Welcome to the Monolith documentation site.

Monolith is a case, evidence, and analysis management platform built for digital forensic workflows. Use these docs to get started, learn how Monolith fits into your process, and reference specific features as your team works in the platform.

New to Monolith?

If you are accessing Monolith for the first time, start with:

• Accessing Monolith: Find the correct cloud region and learn how to access Monolith through the web, desktop, or mobile applications.

• Initial Setup: Review the recommended configuration steps for a new Monolith environment.

• : Learn how Monolith authentication and two-factor authentication work.

• : Learn how to sign in when your organization uses Single Sign-On.

• : Install and connect the Monolith desktop application.

Monolith brings the major parts of the forensic workflow together in one system.

Common areas include:

• Case and Inquiry management

• Evidence intake, tracking, and storage

• Chain of custody

• Acquisitions and forensic work

Use the section to explore these product areas in more detail.

extends common Monolith workflows to your phone or tablet.

Use the mobile app to work with cases and evidence, capture evidence information and photos, perform chain of custody actions, collect signatures, and take notes while away from your workstation.

See to get started.

Relay is Monolith's structured request portal.

Relay allows investigators, attorneys, employees, partner organizations, and other requestors to submit forensic requests without requiring access to the primary Monolith application.

Requests submitted through Relay flow into Inquiries in Monolith for review and triage before becoming active casework.

See to learn how Relay fits into Monolith.

For technical deployment and security information, see .

Topics include:

• Cloud security

• On-premises deployments

• Monolith endpoints and network access

• Other technical deployment guidance

Monolith provides APIs for organizations that need to integrate case, evidence, acquisition, storage, task, client, contact, Inquiry, and other supported data with external systems.

See for authentication and endpoint documentation.

Webhook documentation will also be added to provide guidance for event-driven integrations.

Use these resources alongside the documentation based on how you prefer to learn:

• : Product, solution, and platform information.

• : Product overview and mobile workflow highlights.

• : Learn more about structured forensic request intake.

• : Monolith Mondays, Workshop Wednesdays, and how-to videos.

The Evidence Management section brings together the tools used to track evidence, storage, physical locations, and inventory verification throughout Monolith.

Use these areas to maintain an accurate record of what your organization has, where items are located, and how they move through your workflow.

Evidence Items

Evidence Items provides an organization-wide view of evidence entered into Monolith.

Use it to find and review evidence across cases, work with evidence details, and access related evidence workflows.

See Evidence Items for additional guidance.

Storage Items

Storage Items tracks the physical or digital media used to preserve forensic data.

Storage items can be managed independently or associated with cases and evidence depending on your workflow.

See Storage Items for setup and usage guidance.

Item Locations models the physical locations used by your organization for evidence and storage movement.

Locations are organized by Office and can represent users, evidence rooms, shelves, lockers, cages, work areas, and other places where items may be located.

See Item Locations to learn how Offices, Location Groups, and individual locations work together.

Audits helps your organization verify that evidence and storage items are physically located where Monolith expects them to be.

Audits can be used as part of routine inventory checks and evidence accountability workflows.

See Audits for additional guidance.

Monolith email notifications help users stay informed about assignments and important updates related to their work.

Email notification preferences are managed from Monolith Settings, but these settings apply to the currently logged-in user. Updating these options changes which email notifications you receive. It does not change notification preferences for other users in your organization.

Access Email Notifications

To manage your email notification preferences:

1. Open Settings from the left navigation.

2. Select Notifications.

3. Review the available email notification options.

4. Toggle each notification on or off based on your preference.

Monolith currently supports email notifications for the following events:

• Notify me when I am assigned to a case

• Notify me when I am assigned to a task

• Notify me when software is about to expire

When a notification is enabled, Monolith may send an email to your account email address when the related event occurs.

Email notification preferences are user-specific.

Each user should review their own notification settings after their account is created. For example, one user may want to receive emails when assigned to a case, while another user may prefer to only receive task assignment notifications.

Single sign-on, or SSO, allows users to log in to Monolith using their organization’s identity provider.

