What is a production import?


"Production imports," also referred to as "load file imports," are already-processed files that are commonly received from the opposing counsel in response to discovery requests. They are structured quite differently to data that might collect in the process of your review and are intended to be brought into an eDiscovery document review platform like GoldFynch for review and viewing, as opposed to being opened and directly viewed on their own. 

A production import usually has a directory structure similar to the below screenshots:


An example of the folders in a production import like TEXT NATIVES IMAGES and DATA

or 


Another example of a production import's structure with ocr native and images folders along with .txt .opt .dat and .csv files


Such productions usually have 'load files' that direct the importing eDiscovery software to where specific information is located. Load files also contain metadata about files. More detailed information regarding load files can be found here. 


Now that you have confirmed you have a production import/load file import, what next?


What happens to an uploaded production import, and what actions do you need to take?


Step #1:  Keep the directory structure as you received it and keep it in the container folder!

Since our system automatically detects these types of files, it is important to keep the directory as it was received. Do not extract the container folder. 


If it was not already zipped or in a compressed folder, you need to zip the entire contents. This includes any files with extensions like .csv, .dat, .opt, etc.


Step #2: Upload the container file

Upload the entire container folder (.zip, .7z, .rar, etc.) to your GoldFynch case as you normally would with any other file. More detailed information on uploading files to your GoldFynch case can be found here.


What happens next? Your files begin getting uploaded.

Once you submit your files for upload, you will see a progress indicator in the bottom right corner of your GoldFynch case and you can follow the progress of the upload. This may take time depending on the volume and your upload speed.  


Wait for the upload to complete, keeping an eye on the upload bar, or the file in the "files" view.

An image of the pop-up upload tracker while the upload is in progress


An image of the pop-up upload tracker when the upload is complete


What happens next? The files automatically go into a "staging" phase.

Once you see the uploaded production import folder listed in the "Files" view of your case, you have completed the upload. You may also see a "processing" message next to this folder. This indicates that GoldFynch has automatically begun running the system check to determine how to handle this upload - whether the files should be processed normally, or if special handling will be required.The uploaded file has the "Processing..." text against it in the Files view immediately after it is uploaded

Once our system determines that this file is a production import, you will see an "archive" symbol beside the file. You will need to wait until this icon becomes visible. Then go to Step #3 below.

The "Processing..." text is replaced with an archive icon against the uploaded production import file when it is processed and ready to be submitted for importing


Note: If you were to click on the file in an attempt to open it from this view, you will also see a message in the Document Viewer that the processing state of this file is "staging"



Step #3: Submit the production for importing.

First, you will need to click the archive symbol to request the import be queued.

An image showing the archive icon that needs to be clicked against the file in the "Files" view 

Next, you will need to answer a few additional questions regarding how you want the team to handle the images for this production import. More detail on this step can be found here.


What happens next? The production import gets queued.  

You will not need to do anything else and will receive an email once the process is completed (see the next "What happens next?" section below.)


During this time, if you click on the file in the "Files" view, you will see the below message in the Document Viewer.



These production imports require a member of our team to verify the column matching in the load file and occasionally configure some settings for the import. For example, if the time zone of the production's metadata values isn't clear, this would need to be selected by our team. Due to this manual step, the imports get queued and take a while to complete. In most situations, productions are imported on the same day or the next. (Weekends or after hours can take a bit longer.)


If you are up against a tight deadline or need the production imported urgently, please open a technical support request from the add-ons page, and we can get an engineer requisitioned specifically for this import to complete it ASAP, otherwise it should go through in our normal 24–48-hour timeframe.


What happens next? The production import becomes ready for review OR there are problems.

Keep an eye on your email. You will either receive an email from GoldFynch indicating that the production import is completed and ready for review, or you will receive an email explaining any issues encountered and suggestions on how to correct the production import.


Either way, you can expect to hear back from GoldFynch in the 24-48 hour timeframe, and no additional actions are required from your end until you receive this email.


If the process was completed successfully, you will be able to view and review your files as normal, and they will be placed in the "Files" view in the same path as your originally-uploaded production import file.


If the process ran into any complications, further instructions will be conveyed via email.