AUTOMATED DATA PURGE IN AN ELECTRONIC DISCOVERY SYSTEM

• US 20140351201A1
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Whalen, John N., Hobart, Eric B., Richardson, Michael J., Hudson, Kellie H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/603
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/125 characterised by the use of retention policies retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for automated data purge in an e-discovery system. The automated data purge process determines files within an e-discovery file system that qualify for purging based on one or more purge policies, locates the files within the file system and automatically purges the data from the file system. Additional embodiments provide for automatically creating log entries that track the details of the purge and automatically generating and communicating alerts/messages that notify concerned parties of the data purge. As such the present invention is able to accurately and automatically purge data from an electronic discovery file system and provide for detailed purge data tracking, as well as, purge notification.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automated data purge in an electronic discovery (e-discovery) system, the apparatus comprising:

a computing platform including a memory and at least one processor in communication with the memory;

a data purge application stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to determine files within an e-discovery file system that qualify for purging based on identified one or more purge policies, locate the files within the e-discovery file system, and purge data in the located files from the e-discovery file system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data purge application is further configured to determine one or more purge-eligible cases based on applying predetermined purge criteria to a plurality of cases existing in the e-discovery system and determine the files from within the identified purge-eligible cases.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data purge application is further configured to determine the one or more purge-eligible cases by querying an e-discovery system metadata database with the predetermined purge criteria to determine the one or more purge-eligible cases.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data purge application is further configured to determine the files and locate the files by querying an e-discovery system metadata database with the one or more purge policies to (1) determine files that qualify for purging based on the identified purge policies and (2) determine storage locations within the e-discovery file system, that store the files that are determined to qualify for purging.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data purge application is further configured to determine the files and locate the files by scanning an e-discovery system file directory to identify files that qualify for purging based on the identified one or more purge policies.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the data purge application is further configured to scan the e-discovery system directory by folder name to identify folders having a predetermined naming convention.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the data purge application is further configured to determine the files that qualify for purging based on the identified one or more purge policies and one or more exceptions to the one or more purge policies.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data purge application is further configured to, in response to purging the data, update the e-discovery file system to reflect that the data has been purged.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data purge application is further configured to create a purge entry in a file system log that includes details of the data purge.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the data purge application is further configured to create the purge entry, wherein the purge entry includes identification of the data purged, date and time of data purge, identification of purge policy applied, and file system location of data purged.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data purge application is further configured to, in response to purging the data, update metadata, (1) stored in an e-discovery system metadata database and (2) associated with the purged files, to indicate that the data has been purged and is no longer accessible.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data purge application is further configured to, in response to purging the data, generate and initiate communication of a purge alert that notifies recipients of one or more of an identity of the data purged, a time at which the data was purged, an amount of data purged, an amount of storage capacity reclaimed.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data purge application is further configured to locate files within the e-discovery system that qualify for purging based on one or more purge policies, wherein the purge policies include (1) purging work product data based on an associated case being closed, (2) purging data from a closed case after a predetermined period of time, and (3) purging data additionally stored at an external repository after a predetermined period of time.

14. A method for automated data purge in an electronic discovery (e-discovery) system, the method comprising:

identifying one or more purge policies to apply to current data purge processing; and

executing, by a computing device processor, the current data purge processing including;

determining files within an e-discovery file system that qualify for purging based on the identified one or more purge policies,

locating the files within the e-discovery file system, and

purging data in the located files from the e-discovery file system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, by a computing device processor, one or more purge-eligible cases based on applying predetermined purge criteria to a plurality of cases existing in the e-discovery system; and

