DeleteRule

DeleteRule is a rule used in software systems to govern deletion operations. It defines who may delete, what data may be deleted, and under which conditions a deletion can occur. deleteRule can be part of access control, data lifecycle management, or workflow automation, and is typically enforced by a policy engine or rule processor.

Its purpose is to prevent accidental or unauthorized data loss, enforce retention and privacy requirements, and provide auditable traces of deletion decisions.

Common components include the subject (the actor or role), the resource (the data or object to be deleted), the action (delete), the conditions or predicates (ownership, permissions, data state, time windows, approval status), and any obligations (logging, alerts, or archival steps).

Implementation patterns include declarative policy languages (for example, XACML-like rules), rule engines, or configuration within application code. deleteRule evaluations can be performed during authorization checks or as part of a deletion workflow.

Examples: a content management system may enforce a rule that content can be deleted only by its author within 30 days of creation, or that deletion requires manager approval. In databases, a deleteRule might prevent removal if there are dependent records or if the item is under an active retention policy.

Relationship to compliance: deleteRule supports data governance by codifying retention, privacy, and audit requirements, and by generating logs for audits.

Challenges include rule conflicts, performance in high-volume systems, versioning and soft delete vs hard delete, and ensuring tamper-evident audit trails.

See also: data retention policy, access control, data lifecycle management, soft delete, audit logging.