If your organization has configured SSO, you may not need to use a separate Monolith password. Instead, Monolith will redirect you to your organization’s login page after you enter your email address.

SSO can be configured for both Monolith and Relay. Because they are separate applications, SSO configuration for Monolith and Relay is handled separately.

To log in with SSO:

1. Open Monolith using the correct web, desktop, or mobile application.

Monolith includes common interface tools that work consistently across the platform. Learning these features can make it easier to find information, customize record views, and work efficiently with larger amounts of data.

These tools are used throughout areas such as Cases, Evidence Items, Inquiries, Clients, Contacts, Tasks, and other record-based views.

Tables display collections of records throughout Monolith.

Use table controls to:

• Sort records by column

Global Search helps you quickly find records across Monolith without first navigating to a specific section.

Search results can include:

• Cases

• Evidence Items

• Notes

The Dashboard provides a starting point for returning to recent work and identifying items that may need your attention.

Use the Dashboard to review recent activity, access personalized or administrative summary information, and manage Tasks across Monolith.

The Overview page contains the My Dashboard and Admin Dashboard views.

My Dashboard acts as a catch-up board, helping users quickly return to recently accessed Cases and Evidence Items, review recent activity, see assigned QA Reviews, monitor Tasks due soon, and identify new Inquiries.

Users with appropriate access can also use the Admin Dashboard for a high-level snapshot of Case activity, Evidence volume, Acquisitions, time tracking, Clients, and other organization-wide metrics.

See for more information about Dashboard widgets and customization.

The Tasks page provides a centralized view of Tasks across Monolith.

Monolith supports two primary ways to create case reports: and .

Both options help teams turn structured Monolith data into a Microsoft Word document that can be reviewed, edited, finalized, and shared according to your organization's reporting process.

Monolith Case Reports are built into the product and allow users to generate reports by selecting the sections they want to include.

This is the most common reporting workflow for users who want a point-and-click way to create a case report without building or maintaining a custom template. Users can choose the relevant report sections, generate the report, and export it to Microsoft Word for final review, formatting, or QC edits.

Use Monolith Case Reports when you want to quickly generate a report from available case data such as case details, evidence, acquisitions, notes, files, contacts, quality assurance, and related activity.

Custom Report Templates allow organizations to create reusable Microsoft Word report templates that match their preferred reporting style, structure, formatting, and language.

These templates use Monolith report variables and template logic to populate Word documents with data from Monolith. Custom templates are useful when your organization has a specific report format, agency standard, branding requirement, or internal review process that needs to be reflected in the final report output.

Navigate to Evidence Management > Audits to view existing Audits in your Monolith environment.

Audits are displayed in a standard Monolith table so you can review available records and open the Audit you want to work with.

The Audits table can display information such as:

• Audit Name

• Status

Monolith supports barcode and QR code scanning to help users quickly locate records and verify physical items during an Audit.

Scanning can reduce manual searching when working through larger evidence or storage inventories.

Custom Monolith labels can include a barcode or QR code that identifies the associated item.

When the printed code is scanned, Monolith uses the identifier to locate the corresponding record without requiring the user to manually search for the item.

For information about configuring labels and the supported variables used for scanning, see .

Scanners are especially useful when working through a physical inventory.

During an Audit:

Monolith uses and to help your team keep track of the people and organizations connected to your work.

Although both store information about people or organizations, they serve different purposes within Monolith.

Clients generally represent the person or organization requesting work from your team.

A client may be associated with a directly or originate from a request submitted through . Client records help preserve information about who requested the work and provide a consistent record that can be associated with multiple cases over time.

Use Clients to:

• Maintain information about requestors or customer organizations

The Organization section in Monolith contains tools for managing your internal team and office structure.

Use these areas to define who works in Monolith and how your organization is structured across physical offices or locations.

Use Team Management to manage the people who have access to your Monolith environment.

Team settings can affect user access, assignments, casework, and other workflows throughout Monolith.

See Team Management for user account and access management.

Use Offices to represent the physical offices, laboratories, or organizational locations used by your team.

