Who added the document to the repository or who last accessed the files?
Whether metadata is accessible for filtering on certain file types, file or record classes, or date ranges.
The capabilities or limitations of performing metadata and keyword queries in the repositories.
Whether the content is reliably indexed for conducting keyword filtering, including indexing the text from embedded objects within files, attachments to e-mail or files within compressed files. Remember, most search engines rely on indexes to perform keyword searching and where the content of a file is accessed to extract its textual content. A search index, or more precisely a full-text index, is the database that a full-text search engine uses to respond to the query issued by the user.
Files with content that cannot be indexed, such as image files without text or encrypted documents, are identified separately when attempting to filter based on keyword hits.
Whether search parameters can be logged and accessed later for audit tracking, if required.
If applied to a “stub” or a link, does the preservation extend to the original item?
Does preservation include the item’s metadata?
Is the authority to implement and manage such holds controlled by access rights and permissions?
Can multiple legal holds be effectively managed, such as when the same document is relevant to more than one legal matter, ensuring that when releasing the “hold” from one matter, it doesn’t override the holds from others?
Maintain a clear “chain-of-custody” that captures the actions taken to assure authenticity of the copy being exported, such as an audit log that includes access rights, selection parameters, time stamps and list of results.
Consistently manage, or at least log, any errors encountered, such as a fault condition that prevents a selected file from being written to a target drive.
Be reasonably efficient to meet discovery timeframes. Requests may involve hundreds of thousands of records spanning multiple servers and physical storage locations, and involve numerous tables containing relevant metadata elements.
Is hierarchical storage management (HSM) used? If so, how does search and retrieval differ as an item is moved from online, to near online, offline and, eventually, archival storage? The physical location and storage medium can change during the document retention lifecycle, impacting the relative ease and speed of access.
Can relevant metadata also be extracted along with files from the repository, such as the original file name, path and creation date, rather than being left simply with the date and location where the file is being written to an external share drive for collection?
If files are physically stored elsewhere, such as when accessing a link or “stub document” that points to another repository, does the export process include the linked document?
If the file is a compound document, such as an e-mail with attachments, does the export maintain or recreate the parent-child relationships?
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