Custodian management system

• US 9,721,227 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Andersen, David M., Mayer, Michael J., Miller, Emerson D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US12/730,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,687 Days
• Field of Search: 705 32, 705311
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/105 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for the management of custodians within an electronic discovery system. Embodiments of the invention herein disclosed provide for methods of creating, maintaining, and utilizing a unified custodian directory for the purposes of carrying out electronic discovery within an enterprise environment. By employing a unified custodian directory to manage custodians apart from the electronic discovery cases to which they relate, the custodian management system of the present invention promotes efficiencies in the field of electronic discovery.

Claims

1. A method for generating and maintaining a custodian directory for use in conducting electronic discovery within an enterprise-based communication network, comprising:

identifying a plurality of tables and databases within the network comprising information relating to custodians, wherein the tables or databases include at least one email account table or database and at least one human resources information table or database and wherein the custodians are individuals within an entity who created or are associated with electronic data required to be collected in an electronic discovery matter;

crawling, by a computing device processor, the communication network to scan each personal computing device in the network and each file server in the network to (1) retrieve, from the personal computing devices, identifying information comprising a computer name, an IP address and a list of computer-user profiles including first user identification and (2) retrieve, from the file servers, paths to personal network storage areas in the network, wherein the paths include a second user identification;

generating, by a computing device processor, the custodian directory that stores a plurality of custodian profiles, wherein each profile is associated with a custodian, wherein generating each custodian profile includes automatically;

linking custodian-specific portions of the tables and databases to the custodian profiles based on identifiers associated with the custodians,

matching one or more of the paths to a custodian associated with the custodian profile based on the second user identification included in the path being associated with the custodian,

matching one or more of the personal computing devices to the custodian associated with the custodian profile based on the first user identification in one of the computer-user profiles retrieved from the personal computing device being associated with the custodian, and

storing in each corresponding custodian profile (1) the matched paths to the personal network storage areas, and (2) the personal computing device identifying information associated with the matched personal computing device;

continuously monitoring the communication network for updates in data associated with the one or more personal computing devices;

determining that an update in data associated with the one or more personal computing devices has occurred;

automatically recording, by a computing device processor, in the custodian profiles, information related to updates to the linked tables and databases that are associated with a corresponding custodian to create a historic record, wherein the information comprises metadata associated with an update including time and date of the update, the updated data associated with the one or more personal computing devices, and original data associated with the one or more personal computing devices prior to the update;

automatically presenting a notification via an electronic communication channel to a user device associated with a manager associated with the one or more personal computing devices, wherein the notification comprises the historic record;

receiving a response from the user device, via the electronic communication channel, wherein the response comprises notes and documents from the manager associated with the one or more personal computing devices; and

applying the notes and documents from the response to the historic record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating each custodian profile further comprises storing in each custodian profile human resources data relating to the custodian.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the tables further comprises identifying the tables or databases, wherein the tables or databases comprise network directory information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating each custodian profile further comprises storing in each custodian profile information for at least one related custodian that is related to the custodian associated with the custodian profile.

5. A computer program product for generating and maintaining a custodian management system for the purposes of performing electronic discovery in an enterprise environment, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program instructions stored therein, wherein the computer readable program instructions comprise:

first instructions configured for crawling an enterprise-based communication network to scan each personal computing device in the network and each file server in the network to (1) retrieve, from the personal computing devices, identifying information comprising a computer name, an IP address and a list of computer-user profiles including first user identification and (2) retrieve, from the file servers, paths to personal network storage areas in the network, wherein the paths include a second user identification;

second instructions configured for generating a custodian directory that stores a plurality of custodian profiles, wherein each profile is associated with a custodian that is an individual within an entity who created or is associated with electronic data required to be collected in an electronic discovery matter, wherein the second instructions include;

third instructions configured for automatically linking custodian-specific portions of tables and databases to the custodian profiles based on identifiers associated with the custodians, wherein the tables or databases include (1) at least one email account table or database and (2) at least one human resources information table or database;

fourth instructions configured for automatically matching one or more of the paths to a custodian associated with the custodian profile based on the second user identification included in the path being associated with the custodian;

