Data Retention

Executive Summary

Data Retention defines architecture rules for retaining, archiving, deleting, and reviewing Algosure data. Retention applies to PostgreSQL operational data, documents, search projections, semantic memory, audit data, event/outbox data, and analytics projections.

Why This Exists

Algosure stores sensitive procurement, compliance, contract, funding, billing, identity, AI, and document data. Retention must balance business value, legal requirements, audit needs, customer obligations, data minimization, and security risk.

Owner

The owner is the Chief Product Officer and Enterprise Architect.

Business Value

Retention governance reduces data risk, supports compliance, prevents uncontrolled growth, and protects customer trust.

Retention Model

flowchart TB
    Data[Data Item]
    Classify[Classification]
    Owner[Owning Domain]
    Policy[Retention Policy]
    Action[Retain, Archive, Delete, or Review]
    Audit[Audit Evidence]

    Data --> Classify
    Classify --> Owner
    Owner --> Policy
    Policy --> Action
    Action --> Audit

Retention Scope

Data Area	Retention Owner
Operational source facts	Owning Domain.
Documents and evidence	Owning Domain with document classification policy.
Search projections	Search projection owner and source Domain.
Semantic memory	Intelligence with source-domain governance.
Audit data	Security and audit governance with source-domain context.
Event/outbox data	Publishing Domain with event architecture governance.
Analytics projections	Analytics with source-domain lineage.
Identity and tenant access history	Identity and Organization with security governance.
Billing and payment records	Billing with commercial and legal governance.

Classification Levels

Classification	Meaning
Public	Approved for public or low-risk visibility.
Internal	Platform operational data not intended for customer-public exposure.
Tenant confidential	Customer organization data restricted to authorized tenant users and services.
Sensitive	Compliance, identity, payment, funding, legal, bid, contract, or high-risk operational data.
Restricted	Secrets, privileged security data, highly sensitive evidence, or tightly controlled administrative records.

Retention Rules

Rule	Requirement
Owning Domain defines retention intent	Source data retention is governed by the Domain that owns the facts.
Classification drives retention	Sensitive and restricted data require stronger retention, access, and deletion controls.
Projections follow source lifecycle	Search, read models, analytics, and vector memory must respond to source retention changes.
Audit may outlive source data	Audit records may require separate retention where legal, security, or accountability needs apply.
Deletion is auditable	Deletion, archival, retention override, and restoration actions must be logged.
Tenant offboarding is governed	Offboarding must address operational data, documents, memory, integrations, audit, and legal holds.
Legal holds override deletion	Approved legal or compliance holds can suspend deletion while preserving auditability.

Non-Implementation Boundary

This document does not define final retention durations, deletion jobs, archive storage, legal hold workflow, or automated purge implementation.