Offices help provide organizational context for users and can also be relevant to evidence locations and chain of custody workflows.

See Offices for setup and usage guidance.

In this section you can add additional details to your organization's profile including name, address details, contact information, and website.

Here you are also able to change the default Monolith logo to the logo of your organization.

AI-powered features are added to Monolith over time as part of normal product development.

Our goal is to keep AI-assisted workflows optional where possible so users can control when information is provided to AI systems for processing.

Monolith currently supports AI processing through the following providers:

• OpenAI

• Anthropic

The Case Management section contains the primary tools used to organize forensic work in Monolith.

Cases bring together the people, evidence, acquisitions, files, notes, tasks, quality assurance, reporting, and other information associated with a matter or investigation.

Use Inquiries to review incoming requests before they become active casework.

Cases

A Case is the central record used to organize forensic work in Monolith.

Cases can contain and connect information such as:

• Evidence Items

• Acquisitions

• Storage Items

• Clients and Contacts

• Tasks

• Notes

• Files

• Quality Assurance

• Reports

• Activity history

Cases also maintain their own identifying information, assignments, status, progress, dates, and other metadata used to manage and report on work across your organization.

See to learn how cases are created, managed, and used throughout Monolith.

Monolith can generate Microsoft Word reports using information stored throughout a Case.

Reports can include case information, evidence, acquisitions, chain of custody, analysis, notes, tasks, contacts, and other supported case data.

See for information about Monolith's standard report builder and custom report templates.

Inquiries provide a staging and triage area for work that has been requested but has not yet become an active Case.

Inquiries are commonly created from requests submitted through Relay, but they can also support other intake workflows.

Your team can review the submitted information, update the Inquiry status, communicate with the requestor through Relay when applicable, and decide when the work should become a Case.

An Inquiry can be used to:

• Create a new Case

• Merge the request into an existing Case

• Carry supported Evidence, Contacts, files, and custom field information into the Case

• Preserve the connection between the original request and the resulting casework

See for additional guidance.

For Relay-specific workflows, see .

The Lab Management section helps your organization keep track of the software and equipment used to perform forensic work.

Use these records to maintain operational information about the tools your lab depends on and keep important details available to the rest of your Monolith workflow.

Forensic Software

Use Forensic Software to maintain information about the software products used by your team.

Software records can help your organization keep track of details such as:

• Software name

• Version information

• Licensing or subscription information

• Expiration dates

• Other relevant software details

Forensic Software can also be referenced when documenting Acquisitions, allowing users to record which tool and version were used during forensic collection.

See Forensic Software for additional guidance.

Use Equipment to maintain records for physical lab equipment used by your organization.

Equipment records can help centralize information about the tools and devices your team relies on during forensic work.

Examples might include:

• Forensic workstations

• Write blockers

• Imaging hardware

• Mobile acquisition equipment

See Equipment for additional guidance.

Keeping software and equipment information in Monolith provides a shared reference for your team and helps preserve operational context around the tools used during forensic work.

This can be useful for:

• Tracking software versions and licensing

• Monitoring software expiration dates

• Maintaining equipment information

• Supporting repeatable forensic workflows

The Analytics section provides organization-wide reporting across information recorded in Monolith.

Use Analytics when you want to review trends, workload, activity, or operational metrics across multiple Cases and records rather than reporting on a single Case.

Reports

The Reports page allows users to create Metrics Reports from supported areas of Monolith.

Current report categories include:

• Cases - Overview

• Evidence - Overview

• Storage - Overview

• QA Entries - Overview

• Acquisitions - Overview

• Time Entries - Overview

• Forensic Partner Reporting - FPR

Each report category focuses on a different part of the Monolith workflow and provides its own reporting options and metrics.

See for information about creating Metrics Reports and choosing the appropriate report category.

Analytics Reports and Case Reports serve different purposes.

Analytics Reports are designed for organization-wide metrics and operational reporting across larger sets of Monolith data.

Case Reports are generated from an individual Case and are intended to produce a Microsoft Word document containing selected Case information.

