Shredding Process

The basic unit of data measurement in the platform is a case. A case is an instance of a template, which serves as a digital visualization of a specific business process.

Case data is not stored in a single table with a flat structure; instead, a case comprises tasks, links, variables, and relationships. This architecture results in data being distributed across multiple tables within the database.

Shredding is a tool designed to delete various case-related data across multiple database tables once a case workflow has been fully completed and the data is no longer needed.

After a case is shredded, some data is still retained for record-keeping purposes, but significantly fewer records remain compared to non-shredded cases. There is also an option to delete documents associated with a case.

Shredding is configured at the template level, where specific template variables can be designated for shredding.

Shredding Configuration

Process Template

For a template to be subject to the shredding process, the following settings must be configured:

• Shred After (Days): The number of calendar days after which shredding should be executed on a case.
• From Start/End of Case: Variables can be shredded either from the start of the case (when the case was initiated) or from the technical end of the case.
• Shred Documents: Enable this option if documents associated with the case should also be shredded.

Process Variables

It is recommended to specify which variables should be shredded during the template creation phase. The individual configuring the template has the necessary knowledge to determine which variables are auxiliary and not essential for long-term record-keeping.

Cron Job Configuration

A cron job must be set up and activated to ensure the shredding process runs automatically. The required cron job is "TemplateProcessShredding.js".

Cron Job Configuration File

{
    "limit": 1000
}

• Limit: Defines the number of cases to be shredded in one batch. Since shredding is a resource-intensive operation, it is advisable to set a reasonable limit to avoid prolonged execution times, especially during the initial shredding phase.

Scheduling

Plan and configure the specific time for the cron job execution to ensure optimal system performance.