Before performing a deletion, DISCO can archive your documents by running a production of all your documents. DISCO then sends you the data via FTP or on an external hard drive. You may archive databases on your own or hire our services team to complete the archive on your behalf for a fee.

Archiving involves collecting multiple files together into one single file for easier storage and portability. You can download an archive locally for smaller productions (< 100 GB) or you can submit a archive request from your 'My Matters' page within a particular review database:

Archived data includes: all documents (natives, near natives, text files, metadata) and work product (tags, document notes, privilege notes, custom fields, redactions, metadata redactions, and productions).

Archive data does not include: exhibit sets, folders, audit/document history, search term reports, term highlighting, and AI scores.

Creating an archive involves mandatory as well as optional steps. Mandatory steps for archiving your database include exporting data and generating a doclist export. Optional steps for archiving your database are moving bates numbers, redacted documents export, and production. Both mandatory and optional steps are explained below. If you have any questions, contact support@csdisco.com.

• Moving bates numbers (optional)
• Exporting data
• Selecting advanced options
• Redacted documents production (optional)
• Generating doclist report
• Downloading all productions (optional)

Moving bates numbers

This step is optional but we highly encourage the movement of bates numbers before exporting data because this will add bates numbers in the archive. In this step, bates numbers will be copied to custom fields and then later included in the archive DAT file. If you do not perform this step, the bates numbers will not be included in the archive. 

1. Run a search to locate documents with bates numbers (e.g., batesNumbers(!)).             
2. Click the Export Document List icon to download an instance report using the Search results from the previous step.        

3. In the Download document list dialog, make the following selections:

   • Under Included metadata, select Default.
   • Under Report type, select Instance Report.         
4. Download the report.
5. If there is a single Bates number displayed in two columns (ProductionBatesStart and ProductionBatesEnd) for each bates prefix in the report, create a production bates overlay field using the instance report with the following fields: Instance ID, ProductionBatesStart, and ProductionBatesEnd.   
6. If there are multiple bates numbers in the report:
   • Use text to columns in Excel to separate the Bates ranges. Do not separate the ranges into ProductionBatesStart and ProductionBatesEnd.
   • Create as many fields for ProductionBatesNumbers as values that you have within a single row of the export, i.e., ProductionBatesNumbers1, ProductionBatesNumbers2, ProductionBatesNumbers3.
7. Overlay the production bates using an overlay. See Editing documents in a review database(overlays) for detailed information. If you do not have the option to overlay, please reach out to support@csdisco.com.

Exporting data

1. Login to the review database.
2. If you have not already done so, you can move production bates numbers to custom fields before doing the export so that bates number data is included in the export. See the Moving bates numbers section for detailed instructions.
3. Run a search to return all the documents in the database by using * (just the asterisk) in the search bar.
4. Save that search by clicking on Save Search. This will create a search that includes all documents.
5. Save the search as "All Documents Archive".
6. Navigate to Menu > Productions > Create New.
7. Enter a name for the production. 
8. Select the By saved search tab.
9. Use the dropdown list and select All Documents Archive search that you created in step 5. 
10. For Bates Prefix, choose any prefix you'd like (e.g., ARCHIVE). The files will be named with this Bates prefix.
11. For Bates Starting Number you can just enter 0000001 or any starting number you'd like.
12. Select Bottom Right for Stamp position. 
13. Click Show Advanced Options and enter the specifications as described in the Selecting advanced options section. 

Selecting advanced options

1. For Document Format, choose PDF from the dropdown.
2. For Load file format, choose Custom Dat ...
3. Click on Select metadata to include and choose Select all fields.
4. For Deduplication level, choose Global deduplication by family.
5. For Sort by, leave as Custodian then family.
6. For Starting volume label, leave as default.
7. Set Volume Break to None.
8. Under Natives, clear all selections in the Produce the following file types as native field.         
9. Under Other options select the following: 
   
   • Select Omit document redactions.
   • Select Omit metadata redactions.
   • Select Also include natives for all images (unless redacted).
   • Select Do not apply Bates stamps to images.
10. Review your settings
11. Click Create.
12. Monitor the archive production to ensure it is running and contact support if there are any issues.
13. Download to a safe place after the production is complete.

Redacted documents production

This optional step provides you with a copy of redacted images because redactions are omitted in the initial archive.

1. Run a search to return redacted documents in the database by entering hasRedaction(yes) in the search bar.
2. Save that search by clicking on Save Search. This will create a search that includes all redacted documents.
3. Save the search as "Redacted Documents".
4. In the DISCO main menu, click Productions and click Create New on the Productions page.
5. Use the following settings in the New Production page: 
   • Name: Redacted Documents
   • By saved search:  Select saved search “Redacted Documents”
   • Stamps Bates prefix: REDACT
   • Stamps Starting number: 000001
   • Stamp position: Bottom Right
   • Advanced options:
     • Document format: PDF
     • Load file format: All standard (DAT, DII, XML)
     • Deduplication level: Global deduplication by family
     • Sort by: Custodian then family
     • Starting volume label: VOL001
     • Volume break: None
   • Other options
     • Select Do not apply bates stamps to images
     • Leave all other options as default
6. Click Create.

Generating doclist report

This mandatory step includes fields that are not available in the production DAT such as billing size, image size, processing status, processing details, ingest type, and more.

1. Click in the search bar and select the archive saved search.
2. Click on the Export document list icon to display the Download instance list dialog.
3. Click Generate instance report (XLSX) and download locally to your machine.

Downloading all productions

1. Navigate to Menu > Productions.
2. Select the Download button for each production. Productions will be downloaded locally. 

For more information on downloading productions, see Creating productions

NOTE: Depending on the size of a production, it may take hours to complete. This is normal. If the production takes over 10 hours, please contact support@csdisco.com.