identifying one or more of the purge-eligible cases requiring the current data purge processing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining files further comprises determining files from within the identified purge-eligible cases.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining purge-eligible cases further comprises querying, by a computing device processor, an e-discovery system metadata database with the predetermined purge criteria to determine the one or more purge-eligible cases.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein determining files and locating the files further comprises querying an e-discovery system metadata database with the identified one or more purge policies to (1) determine files that qualify for purging based on the identified one or more purge policies and (2) determine storage locations within the e-discovery file system that store the files that are determined to qualify for purging.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein determining files further comprises scanning, by a computing device processor, an e-discovery system file directory to identify files that qualify for purging based on the identified one or more purge policies.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein scanning further comprises scanning, by the computing device processor, the e-discovery system directory by folder name to identify folders having a predetermined naming convention.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising identifying one or more exceptions to the one or more identified purge policies and wherein determining files further comprises determining the files that qualify for purging based on the identified one or more purge policies and the one or more exceptions.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein executing the current purge processing further includes, in response to purging the data, updating the e-discovery file system to reflect that the data has been purged.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein updating further comprises creating a purge entry in a file system log that includes details of the data purge.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein creating the purge entry in the file system log further comprises creating the purge entry, wherein the purge entry includes identification of the data purged, date and time of data purge, identification of purge policy applied, and file system location of data purged.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein executing the current purge processing further includes, in response to purging the data, updating metadata stored in an e-discovery system metadata database and associated with the purged files to indicate that the data has been purged and is no longer accessible.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein executing the current purge processing further includes, in response to purging the data, generating and initiation communication of a purge alert that notifies recipients of one or more of an identity of the data purged, a time at which the data was purged, an amount of data purged, an amount of storage capacity reclaimed.

27. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying one or more purge policies further comprises identifying one or more purge policies, wherein the purge policies include (1) purging work product data based on an associated case being closed, (2) purging data from a closed case after a predetermined period of time, and (3) purging data additionally stored at an external repository after a predetermined period of time.

28. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computing processor to determine files within an e-discovery file system that qualify for purging based on one or more identified purge policies;

a second set of codes for causing a computing processor to locate the files within the e-discovery file system; and

a third set of codes for causing a computing processor to purge data in the located files from the e-discovery file system.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising a fourth set of codes for causing a computing processor to determine one or more purge-eligible cases based on applying predetermined purge criteria to a plurality of cases existing in the electronic discovery (e-discovery) system and wherein the first set of codes is further configured to determine the files from within the identified purge-eligible cases.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to cause the computing device to query an e-discovery system metadata database with the predetermined purge criteria to determine the one or more purge-eligible cases.

31. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the first and second set of codes are further configured to cause the computing device to query an e-discovery system metadata database with the identified one or more purge policies to (1) determine files that qualify for purging based on the identified one or more purge policies and (2) determine storage locations within the e-discovery file system that store the files that are determined to qualify for purging.

32. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to scan an e-discovery system file directory to identify the files that qualify for purging based on the identified one or more purge policies.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to scan the e-discovery system file directory by folder name to identify folders having a predetermined naming convention.

34. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to determine files that qualify for purging based on one or more identified purge policies and one or more exceptions to the identified one or more purge policies.

35. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the computer-readable program code further comprises a fourth set of codes configured to cause a computing processor to, in response to purging the data, update the e-discovery file system to reflect that the data has been purged.

36. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to cause the computing processor to create a purge entry in a file system log that includes details of the data purge.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer processor to create the purge entry, wherein the purge entry includes identification of the data purged, date and time of data purge, identification of purge policy applied, and file system location of data purged.

38. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the computer-readable program code further comprises a fourth set of codes configured to cause a computing processor to, in response to purging the data, update metadata, (1) stored in an e-discovery system metadata database and (2) associated with the purged files, to indicate that the data has been purged and is no longer accessible.

39. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the computer-readable program code further comprises a fourth set of codes configured to cause a computing processor to, in response to purging the data, generate and initiate communication of a purge alert that notifies recipients of one or more of an identity of the data purged, a time at which the data was purged, an amount of data purged, an amount of storage capacity reclaimed.

40. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein second set of codes is further configured to cause the computing processor to locate files within the e-discovery file system that qualify for purging based on one or more purge policies, wherein the purge policies include (1) purging work product data based on an associated case being closed, (2) purging data from a closed case after a predetermined period of time, and (3) purging data additionally stored at an external repository after a predetermined period of time.