The AODocs Retention Module is a feature of the AODocs Document Management Platform, included in the AODocs Application Platform license level. It lets you automate the retention and disposal of the documents stored in your AODocs libraries.

This article explains what happens when you apply retention policies in your AODocs libraries.

Automatically generated table of contents

The retention process

Below is the timeline of an AODocs document in a library using retention.

The library switches from pending to active

The AODocs Retention Module requires specific properties (metadata) to be configured in a library’s document classes before retention schedules can be applied to the library. Only libraries where all the document classes contain these properties can be assigned a retention schedule.

A library administrator:

1. Creates a retention schedule, either in the Retention module interface or by importing a CSV file. 
2. Creates retention properties in all document classes in the library (including those ones used for defining schedules based on property values)
3. Assigns at least one retention schedule at the library level (either a retention schedule assigned to the root level or a retention schedule based on property values).
   Note: If you're using a retention schedule assigned to the root level or to a folder in your library, all its document classes must have a folder structure defined.
4. If required, the library administrator can add other retention schedules in the library. Learn more: Using one or more retention schedules in a library.

The library is now active. From this point, the AODocs Retention Module runs a weekly batch process to update the retention properties of the documents in the library.

Note: A library can be active or pending. This status is different from the Life Cycle State of documents, which can be Active or Control.

The document is managed by retention

The first time the Retention batch process runs on the library, it fills in the following properties on the document:

• Life Cycle State:
  • Set to Active if the Event date is later than the current date (in the future).
  • Set to Control if the Event date is earlier than the current date (in the past).

• Event Date: Date at which the document will enter the retention period.
  The value can be calculated:
  • automatically, for example after a defined period after the creation of the document
  • semi-automatically, using Event label and Secondary label instead of Event and Event date to designate a date property in the document – learn more:  Create retention schedules manually
  • manually, for example, the date a project is completed, a contract is signed, or an employee leaves

The value is defined according to the Event property, which is set by the CSV file used to generate the retention schedule or in the retention schedule you created in the Retention module interface

• Retention Time: Number of years before the document is deleted after entering the retention period. The value is set by your CSV file or in the retention schedule you created in the Retention module interface.
• The Retention Time will be used to calculate the Target Destruction Date when the document enters the retention period.

• Record Category: A meaningful label depending on your business case, for example, "Taxes". The value is set by your CSV file or in the retention schedule you created in the Retention module interface.

For a full list of the retention properties, see Create retention properties in your AODocs library.

Can I edit retention properties and retention schedules?

• Event Date and On Hold (see below) are the only properties that you can edit in documents. You must make all other changes to your retention schedule in the AODocs Retention Module interface. Learn more: Manage your retention schedules.
• If you manually change the Event Date property in a document or edit the retention schedule in the AODocs Retention Module interface, the next time the Retention batch process runs it updates the retention properties, including the Life Cycle State. The Retention batch process runs weekly, so the properties are updated maximum 7 days after your edit.
• If you manually change the Event Date property in a document, the Event property must not contain Creation Date or Not Classified, otherwise the Retention batch process will overwrite your changes the next time it runs.
• You can't change the Event property once it has been defined. If you change the Event property in a document, the Retention batch process will overwrite your changes the next time it runs.

The document enters the retention period

The retention period begins when the current date exceeds the Event Date. The next time the weekly Retention batch process runs, it:

• updates the Life Cycle State property: set to Control
• fills in the Target Destruction Date property: calculated to be the last day of the quarter after the date: [Event Date + Retention Time]
• creates a new version of the document

In Secured Folders and Document Management libraries, when the Life Cycle State property of a document is set to Control, the document is locked. This means that:

• the document remains visible but only AODocs super administrators can edit the document directly (including its properties)
• Retention super administrators and library administrators can unlock the document to make it editable by themselves and all contributors in the library — learn more: Unlock and relock documents pending deletion

Important: In Team Folders, when the Life Cycle State property of a document is set to Control, the document is not locked.

The Retention batch process runs every week and applies these checks:

• If the retention schedule of the document has been edited, the Retention batch process updates the retention properties in the document.
• If the document has been unlocked by an administrator or super administrator and the Event Date property has not been changed, the Retention batch process relocks the document.
• If the document has been unlocked by an administrator or super administrator and the Event Date property has been changed manually, the Retention batch process recalculates a new Target Destruction Date. If the new Event Date is after the current date (in the future), the document is no longer in the retention period (and the Life Cycle State property is set to Active), so the Retention batch doesn't relock the document.
  Learn more: Reset the start of the retention period in individual documents: Event Date property.
• If the On Hold property has been activated, the document is not deleted when it reaches the Target Destruction Date.

Note: If you manually change the Event Date, the Event property must not contain Creation Date or Not Classified, otherwise the Retention batch process will overwrite your changes the next time it runs. Learn more: Generate retention schedules.

The retention period ends

A quarterly purge job runs on your domain and deletes all documents (and any attachments) that have reached their Target Destruction Date. The purge job runs ten days after the Target Destruction Date.

The AODocs Retention App sends notifications before and after the purge job runs.
Learn more: Notifications sent by the AODocs Retention Module.

Note: To force the purge job to run outside the scheduled dates, contact the AODocs support team by email at support@aodocs.com or open a ticket.

Active and pending AODocs libraries

All the AODocs libraries on your domain are listed in the AODocs Retention App.

Note: Library administrators see only the libraries that they administer.

Libraries are classified as active or pending.

Active libraries

A library is active if:

• the required retention properties are defined on all AODocs document classes
• a retention schedule has been assigned to the root level of the library
• (for retention schedules based on property values) the property – or properties – on which it is applied are present in all document classes in the library

This means at least one retention schedule has been assigned to this library and it is correctly configured.

Pending libraries

A library is pending if it is not managed by a retention schedule.

A library is pending if:

• your organization doesn't need retention in this library — the library is a standard AODocs library without a retention schedule assigned
• your organization does need retention in this library, but the assigned retention schedule or the library is not correctly configured

Learn more: Assign retention schedules to folders in your library.