Leverage Acumen’s pre-import
analysis and data culling utilities, in addition to de duplication,
to reduce a large document population down to a much smaller,
responsive set. Acumen accounts for every file that was processed,
even files that were segregated due to filtering criteria,
de duplication, or import errors.
Collection analysis
Preview and optionally filter by folders and file types or
size. Use Acumen's intutive pie and bar charts to analyze
the collection's data at a glance.
Analyze and query email collections using Acumen reports about
"Who is talking to who?" and "What
are they talking about?"
Use Acumen's interactive query utility to determine responsive
files based on native file full text indices.
Filter out known system files
System files can be filtered from the processed batch when their
MD5 hash value matches that of a known software application
file. A list of over 45 million known software application files
is published by the National Software Resource Library (NSRL)
list, and Acumen receives an updated list quarterly. The “known”
tab of Acumen’s detailed file-level processed batch spreadsheet
report lists all files that were filtered during processing
due to a match with a known MD5. Filtering by MD5 may be turned
on or off in the Acumen case wizard and processed batch wizard.
Reports account for every file
Use Acumen’s processed batch summary report to get
processing statistics at a glance, or drill down into a detailed
file-level accounting.
Some files are segregated from the processed batch due to
import errors. The “import errors” tab of the
processed batch spreadsheet report includes all files that
were held as errors, along with a description of the error.
For example, a file may have failed to import because it was
password protected.
View and reprocess import errors
Files that error on import can be identified visually in
the context of the processed batch, along with reference to
the first (winner) instance of the document. Acumen users
may optionally browse and reprocess files that error by on
import without leaving the application.
Audit trail of workflow
Furthermore, Acumen’s audit trail substantiates all events
in a file's lifecycle. Track the file as it moves from processing
to review to production by event, by user, and by date/time.
Parent/ child hierarchy
Acumen preserves the legal significance and
context of data relationships between "parent" files and "child"
attachments by visually displaying the relationship in processed
and culled batches, optionally display data relationships
during review, and making the relationship available as metadata
throughout processing, review and production.
Point Acumen's import module to restored data on any external
or internal drive. Acumen uses Stellent Outside In to view
and extract searchable text for over 400 different file extensions
with thousands of file types from the decades of versions.
Acumen supports most of the formats listed here.
In addition to word processing formats, spreadsheets, presentations,
graphics, and compressed formats like .zip, Acumen extracts
full text for searching and metadata from email formats including
Outlook messages, calendar, notes, tasks, journal items and
folders (PST), Lotus Notes messages (NSF), and instant messenger
archives.
Metadata
Metadata is characterized by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
as the historical, managerial, and tracking components of
a file. Acumen stores up to 111 different metadata values
per document in its database. Since Metadata values are subjective
and depend on context, only some of these 111 values will
be populated for any given document. Metadata is extracted
during processing and stored for later use with sophisticated
searching and filtering in Acumen's review module and production
from Acumen's export module.
De duplication is the process of identifying and segregating
those files that are exact duplicates of one another.
Exact de duplication by MD5 or metadata
Acumen identifies exact duplicates using the mathematical
hashing algorithm MD5 or a user-defined combination of metadata.
(De duplication of exact duplicates is the most precise way
to de duplicate a data set, and Acumen does not offer "near
de duplication" at this time).
Of the 111 metadata types extracted by Acumen, the following
19 may be used for deduplication in Acumen:
The scope of de duplication may be across batches, custodian
sources, or cases. For example, data from file servers may
be de duplicated across sources, while email may be de duplicated
across batches. In the processed batch wizard, an Acumen user
may choose to turn off duplicate checking, to display only
one duplicate for review, or to display all duplicates for
review and link them to each other. Choosing to display all
duplicates but link them allows duplicates to be reviewed
and produced together. The "duplicates" tab of the processed
batch spreadsheet report includes all files that were flagged
as duplicates. Duplicates may also be identified visually
in the context of the processed batch, along with reference
to the first (winner) instance of the document.
Auto-tagging of duplicates
The first copy of any document loaded into Acumen is identified
as the master and subsequent identical documents are identified
as duplicates. When a reviewer designates (tags) the master,
subsequent duplicates are automatically designated (tagged)
and redacted the same way. This master/duplicate auto tagging
and redaction reduces inconsistencies among duplicates reviewed
by different reviewers.
Search to create responsive set
One of the most common culling strategies is the use of search
terms. DtSearch Corp. powers Acumen’s search, allowing
users to search the full text of files and their embedded
documents. Users may also narrow a data set for review based
on file-level attributes and criteria. Acumen then displays
documents with responsive terms highlighted.
Performance
Choose from a menu of powerful Acumen import options to
optimize speed. Process
1 gigabyte of data in approximately 1.5 hrs. Leverage additional
filters from Acumen's rich tool set by allowing 2 hour per
gigabyte.
Performance benchmarks from HP's Partner Technology Access
Center confirm Acumen Import's performance when exercising
the complete menu of Import's options on single or multi-server
environments and when using SAN.
