Patent ID: 8495030

Claim:
A record management system, comprising: a computer processor; and a memory containing a program that, when executed by the computer processor, performs an operation for managing records, comprising: retrieving a record definition specifying one or more conditional expressions for use in identifying files to be classified as electronic records to be retained; for each of a plurality of files from a plurality of filesystems, where the respective file satisfies the one or more conditional expressions in the record definition, classifying the respective file as an electronic record; monitoring activity in each of the plurality of filesystems by a respective filesystem monitor of a plurality of filesystem monitors; and for the monitored activity and by at least one of the filesystem monitors, preventing at least one of access, alteration and deletion of the files classified as electronic records, based on a record disposition protocol associated with the record definition, wherein the preventing comprises: upon determining the monitored activity violates the record disposition protocol, preventing the monitored activity from occurring; and upon determining the monitored activity does not violate the record disposition protocol: allowing the monitored activity to complete; and creating a log entry describing the monitor activity; retrieving at least one update for the record definition from a record manager; and applying the at least one retrieved update to the record definition, such that when the at least one retrieved update is applied, the record definition is the same as a corresponding record definition maintained by the record manager.