Use Analytics when you want to understand activity across your organization.

Use Case Reports when you need a report for a specific Case.

Analytics is one of several ways to work with Monolith data.

Depending on the information you need, you can also:

• Filter and export data from Monolith tables

• Generate Case-specific Microsoft Word reports

• Use the Monolith API for custom integrations or reporting workflows

See for information about filtering, customizing, and exporting table data.

See for programmatic access to supported Monolith resources.

Relay is Monolith's request portal for collecting structured forensic requests from people outside of your primary Monolith user base.

Instead of receiving requests through email, phone calls, spreadsheets, web forms, ticketing systems, or other disconnected channels, Relay gives requestors a consistent place to submit the information your team needs before forensic work begins.

Requests submitted through Relay flow directly into Case Management > Inquiries in Monolith, where your team can review the submitted information, update the inquiry status, and ultimately create a new case or merge the inquiry into an existing case.

Request-specific messaging remains in Relay. Monolith users who need to communicate with requestors through Relay should also have an appropriate Relay account.

Why Use Relay?

Forensic teams often receive requests from many more people than the small group of users performing the actual forensic work.

A Monolith environment may have only a handful of licensed Monolith users while supporting hundreds of requestors through Relay.

Relay helps your team:

• Standardize how forensic requests are submitted

• Collect important case and evidence information before intake

• Keep request information connected to the resulting Monolith case

• Create a new case or merge additional requests into an existing case

• Reduce back-and-forth communication caused by incomplete requests

• Give requestors visibility into request and case progress

• Provide request-specific communication through Relay comments and @mentions

• Share files securely through

• Avoid maintaining a separate intake form, ticketing system, or request website

• Support large populations of requestors without requiring each person to have a Monolith license

Relay users do not consume Monolith user licenses, and an organization can support as many Relay users as needed.

A typical Relay workflow looks like this:

For many teams, this workflow can move quickly from request submission to Case creation or merge. Inquiry Statuses, Relay messaging, and additional review steps are available when a more structured triage process is useful. Inquiry Status updates can also be reflected to the requestor in Relay, providing visibility when a request is accepted, declined, awaiting additional information, or otherwise moving through the intake process.

Choose the guide that best matches how you use Relay:

• - Learn how to submit requests, add evidence and contacts, track progress, communicate with the forensic team, and access shared files.

• - Learn how forensic teams review incoming Inquiries, manage request status, and create or merge cases.

• - Configure your Relay tenant, manage user access, provide request instructions, and control custom fields.

Monolith Release Notes provide a history of product updates across Monolith.

Use Release Notes to review changes introduced in the current version or look back at updates from previous releases.

Review Release Notes

Release Notes are organized by Monolith version.

Select a version from the version menu to review the changes included with that release.

Release information may include:

• New features

• Product improvements

• Workflow changes

• Bug fixes

• Other notable updates

The most recent release is available by default, while previous versions remain available for historical reference.

Use the version selector at the top of the Release Notes page to move between current and historical releases.

This can be useful when:

• Reviewing when a feature or behavior changed

• Catching up after an update

• Comparing changes between versions

• Troubleshooting a workflow that changed after an upgrade

The About page provides general information about the Monolith application and Monolith Forensics.

Use this page to review the version of Monolith currently running in your environment, find Monolith Forensics contact information, and review software licensing information.

Monolith Version

The current Monolith application version is displayed near the top of the About page.

This can be useful when:

• Confirming which version of Monolith your environment is running

• Reviewing Release Notes for a particular version

• Troubleshooting an issue with Monolith Support

• Comparing behavior before and after an update

See to review changes included in current and previous Monolith versions.

The About page also includes Monolith Forensics company and support information.

For product questions, technical assistance, or other support needs, contact:

support@monolithforensics.com

See for additional information about getting help with Monolith.

The About page includes the Monolith Software License Agreement applicable to the software.

For the full agreement in the Monolith documentation, see .

On-Premises Package

Once you have purchased Monolith and are ready to deploy, you will be provided with a Monolith On-premises deployment package. This package contains configuration files necessary to run the deployment.

