This chapter provides information on the containers available in IBM InfoSphere Enterprise Records. For additional information specific to managing physical containers, see Physical Entities.
A record category is a container that categorizes a set of related records within a file plan. You typically use record categories to classify records based on functional categories. A record category can contain subcategories and record folders. However, you cannot create a record category and record folder at the same level in the hierarchy. In the Base and DoD data models, you can declare records directly into categories. The PRO data model does not allow this. By default, child entities inherit the security and disposition schedule of their parent container. For more information about security and disposition inheritance, see Object security and Disposition schedule inheritance.
A record category has a name and an ID. Both appear in the path, separated by a hyphen. Both the name and the ID must be unique within the parent container.
A record folder is a collection of related records. Use record folders to manage records according to the specified retention periods and disposition events. By default, child entities of a record folder inherit the security and disposition schedule of the record folder. You can create electronic, physical, box, and hybrid record folders under a record category to manage electronic and physical records.
A record folder has a name and an ID. Both appear in the path, separated by a hyphen. Both the name and the ID must be unique within the parent container.
An electronic folder is used for storing electronic records, and contains one or more volumes. An electronic folder can also store physical records (paper or other physical items).
A physical folder stores physical records, and contains one or more volumes. A physical folder is a virtual entry for a paper folder. Based on your organization's physical storage structure, you can model the hierarchy of physical folders in IBM InfoSphere Enterprise Records.
A box is a container for physical records and provides a mechanism to model physical entities that contain other physical entities. For example, you might create a "Warehouse" that contains "Shelves" that contain "Boxes" that contain "Physical Folders." Unlike other types of folders, a box can contain other folders (specifically, physical folders and boxes, but not electronic or hybrid folders) as well as records (physical records only). However, a box does not use volumes.
A hybrid folder can contain both electronic and physical records, and contains one or more volumes. Note that there are no behavioral differences between an electronic folder and a hybrid folder. However, a hybrid folder has additional metadata that describes a physical entity, including home location. For information about a home location, see Locations.
A volume serves as a logical subdivision of a record folder into smaller and more easily-managed units. A volume has no existence independent of the folder. A record folder (with the exception of a box) will always contain at least one volume, which is automatically created by the system when a record folder is created. Thereafter, you can create any number of volumes within a record folder. Note, however, that at any given time, only one volume within a folder remains open. By default, the current volume is open. A volume is closed automatically when you add a new volume and when the specified criterion is fulfilled. For example, a volume containing records of a specific calendar year might get closed automatically at the end of that calendar year.
A volume will be of the same type as its parent record folder (electronic, physical, or hybrid) and can contain the same type of records as its parent. However, a volume cannot contain a subfolder or another volume. A volume inherits the disposition schedule of the record folder under which it is created. You cannot define a disposition schedule that is independent of the parent record folder.
When you create a record category or record folder, it is marked as active. However, you can mark the container as inactive after creating that container. When you mark a container as inactive, the system prevents new entities from being created, moved, copied, or filed in that container. Any child containers are also marked as inactive. In addition, users will not see inactive containers when declaring a record. Marking a container as inactive is useful when it is necessary to review and approve the container prior to making it available for general use.
When you create a container entity, it is open by default. If you want to restrict the creation of child entities within a container but still allow retrieving records from it, you can close that container any time after its creation. Any child containers are also marked as closed.