Record Series
A record series represents a collection of records folders that usually (but not always) have the same retention schedules. A record series may be created under the repository's root folder or under another record series, however, they cannot exist at the same level as record folders.
Record management life cycle properties, such as cutoff instructions and retention schedules, are typically set on the record series. By default, these properties will be propagated to any record series, record folder, or record created within the parent series. (If the properties on the parent record series are changed, however, the changes will not propagate to the child record series, record folders or records.) In most cases, all contents of a record series will be governed by the same set of life cycle instructions, even if not all records are at the same stage of their life cycles.
Tip: When creating record series, consider which records will have the same record life cycle.
Note: It is possible to set record life cycle properties on individual record folders and records, although for most organizations record series should be used to set these properties. If you set a property on a record folder or record, that property will take precedence. Any record folder or record that does not have a property set will inherit it from the parent series.
Record Folders
A record folder contains a group of records that are usually governed by the same set of life cycle instructions and are at the same stage of their life cycle. This means records in a record folder follow the same set of records management instructions and records management actions, such as cutoff and final disposition, can typically be performed at the record folder level.
Example: Since all records within a record folder follow the same cutoff and retention rules and are at the same stage in their life cycle, they will be eligible for cutoff at the same time. The cutoff action can be performed on the entire record folder, so that all records within it are collectively cutoff.
Record folders can only be created under a record series, however, they cannot exist at the same level as a record series.
However, there are two exceptions. First, individual records that have been placed under a hold will not continue through the life cycle with the rest of the records in their folders. Second, it is possible (although uncommon) to set record properties on individual records, or to perform record management actions on individual records, in which case those records will move through their life cycle separately from the rest of the record folder.
Records
A record is an individual document stored in a record folder. A record can contain data, metadata, or (in most cases) both.
- Data is the images, text, and electronic files that make up a record. This is the part of the document that is normally externally created and then imported into Laserfiche.
- Metadata is any information that describes the data of a record, including field values, tags, links, versions, document name, and records management information. Annotations are not metadata and will not be saved if metadata is preserved when a record is destroyed, as they are merged with the image/text data.
Laserfiche can also help track physical records that do not reside in the Laserfiche repository by creating empty documents in Laserfiche that represent physical records and assigning metadata to them. You can then perform records management actions on the Laserfiche files as the corresponding actions are taken on the physical records.
Records are created with the same life cycle properties (such as cutoff instructions and retention schedules) as their parent record series, and so will usually have the same properties as their parent record folder and parent record series. (If the properties on the parent record folder or series are changed, however, the changes will not propagate to the child records.) In addition, usually the records within a record folder will be at the same stage of their life cycle. Record management actions, such as cutoff, are generally performed on the entire record folder.
There are two exceptions, however. First, individual records that have been placed under hold will not continue through the life cycle with the rest of the records in their folders. Second, it is possible (although uncommon) to set record properties on individual records, or to perform record management actions on individual records, in which case those records will move through their life cycle separately from the rest of the record folder.
Certain steps in a retention schedule can mandate that record data be destroyed while metadata is retained. This means that the record's images, text, and electronic files will be removed from the Laserfiche repository while field values, records management state, and other metadata (with the exception of version history) are retained. Metadata retention can be set by any user who has been assigned the Records Management privilege; metadata is retained by default, and should not be deleted unless there is a valid reason to do so, since it also proves the records were retained correctly even after they are destroyed.
Note: If the record is destroyed with metadata retained, the version history will be deleted. This ensures that page and electronic file contents are entirely removed, even in the history. The Retain metadata information setting for final disposition does not retain the version history.