Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) in ERP Applications

DLM (Data Lifecycle Management) is the process of managing data from creation to disposal. There are 3 pillars of this management; storage, applications and people. Storage is the process of persisting data (Storage device and storing application mostly DBMS). Applications change the state of data thus determines lifecycle (In our case, it is ERP applications). DBAs are the responsible personnel for data lifecycle.

Data lifecycle is a process where data changes its state. This lifecycle may be related with only a row of a table, or a set of rows, or a table, or a set of tables, or a database, or a set of databases. Some data may not participate in every step of lifecycle whereas some other data does.

Data spans following states that constitutes data lifecycle:

1. Creation: In this initial state, data is raw. Sometimes, data may bypass initialization step and be ready for usage. (Some users enters raw data, like sales order)

2. Initialization: Some data needs some extra processing in order to be used. In this phase, data is prepared for usage.(i.e. some users approves some records, managers approves sales order)

3. Usage (Consuming): Data is ready for consumers. Data may be used and referenced by some other data. (Approved sales orders may be referenced and used in sales invoices)

4. Usage Suspension: In some circumstances, data needs to be suspended to block usage. Data is in suspending mode and may return to usage or termination state.(i.e. an inventory item may be passivated temporarily)

5. Usage Termination: Data usage is terminated and data is ready to end. Data can’t be referenced and used. (i.e. a production order is cancelled)

6. Ending Usage: Data is destroyed and removed from the system. This step may require termination step. (i.e. customer master record is deleted)

7. Re-usage Again: Finished, terminated or ended data may be reactivated again. Removed data can be restored again. (i.e. Deleted data may be restored again or archived sales order may be reloaded to the active database again)

8. Closing Usage: Data is closed to usage. During this interval, data can’t be accessed and used. (i.e. sales invoice is locked and can’t be used by other users until release)

9. Finishing Usage: Unused data is moved into other systems. In some cases, reloading may be needed. (i.e. accounting receipts are archived and taken to archive system)

State machine of data lifecycle is as follows (only main transition paths are included):
This basic state machine may be combined with each application’s own defined states. Every ERP application module may have its own system states or user-defined states that determine data flow and lifecycle of data. DBAs may intervene in some conditions and change data state. Sometimes data may be in a corrupt state and DBAs manually correct data.

It is notable that objects have similar lifecycle in memory. Java objects have their own initialization and termination processes that are managed by JVM.