Package Contents

The package will contain the following items:

• .env

  • This environment file contains variables that are provided to your Monolith deployment at run time. This is where your licensing information is sotred, along with other deployment settings.

• docker-compose.yml

  • This is a Docker deployment configuration file. This file defines how the various Monolith containers are configured and deployed.

  • This provides a predefined configuration so you do not need to build the Monolith Docker deployement from scratch.

• init

  • This folder contains additional configuration files required by the deployment.

Monolith is designed to support organizations that need to protect sensitive case, evidence, and forensic information while maintaining practical access for their teams.

The Cloud Security section provides an overview of the security and authentication options available for Monolith-hosted environments.

Security Overview

The Security Overview provides additional information about the controls and practices used to protect Monolith cloud environments and customer data.

Use this page when reviewing Monolith from an information security, compliance, procurement, or IT perspective.

See Security Overview for additional information.

Authentication and Access

Monolith supports several authentication controls for accessing cloud environments.

Depending on your organization's configuration, users may authenticate using:

• Monolith account credentials

• Two-factor authentication

• Single sign-on through your organization's identity provider

See for information about standard Monolith authentication.

Organizations can configure Single Sign-On (SSO) so users authenticate through their existing identity provider.

SSO can help organizations align Monolith access with existing identity, account management, and authentication policies.

Monolith and Relay can both support SSO, but their configurations are managed separately.

See for additional information.

Organizations with firewall, allowlisting, or other network requirements may need information about the Monolith services their users access.

See for current endpoint and network reference information.

This section focuses on Monolith-hosted cloud environments.

Organizations that deploy Monolith within their own infrastructure should see for deployment-specific guidance.

This page provides Docker installation guidance for systems that may be used with a Monolith on-premises deployment.

Windows

To install Docker on Windows, install Docker Desktop for Windows.

Follow the official Docker installation instructions:

Install Docker Desktop on Windows

WSL

Docker Desktop for Windows can use Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2) as its container backend.

Depending on the Windows system and Docker configuration, Docker Desktop may use WSL 2 or another supported backend such as Hyper-V.

If your deployment uses WSL 2, follow Microsoft's current installation guidance to enable and configure WSL before deploying Monolith.

macOS

To install Docker on macOS, install Docker Desktop for Mac.

Docker provides installers for both Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs.

Follow the official Docker installation instructions:

For Linux-based Monolith hosts, follow Docker's installation guidance for your supported Linux distribution.

For Ubuntu Server, see:

Monolith supports Topaz signature tablets for capturing electronic signatures during supported workflows such as Chain of Custody.

A signature tablet can be useful when Evidence or Storage Items are physically transferred and your organization wants the person involved in the custody action to sign directly at the workstation.

Supported Signature Tablet

The currently tested and supported model is:

• Topaz T-S460-HSB-R Signature Pad

Windows Requirement

Topaz signature tablet integration is currently supported on Windows systems.

Install Topaz SigWeb

The computer connected to the signature tablet must have Topaz SigWeb installed.

SigWeb allows Monolith to communicate with the Topaz signature device and capture the signature from the pad.

Download and install SigWeb from the Topaz website:

After installation, connect the signature tablet to the Windows computer and confirm that the device is available before beginning a Monolith signature workflow.

When a supported signature field is available during a Monolith workflow:

1. Connect the Topaz signature tablet to the Windows computer.

2. Begin the applicable signature or Chain of Custody action in Monolith.

3. Select the option to capture a signature.

4. Sign using the Topaz tablet.

The captured signature is stored with the applicable Monolith record as part of the completed workflow.

A Topaz signature tablet is not required to capture every signature in Monolith.

Depending on the device and workflow, signatures may also be captured using supported touch-enabled devices or other available Monolith signature options.

The Relay Settings area in Monolith contains the administrative controls used to configure your organization's Relay request portal.

For complete guidance on setting up and administering Relay, see Relay Administration.

Relay Settings

Relay Settings is organized into four areas:

• Basic Details — manage your Relay tenant name, logo, URL, and tenant email.

