The majority of accumulated data in Notes/Domino databases is inactive. This data is not frequently used, but still needs to be preserved for business or compliance reasons.
Our stand is that inactive data should be extracted from Notes/Domino applications and then archived to an open-standard repository. The repository of choice should also have the ability to display the document content, its context (in document views or parent-child relationships) and its metadata, all of which must be detached from their original application and platform.
Why is it important to archive inactive Notes/Domino data?
System performance. By off-loading old data from applications that are actively running, you can boost the application performance. And by decommissioning legacy Lotus Notes applications (those that are no longer used in day-to-day operations), you will keep your entire Domino infrastructure lean and efficient.
Costs. This process saves costs associated with hardware, licenses and effort. You can consolidate Domino servers and applications, speed up the backup process, and reduce the overall operating costs.
Risks. If inactive data resides on a legacy platform, or an unsupported application, it leads to a high risk of non-compliance. The risk grows as systems age. The risk also grows as Notes developers and Domino administrators leave the company. Therefore, inactive Lotus Notes data should be extracted and archived before it becomes inaccessible.
Data retention. Data retention periods cannot be determined by your application or platform lifespan (or vice versa). Instead, they are determined by business, regulatory and compliance requirements. For long-term archiving, Notes/Domino data should be detached from the original application, and saved in a format that a business person will be able to use.
Data migration. When undertaking a platform migration or application modernization project, it is much easier to migrate data without all historical luggage. You can substantially reduce data migration costs (and risks of failure) by off-loading historical data from Domino databases.
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