fifth instructions configured for matching one or more of the personal computing devices to the custodian associated with the custodian profile based on the first user identification in one of the computer-user profiles retrieved from the personal computing device being associated with the custodian, and

sixth instructions configured for storing in each corresponding custodian profile (1) the matched paths to the personal network storage areas and (2) the personal computing device identifying information associated with the matched personal computing device;

seventh instructions configured for continuously monitoring the communication network for updates in data associated with the one or more personal computing devices;

eighth instructions configured for determining that an update in data associated with the one or more personal computing devices has occurred

ninth instructions configured for automatically recording, in the custodian profiles, information related to updates to the linked custodian-specific portions of the tables and the databases to create a historic record, wherein the information comprises metadata associated with an update including time and date of the update, the update associated with the one or more personal computing device, and original data associated with the one or more personal computing devices prior to the update;

tenth instructions configured for automatically presenting a notification via an electronic communication channel to a user device associated with a manager associated with the one or more personal computing devices, wherein the notification comprises the historic record;

eleventh instructions configured for receiving a response from the user device, via the electronic communication channel, wherein the response comprises notes and documents from the manager associated with the one or more personal computing devices; and

twelfth instructions configured for applying the notes and documents from the response to the historic record.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the sixth instructions are further configured for storing in each of the custodian profiles human resources data relating to the custodian.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the third instructions are further configured for linking custodian-specific portions of the tables, wherein the tables comprise network directory information.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the sixth instructions are further configured for storing in each of the custodian profiles, information for at least one related custodian that is related to the custodian associated with the custodian profile.

9. A system for generating and maintaining a custodian directory for use in conducting electronic discovery within an enterprise-based communication network, comprising:

at least one computing device, each device having a memory and a processor, wherein the processors are configured to;

identify a plurality of tables and databases within the network comprising information relating to custodians, wherein the tables or databases include at least one email account table or database and at least one human resources information table or database, and wherein the custodians are individuals within an entity who created or are associated with electronic data required to be collected in an electronic discovery matter;

crawl the communication network to scan each personal computing device in the network and each file server in the network to (1) retrieve, from the personal computing devices, identifying information comprising a computer name, an IP address and a list of computer-user profiles including first user identification and (2) retrieve, from the file servers, paths to personal network storage areas in the network, wherein the paths include a second user identification;

generate the custodian directory that stores a plurality of custodian profiles, wherein each profile is associated with a custodian, wherein generating each custodian profile includes automatically;

linking custodian-specific portions of the tables and databases to the custodian profiles based on identifiers associated with the custodians,

matching one or more of the paths to a custodian associated with the custodian profile based on the second user identification included in the path being associated with the custodian,

matching one or more of the personal computing devices to the custodian associated with the custodian profile based on the first user identification in one of the computer-user profiles retrieved from the personal computing device being associated with the custodian, and

storing in each corresponding custodian profile (1) the matched paths to personal network storage areas and (2) the personal computing device identifying information associated with the matched personal computing device;

continuously monitor the communication network for updates in data associated with the one or more personal computing devices;

determine that an update in data associated with the one or more personal computing devices has occurred;

automatically record, in the custodian profiles, information related to updates to the linked tables and databases that are associated with a corresponding custodian to create a historic record, wherein the information comprises metadata associated with an update including time and date of the update, the updated data associated with the one or more personal computing devices, and original data associated with the one or more personal computing devices prior to the update;

automatically present a notification via an electronic communication channel to a user device associated with a manager associated with the one or more personal computing devices, wherein the notification comprises the historic record;

receive a response from the user device, via the electronic communication channel, wherein the response comprises notes and documents from the manager associated with the one or more personal computing devices; and

apply the notes and documents from the response to the historic record.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processors are further configured to generate the custodian profiles including storing in each of the custodian profiles human resources data relating to the custodian.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processors are further configured to identify the plurality of tables or databases, wherein at least one of the tables or databases comprises a network directory information.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processors are further configured to generate the custodian profiles including storing in each custodian profile information for at least one related custodian that is related to the custodian associated with the custodian profile.