International Business Machines Corporation

Pss Systems, Inc.

Pierre Raynaud-Richard

Andrey Pogodin

Roman Kisin

Deidre Paknad

Irina Simpson

Nazrul Islam

A computer-implemented method, system and computer program product for collecting information from data sources by receiving a collection request at a collection tool to collect information, where the collection request includes data source information indicating a data source from which to retrieve the information. The data source information in the collection request is associated with one or more electronic data repositories in response to the data source indicated by the data source information being previously unidentified to the collection tool. The information is collected from the one or more associated electronic data repositories.

Automated electronic discovery collections and preservations

A controller is configured to generate and propagate instructions to an execution agent which, in turn, is configured to collect and deposit collected artifacts into a repository. Write access to a location in the repository for collected artifacts that are to be deposited into a specified location is granted to the execution agent. Once the execution agent deposits the collected artifacts in the specified location in the repository, a summary of collected artifacts is propagated to the controller. The controller manages appropriate levels of access to the collected artifacts, while the repository enforces the level of access. The controller can grant read only access to the collected artifacts or it can allow for controlled changes to be made to the metadata associated with the collected artifact. An agent processes the data and generates additional metadata that can be associated with the collected artifacts and then saved in the repository. A system can have more than one repository, where the controller allocates storage in an appropriate repository and issues instructions to the execution agent with the location in an appropriate repository. The summary of the actual collections is then propagated to the controller from the repositories.

Enterprise evidence repository

A method, computer program product, and system for defining custodianship of content in an electronic discovery management system, and maintaining custodianship definitions in an external content archive, the custodianship specifying at least one parameter of a first custodian to associate the content with the first custodian. Responsive to receiving a request to perform an operation on the content associated with the first custodian, the request is modified with the at least one parameter of the first custodian and at least one property of the content in the content archive, the at least one parameter and at the least one property being consumable by the content archive. The modified request is sent to the content archive, which is configured to, responsive to receiving the modified request, perform the operation on the content associated with the first custodian.

Propagating per-custodian preservation and collection requests between ediscovery management applications and content archives

A computer apparatus and computer implemented method for policy distribution provides a Records Management System (RMS) that is configured for setting up and maintaining local record classification and disposition policies. An Enterprise Retention Management (ERM) application comprises a centralized workflow configured for managing retention policies for an entity. An application layer in the ERM comprises a propagation workflow that is configured for managing retention policy integration between the ERM and the RMS. The propagation workflow thus provides automated retention policy propagation from the ERM to the RMS.

Method and apparatus for policy distribution

Enterprise evidence repository providing access control to collected artifacts

Retention of data is managed and data holds are enforced. At least one event consumer data source contains data that is subject to a retention schedule that defines rules for the disposition of the data. An enterprise retention management (ERM) application accepts at least one hold request that defines at least a portion of the data that must be held from disposition. A disposition request is also accepted by the ERM that comprises an instruction to dispose of at least a portion of the data based on the rules within the retention schedule. The disposition request is filtered to dispose of the portion of data identified in the disposition request minus the held data, which comprises disposition survivor data. An event-driven disposition mechanism disposes of the disposition survivor data as soon as possible after the disposition survivor data is released from hold or unlocked.

Method and apparatus for handling edge-cases of event-driven disposition

The discovery cost forecasting system uses incomplete information to generate forecasts of discovery expenses. Models are generated with different levels of granularity depending upon the available facts and user preferences. An expert provides real-time information to improve the accuracy of the predictions. A scenario analysis is generated that evaluates how changes to the parameters of the matter could affect the forecasted cost. An estimate is generated of the degree of advancement of the matter in its lifecycle as part of the cost forecast. The cost associated with each data source and custodian is tracked and reported. A configurable and extensible cost equation is defined. A dashboard user interface is generated to monitor the entire portfolio to extract easy to understand facts, trends, and early warning signs related to discovery cost management.

Forecasting discovery costs based on complex and incomplete facts

A method and apparatus are provided for maintaining the navigation history of a web application that includes techniques for maintaining those pages that are considered valuable. The method and apparatus further include techniques for registering a visited page into the application navigation history, displaying a particular history menu of a web page, and, to pass stateful information, using a redirecting technique that includes redirecting a user to a history page to obtain the stateful information once the user has chosen a menu item.

Method and apparatus for managing recent activity navigation in web applications

This disclosure relates to systems, methods and apparatuses for managing the retention and disposition of data for an event consumer using an Enterprise Retention Management System wherein the management is driven by business events.

Event driven disposition

When creating exhaustive, affected lists within a request scope, any legal risk due to failure to identify or leverage existing knowledge of a company about custody of evidence related to a legal matter is minimized. Accurate affected lists are constructed for an ongoing or impending litigation. Affected people, systems, or record types are included at first, and the list is modified over time once their exact association to the litigation context is clarified (new ones are added, not required are removed). Automation of data capture eliminates the risk of human error during data entry. Conflict resolution is applied when the same person, system, or record type is identified in the request scope, as part of multiple affiliations and associations. Overlapping lists are automatically merged to enable simple and efficient processing, without having to cull different lists. Affected elements in the request scope that could otherwise be missed are tracked and added. A relevant list of all affected elements based on multiple likely inconsistent sources of knowledge dispersed throughout a company is created, with a high degree of confidence in the context of an ongoing litigation or an impending litigation.

External scoping sources to determine affected people, systems, and classes of information in legal matters

A computer-implemented system and method for defining and justifying policy requirements includes: a hierarchical regional mapping (HRM) module provides a common language and a hierarchical model for geography and for jurisdictions; a legal references library (LRL) module contains applicable legal references; a legal references policy mapping (LRPM) module maps legal references to policies; and a requirements cross-checking (RCC) module cross-checks information in the legal references policy mapping module.

Method and apparatus to define and justify policy requirements using a legal reference library

Systems and methods for leveraging historical data to determine affected entities is provided. In exemplary embodiments, a current matter is created. When creating the current matter, at least one initial scope parameter for the current matter is known. Historical data associated with the at least one initial scope parameter may then be accessed and review. Based on the historical data, one or more refined scope parameter may be determined. A list of affected entities based at least on the one or more refined scope parameter is provided.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Pierre Raynaud-Richard