Hello,
First post here (have been reading a lot. A lot!) but I've been searching everywhere and can't find a best practice for the following problem. Hope you can give me some ideas/tips:
1. We got a site with 1 form-library and approximately 20 lists that are used in dataconnections. The IP form contains about 250 fields.
2. We need to close all current entries per year. They cannot be deleted but should not be visible for users.
3. Each year changes will be made to the InfoPath form as well as to the content of the custom lists. But all the data from older versions has to be readable as they were filled.
4. The idea is to copy the currently active site and create a "2014" site. But this requires an update of all dataconnections and more importantly: updating every rule, every field to connect to the correct field/list for each year. This sure will create issues in the future.
I'm currently thinking about alternatives:
1. Have 1 main, active site where you store the information for the current year. And copy all the old data to an "archive" site. You will lose the connections, but as long as you don't adjust any values, will the IP form have the same values? To decrease risks: put the site in "read-only" mode?
2. Adjust the Infopath form and update with a year-value. With views you can filter per year and you can additionally add a rule that all fields are read-only if the current year does not equal the chosen year. Downside: update all current forms. And how about adjustments to the form-template or content of lists? Will the content remain the same?
3. Any more ideas?