diglib: FW: Electronic retention for relational databases

["Normandy Helmer" <nhelmer@darkwing.uoregon.edu>]

FYI, interesting considerations of preservation of databases.

nsh

-----Original Message-----
From: Digital Libraries Research mailing list
[mailto:DIGLIB@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA]On Behalf Of Terry Kuny
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2001 6:35 AM
To: DIGLIB@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA
Subject: FYI: Electronic retention for relational databases


Date:         Fri, 23 Feb 2001 09:11:45 -0500
From: Tom Ruller <truller@MAIL.NYSED.GOV>
Subject:      Re: Electronic retention for relational databases


Members of this list might be interested in the following resources:

1. Tupper, Charles and Yevich, Richard, "Gone But Not Forgotten", Database
Programming and Design, 6:12(November 1993):33-40.

This essay, while dated, remains relevant to current relational database
design.  The authors provide specific implementation advice and examples
for designing a database to enable maintenance and integrity of historical
information and maintenance of referential integrity when that information
is constructed based on foreign-key relationships. Basically - this essay
isn't about retention - it's about how to implement retention in a
relational database environment.

2. Data Stores, Data Warehousing, and the Zachman Framework: Managing
Enterprise Knowledge, by W.H. Inmon, John A. Zachman and Jonathan Geiger.
New York:McGraw Hill, 1997.  See especially pages 132-135.

This small section of this book provides advice to data modelers for
dealing with data that has a time dimension, specifically where there is a
retention schedule governing the data, but the data may be updated or
superceded before the retention period is met.  Again, this is advice and
guidance about how to implement retention and disposition, it does not
discuss the process of analyzing the component parts of a record - it
assumes that work has already been done.

3. Center for Technology in Government, The Records Requirements Analysis
and Implementation Tool.  Available at:
http://www.ctg.albany.edu/resources/abstract/mfa-5.html

The Center for Technology in Government has developed a tool (as well as
other guidance and resources) to help organizations and records managers
identify what records must be created and how those records must be
maintained in digital transaction processing and on-line analytical
systems.  Using this tool would be a useful approach to identifying the
retention requirements for a record as a first step before working with the
DBA's and data modelers to develop an implementation approach.

My experience in developing relational database systems is that it is best
to establish record keeping and retention requirements as a first step,
through process analysis and work with the line of business staff.  After
this analysis it is appropriate to work with the technical staff (system
designers, DBA's and data administrators) to develop approaches for
implementing those requirements.  The tools and resources listed above may
provide some useful advice for both the requirements definition and the
implementation strategy.



Tom Ruller
Moderator, ERECS-L


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