Implementing and Configuring a Records Centre in SP2010 - for SharePoint Administrators

Begin by defining the content types that will be used to classify records throughout your enterprise

1. Create content types at the enterprise level using the Managed Metadata Service
2. Create a new Web application and use the Records Centre template for the site collection.
3. Create a records library in the Records Centre for each content type.
4. Define required metadata on the document libraries or content types.
5. Define Information Management Policies to implement the File Plan rules.
6. Create content organizer rules to route documents to the correct records library.

Creating and Managing Content Types

What are Content Types and why are they important?

A content type is a reusable collection of settings that can be applied to a document to categorize its content. Content types are essential to the proper functioning of your Records Centre because documents submitted to the Records Centre are automatically organized by content type

Content Types and the File Plan

For every record type in your file plan, create a corresponding content type that users can apply to documents

Content Types and Inheritance

Content types support inheritance. This allows you to base a new content type on an existing content type. In this way you can define a single content type with specific attributes and create a derived content type based on it

For example:

The Financial Statement and Fiscal Report content types might be two subtypes of the parent type Finance Document, created to distinguish two specific types of documents in the same general category. Each type could then be routed into a different records library in the Records Centre or they could be grouped together

The Records Centre

Records Centre + Content Types + File Plan

The Records Centre site is used in conjunction with content types in SharePoint 2010 to implement the file plan.

How are Records submitted to the Record Centre?

Records are added to the Record Centre using the Submit A Record button on the home page or using a farm-wide Send To Records Centre option

What happens to records when they arrive at the Records Centre?

When a record is sent to the Records Centre, it is placed in the Drop Off Library until the Content Organizer rules are assessed, at which point, if there is a destination available based on content type or metadata, it is sent to that records library.

If there is not a Content Organizer rule for the document, it will remain in the Drop Off Library until a records manager determines where the record should be placed.

The document can be routed to the correct location by locating the document in the Drop Off Library and then populating the properties required by a Content Organizer rule that will route it to the appropriate location

Creating Records Libraries

·         Each library can hold one type of file or many different types

·         Files will be automatically routed into the records libraries based on the locations you configure in the Content Organizer list

·         You can create folders within records libraries, and they can be used as destination locations in the Content Organizer rules

·         Folders can be created automatically based on property values associated with the documents being routed, allowing the routing not to be based solely on content type

·         Major versioning is automatically turned on when libraries are created in the Records Centre – can be customized

Defining the required metadata

You can create additional columns (metadata) in the records library to track metadata that is required by your file plan but was not present on the original document.

For example, you may want to assign a tracking number to the file that is generated by an external document tracking system. The user would then be prompted for this number when sending the document to the repository - the user is presented with the Missing Properties page to provide the missing values.

If the user fails to provide any required values or cancels the Missing Properties page, then the file is still copied to the Records Centre, but it is placed in the Drop Off Library

Applying Information Management Policies

·         Each of the records libraries will have information management policies applied to them to enforce the file plan distributed earlier

·         You can either apply one policy for the entire records library or, if you configure the records library to allow multiple content types, then you can apply a separate policy to each content type

 

Creating Content Organizer rules

At this point, you want to create the Content Organizer rules based on either content types or metadata to control where the document will reside in the Records Centre.

If you are specifying more than one property to determine where to route the document, all property values must be met to ensure proper routing.

If you are using content types, you must define what library you want to receive the document.

Regardless of what rules are used to route the document, all the records library information management policies are applied to the document after it is placed in the records library

Placing a Hold on Records

The Records Centre site contains a Holds option that is used to place policy locks on sets of documents in the Records Centre, preventing them from expiring or being deleted while on hold.

When an item is placed on hold, all automated expiration policies are suspended for that item and users are prevented from deleting the item.

Creating a hold involves creating a new item in the Holds list, which can be completed by performing a search using the Search And Add To Hold page

Alternatively, you can also locate the record in the Records Center, hover over the title of the document until you see an arrow, and then click Compliance Details to present the Compliance Details page. Click the Add/Remove From Hold link and specify the name of the hold. You can use these same steps to remove the hold