• User Management — invite users, approve registrations, and manage Relay administrative access.

• Instructions — provide guidance requestors see when beginning a new Relay request.

• Custom Field Options — control which supported Inquiry and Evidence Custom Fields are available to Relay requestors.

Basic Details contains the identifying information for your Relay tenant, including the URL used by requestors to access Relay.

See for information about configuring tenant details and request instructions.

Use User Management to control access to your Relay tenant.

Relay users are managed separately from licensed Monolith users and can be invited directly or approved after registering through your organization's Relay URL.

See for complete guidance.

Custom Field Options controls which supported Inquiry and Evidence Custom Fields appear to requestors in Relay.

Inquiry Custom Fields can also be mapped to corresponding Case Custom Fields when creating a new Case from an Inquiry.

See for configuration and mapping guidance.

Requests submitted through Relay appear in Monolith as Inquiries, where they can be reviewed, triaged, converted into new Cases, or merged into existing Cases.

See for the Monolith-side request workflow.

Starting and Stopping Monolith Server

// Deploy and Run Monolith Containers
// Must be run in same directory as docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -d

// Remove Monolith containers
// Must be run in same directory as docker-compose.yml
docker compose down

These commands can be used together to fully stop and restart the Monolith containers.

Various Docker Commands

// Show resource usage of docker containers
docker stats

// Show all containers
docker container ls -a

// Show downloaded container images
docker image ls -a

// Download a container image
docker pull [image-name]

// Restart container
docker container restart [container-name]

Docker CLI Reference

Additional Docker commands are available in the official Docker documentation:

Docker CLI Reference

Docker Compose CLI Reference

Additional Docker Compose commands are available in the official Docker documentation:

Docker Compose CLI Reference

Related Documentation

• On-Premises Deployments

Monolith can be deployed on-premises for organizations that prefer to host the application within their own infrastructure rather than use a Monolith-hosted cloud environment.

The Monolith application is containerized and designed to be straightforward to deploy. The specific implementation depends on how Monolith needs to connect with your organization's existing infrastructure, network, storage, database, backup, security, and access requirements.

On-premises implementations are typically coordinated with an organization's IT or infrastructure representative who understands the environment where Monolith will run.

Monolith can work with your technical team throughout the deployment process to understand those requirements and help integrate Monolith into the environment. Organizations with the appropriate technical experience may also use the documentation in this section to manage much of the deployment process directly.

Planning an On-Premises Deployment

Before deployment, it is helpful to understand:

• Where Monolith will be hosted

• How users will access the environment

• How networking and DNS are configured

• Whether a custom domain and TLS certificate will be used

• Where Monolith data and uploaded files will be stored

• How database and file backups will be managed

• Whether Monolith needs to connect to internal file shares or other systems

• How application updates will be applied

These requirements vary between organizations, so the exact deployment architecture may differ from one Monolith environment to another.

The pages in this section provide technical guidance for deploying and maintaining an on-premises Monolith environment.

For assistance planning or implementing an on-premises deployment, contact .

Monolith users can log in with their account email address and password. Cloud users are also required to use two-factor authentication unless Single Sign-On (SSO) has been configured for their organization.

To log in to Monolith:

1. Open Monolith using the correct web, desktop, or mobile application.

2. Enter your account email address.

teA Location Group represents a physical storage or working area in your lab, such as an evidence room, evidence locker, secure storage area, or shelving section.

Each group contains individual Locations that identify where an item is physically stored.

For example:

Setting up Location Groups and Locations allows Monolith to reflect your real-world storage environment and track where evidence and storage items are located.

1. In the left-hand navigation, open Evidence Management > Item Locations.

Navigate to Evidence Management > Audits and select New Audit to begin creating an Audit.

The Create Audit form includes:

1. Audit Name: Enter a short, descriptive name for the Audit.

2. Assignee: Select the Monolith user responsible for performing or administering the Audit.

The Audit workspace brings together the items being reviewed, current verification progress, Audit details, and historical Audit activity.

Use this page to understand the major areas available after opening an Audit.

