IBM Enterprise Records, Version 5.1.2    

Categories, folders, and volumes

There is much information about the containers available in IBM® Enterprise Records. These containers include record categories, record folders, electronic folders, physical folders, boxes, hybrid folders, volumes, active and inactive containers, and opened and closed containers.

For more information about managing physical containers, see the physical entities topic.

Record categories

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 action. By default, child entities inherit the security and disposition schedule of their parent container. For more information about security and disposition inheritance, see the object security and disposition schedule topics.

A record category has a name and an ID. Both display in the path, separated by a hyphen. Both the name and the ID must be unique within the parent container.

Record folders

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 display in the path, separated by a hyphen. Both the name and the ID must be unique within the parent container.

Electronic folder

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).

Physical folder

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 the physical storage structure of your organization, you can model the hierarchy of physical folders in IBM Enterprise Records.

Box

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. These entities are physical folders and boxes, but not electronic or hybrid folders and records. However, a box does not use volumes.

Hybrid folder

A hybrid folder can contain both electronic and physical records, and contains one or more volumes. 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 the locations topic.

Volumes

A volume serves as a logical subdivision of a record folder into smaller and easier to manage units. A volume has no existence independent of the folder. A record folder, except for a box, always contains at least one volume. This volume 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 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 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 is 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.

Active versus inactive containers

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 do 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 before making it available for general use.

Open versus closed containers

When you create a container entity, it is open by default. To restrict the creation of child entities within a container but still allow retrieving records from it, close that container any time after its creation. Any child containers are also marked as closed.



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Last updated: November 2013
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