Compliance archival data process and system

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION First briefly in overview, the present invention provides a data processing system for managing large volume of data types typically generated during normal business activities.
While not so limited, the present preferred embodiment is directed to the management of e-mail message archiving at large institutions in the financial services sector.
Accordingly, the discussion of the system herein is directed to implementing the invention on an e-mail archiving requirement, with the data types being e-mail messages sent to or received by individual work stations located within a network environment.
Operation is, at the start, event driven.
E-mail messages are duplicated and stored on a local server in a separate log.
In particular, outgoing e-mail is written to the log upon sending.
In a somewhat different fashion, incoming e-mail is stored in a local mailbox and sent to the central log.
On a periodic basis, usually during off-hours, the log is copied to a separate CAR server and then erased.
The messages on the CAR server are then converted into CAR objects.
This involves the selective extraction of message field data to create an associated packet of meta-data.
The meta-data extract is combined with the message, formatted in a system protocol and encapsulated to form the CAR object.
The CAR object is then placed on the CAR storage outbound queue, and stored in sequence to an array of "worm" (write once, read many) optical storage media, forming the archive.
In addition, the meta-data is place in a DB2 database.
The meta-data structure and database storage operates to facilitate future retrieval of the stored message.
With the foregoing brief discussion in mind, attention is now directed to FIG.
1, a block diagram representation of the hardware environment associated with implementing the present invention.
The typical arrangement involves a local area network (LAN), linking together a plurality of separately programmed workstations, 10 each connected to at least one network supporting server 20