Archiving matter documents

This information applies to matters.

You may wish to transfer the documents associated with archived matters to a separate location for safe keeping. This is possible by running a bulk transfer utility, which moves the appropriate documents (based on various user-defined filters) from the live document location to an archive location. Administrators must specify a location for storing archived documents by setting the path to the location in System Configuration.

Archived documents are still accessible through Document Management or the Legal Enterprise desktop. However, if an archived document is opened in read/write mode for editing, then the document (and any associated versions) will be moved back to the live document location.

Important: We recommended that this utility is run at the end of a day, as potentially it could be a lengthy process. Additionally, the initial archiving process should be run in smaller chunks, using the filters provided.

To set the archive location:

1. Open System Configuration (Tools > System Setup > Configuration > System).

2. On the General tab, specify the archive location in Archive root folder. You can type the path to the location manually or use the Browse button to select it.

3. Click Save. A message is displayed advising you that the location has changed and reminding you to check that the corresponding folders are valid. Click OK. A further message is now displayed advising you to restart Legal Enterprise in order for the changes to take effect. Click OK again and restart the software.

• Note It is not possible to remove an archive path and save a blank location, as this would corrupt database integrity.

To archive matter documents:

1. From the Tools menu, click System Utilities and then Archived Matter Doc Transfer. You are prompted to specify the matter archived date for which, on or before, documents should be archived.

• Note If an archived location has not been set, a message is displayed preventing you from proceeding. This must be specified before continuing.

2. In the Document Transfer dialog box, use the filters to specify which matter documents you want to archive, based on the matter archive date. You can also use additional filters such as, branch, department, fee earner, etc, in order to transfer a subset of documents, e.g. the matter documents for fee earner 11 at branch 2.

   • Matters archived on or before. Specifies the matter archived date for which, on or before, documents should be archived. Type a date or select one using the date picker.

   • Branch. Specifies all branches (All*) or a selected branch (Selected).

   • Cost centre. Specifies all cost centres (All*) or a selected cost centre (Selected).

   • Department. Specifies all departments (All*) or a selected department (Selected).

   • Work type. Specifies all work types (All*) or a selected work type (Selected).

   • Fee earner. Specifies all fee earners (All*) or a selected fee earner (Selected).

   • Partner/Manager. Specifies all partners/managers (All*) or a selected partner/manager (Selected).

   • Mode. Specifies whether to produce a report of the documents to be transferred (Report*) or produce a report and transfer the selected documents (Report and Update).

   *Default selection

• The document transfer filters are retained and presented the next time the utility is run.

3. Click OK to archive the matter documents to the location specified in System Configuration or click Cancel to abandon and discard your changes. The transfer is processed as a scheduled task called Archived Matter Doc Transfer Utility and takes priority over any other scheduled reports, etc. When the scheduled task has completed, the documents are transferred (if Report and Update was selected), and/or:

• You are notified that the report is available by a message icon on the status bar. The message contains a link to the report (Open Item button). This is an Excel report called Archived Matter Doc Transfer which is saved into the Reports Output folder. It has 2 worksheets — Parameters and Document Transfer Log, which detail the parameters selected and the documents that have been/are to be transferred.

4. You may wish to review the following behaviours:

• If a matter's archive date is on or before the date specified in the document transfer filters, then the documents (and any associated versions) are transferred to the archive location. All references to them in the live document location are removed.

• If a matter is archived while a document transfer is in progress, then it will be included if the process has not reached that matter. Otherwise, it will not be transferred and will be included the next time the utility is run (providing it falls within the catchment area of the matter archived date specified).

• If a matter is re-opened while a document transfer is in progress, then it will not be included if the process has not reached that matter. Otherwise, it will be transferred.

• If a document is open when a document transfer is started, then it will not be included in the transfer.

• If the document transfer is interrupted or fails, then it picks up from where it stopped the next time it is run.

• If a matter is re-opened, then any new documents created for this matter will be stored in the live document location. All other documents for this matter will remain in the archive document location.

• If a matter is re-archived, then any documents remain in the live document location until the next time the document transfer is run for a date after the matter's archive date.

• If an archived document is edited, then the new document (and any associated versions) will be stored in the live document location. All other documents for this matter will remain in the archive document location.

• If a document is physically deleted from the server, then it will not be included in the transfer.

• If matter security is being used, then the report produced by the document transfer replaces the matter name and description with "Restricted".

To open an archived matter document:

1. Right-click the desired archived document and select Open as Read/Write from the Open submenu. A message is displayed advising that the document (and any versions) will be transferred back to the live area.

• You can also double-click a document if your system is configured to open documents in read/write mode by default. Refer to the Document settings in System Configuration.

2. Click Yes if you wish to continue or No to cancel.

• If you click Yes, then the document and all its versions are moved back to the live document location and the selected document is opened for editing.

• If you click No, then no documents are moved and you are returned to the appropriate screen.

Notes

• The Archived Matter Doc Transfer utility is switched off by default. However, this can be switched on easily, per user group, in System Setup (System Setup > Security > Group). Simply select the desired group and, on the Main Menu/Toolbar tab, tick Archived Matter Doc Transfer under System Utilities.

• We recommend that the utility is initially run in Report mode so that a full report of the matter folders and documents to be transferred can be seen/checked prior to running in Report and Update mode. The report is only produced once the utility has completed successfully. Therefore, if the utility is interrupted in either mode, then the report is not produced.

• The transfer log reports on documents that have not been included in the transfer (e.g. because they were open at the time and were skipped) as well as those that have been/are to be transferred.

• When archived documents are transferred back to the live document location, this may introduce a significant overhead depending on whether a single document is moved or a document with a large number of versions.

• The live and archive paths cannot be removed and saved with a blank location.

• The live and archive paths cannot be set to the same location.