Editor's window, select the Criteria tab.
  4. Policy Name – Enter a name for the Retention Policy to make it easily identifiable. This field is mandatory: i.e. the retention policy must have a name. (Maximum 100 characters.)

Note: A Retention Policy cannot be saved until this field is completed.

  1. Enabled – Select this tick box to ensure the Retention Policy is enabled immediately upon creation. This means it will be run when the Retention Policy Schedule starts. See “Retention Policy Schedule” for more information. However, if you do not want this Retention Policy to be enabled immediately, leave the Enabled tick box clear. The Retention Policy will still be displayed in the list of active Retention Policies, but the Enabled option will be displayed as No.
  2. Description – If required, enter a description of the Retention Policy. For example, you might want to describe the criteria it uses and what it deletes. (Maximum 250 characters.)
  3. One Time Use – Select this tick box to ensure the Retention Policy is used only once – as soon as the configured Retention Policy Schedule starts. (See “Retention Policy Schedule” for more information.) When a Retention Policy is configured for One Time Use, it is moved to the list of completed retention policies once it has been run. Click the Show Completed button to view the list of Retention Policies which have been completed. Click the Show Active button to view the list of Retention Policies which are still active. However, if you want the Retention Policy to be active all the time, leave this tick box clear.

How to Identify the Data to Delete

This section is where you define which documents (or what data within documents) are to be deleted.

  1. Select either a Search Template or a Data Definition, then you will be able to select which Fields to use to determine the Retention Policy.
    • Click Choose Search Template, then select the required Search Template from the list of available Search Templates.
    • Click Choose Data Definition, then select the required Data Definition from the list of available Data Definitions.

Note: Retention Policies use Document-level Index fields to define the data to be deleted. Therefore, if the selected Data Definition does not contain any Document-level fields, or if the selected Search Template does not contain any fields which are linked to Document-level Index fields or to Audit fields, you will not be able to set up a Retention Policy. (This is because you will be unable to select fields to use to define how the data to be deleted will be identified.)

  1. Once a Data Definition or a Search Template is selected, the Document-level Index fields or search fields (as appropriate) are listed.
  2. Click on the Field name to open a picklist of values. One or more values can then be selected by using the Ctrl key or the Shift key (as required) while clicking on values in the picklist.
  3. Alternatively, enter a value in the text box. The * wildcard character may be used. For example, * would match all values for the selected field.

Note: If you click the Choose Search Template button or the Choose Data Definition, before you have saved the settings, you will lose the existing configuration information.

  1. Repeat this for the required Fields listed for the selected Data Definition or Search Template.

Note: When a Retention Policy includes more than one Field, all the Field criteria must be met for the Data to be deleted.
If you require the Data to be deleted if either Field1 or Field2 is found, you must create two (2) Retention Policies – one for Field1 and one for Field2.

When to Remove the Data

You define when to delete documents (or the data within documents) here. Criteria Type – Select one of the following options from the drop-down list:

  • Calculated Date (Default option) – Select this option to calculate a date for the data to be removed (after a specific action has been performed, for example: when After... Choose field to use... has been set). The default calculated date setting is today's date plus seven (7) years. For example, select Calculated Date, Criteria: remove data when the current date is at least 7 years after Index Date and Time to delete the selected data 7 years after the document was Indexed.
    • To change the default date setting, select a different number and duration of Year(s), Month(s) or Day(s), as required, from the current date is at least numeric and text boxes.
    • To set the specific action, select an option from the Choose field to use... drop-down list: for example, Create Date and Time.
  • Specific Date – Select this option to set a specific date for the data to be removed. The default setting is today's date plus seven (7) years. To change the default date, select a date from the calendar. Alternatively, select the day of the month and type in a value. Then select the month and type in the month number (for example, type in 07 for July). Finally, select the year and type in a value.

Data

Next, decide which data items must be deleted when the Retention Policy conditions are met. Select the Data tab.

  • Data Items – Select this tick-box to ensure all of the Metadata, Transaction data and Full text data is deleted.
  • Metadata (i.e. Index field values) – Select this tick-box to ensure all of the Metadata and Transaction data is deleted.
  • Transaction data – Select this tick-box to ensure only the Transaction data is deleted.
  • Full text data – Select this tick-box to ensure only the Full text data is deleted.
  • Audit field values – Select this tick-box to ensure all of the Audit field values are deleted.

When you have completed the selections, click OK to save the settings (or Cancel to reject the settings) and exit the editor's window. The Retention Policy is now checked according to the schedule and old data will be deleted (according to the Retention Policy configuration).

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