An Audit contains two primary navigation tabs:

• Audit Items: Contains the Audit details and the items included in the verification process.

• Audit Logs: Displays recorded activity related to items being reviewed during the Audit.

Monolith supports integrations that connect specific workflows with external systems and services.

Available integrations may require additional configuration or administrative access to the corresponding external service.

The Forensic Partner Reports integration supports organizations that report forensic Case and Evidence metrics to the United States Secret Service.

The integration can help map Monolith Case Types and Evidence Types to the corresponding categories used for Forensic Partner Reporting and provides an Excel report containing the applicable metrics.

The generated report can be used to review and transfer reporting information according to your organization's USSS reporting process.

When enabled, the integration may also create supporting Custom Fields used to capture information required for the report.

The Mattermost integration allows supported Monolith notifications to be sent to a Mattermost channel.

Deploying Monolith with the default configuration uses the Docker Compose files included with your on-premises package.

1. Install Docker. See for instructions.

2. Choose a location to store your Monolith on-premises package files.

3. Open a command terminal.

Docker is a platform that uses OS-level virtualization to deliver software in packages called "containers". Docker is used to deploy, manage, and run containers within a variety of environments.

Monolith is deployed in on-premises environments using containers and Docker is recommended as the container management system to run and manage Monolith.

Monolith runs in a server-client configuration where users access and manage data via the Monolith desktop client or web application. A Monolith API server runs on a centralized host and handles HTTP requests from the desktop clients and web application. The API server communicates with a database to create, update, delete, and read data from the database.

The image above illustrates the basic setup of containers within an on-premises deployment. The containerized nature of Monolith allows for flexible and scalable on-premises deployment options.

This is a web server container that handles incoming requests from clients and proxies traffic to one of three containers: Monolith Web App, Monolith API, or the Relay App. This container can be configured to include custom domain TLS certificates.

Monolith Mobile brings common case and evidence workflows to your phone or tablet, allowing you to work with Monolith away from your workstation.

The app is available for iOS, iPadOS, and Android and connects directly to your Monolith environment.

Download Monolith Mobile

Monolith Mobile is available from:

• Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad

• Google Play for Android phones and tablets

An active Monolith account is required to use the application.

For a visual overview of the mobile application, see the .

Open Monolith Mobile and sign in using your Monolith account.

Select the appropriate Monolith region or environment when prompted.

Organizations using Single Sign-On can also use their configured SSO authentication workflow.

See and for additional access information.

Use Monolith Mobile to review cases and evidence while away from your workstation.

You can:

• View cases

• View evidence items

• Search for cases and evidence

• Review case and evidence details

This can be useful during evidence intake, field work, court, laboratory movement, or other situations where a desktop workstation is not convenient.

New evidence items can be created from Monolith Mobile.

This is particularly useful when evidence is physically in front of you during intake or collection.

Use your device camera to scan:

• A physical item

• A device label

• An About This Device screen

• An existing image from your photo library

Monolith can use information from the image to assist with populating evidence details.

Review the information before saving the evidence item.

Use your phone or tablet to photograph evidence and upload the images directly to the appropriate evidence item.

Photos added through Monolith Mobile synchronize with the evidence item and case in your Monolith environment.

This can reduce the need to photograph evidence separately and transfer the images later.

Monolith Mobile supports chain of custody workflows from your mobile device.

Use the app when evidence is being received, moved, released, checked out, or transferred through other supported custody actions.

Chain of custody activity completed through the mobile app synchronizes with Monolith.

Monolith Mobile includes a digital signature workflow for chain of custody.

A signature can be collected directly on the phone or tablet while an evidence transfer is taking place.

This can be especially useful during evidence intake or release when the person involved in the custody transfer is physically present.

Monolith Mobile allows you to work with case and evidence notes away from your workstation.

You can:

• Create case notes

• Create evidence notes

• Review existing notes

• Edit existing notes

Changes synchronize with your Monolith environment.

Monolith Mobile adapts to the device being used.

Phones are well suited for mobile workflows such as:

• Evidence intake

• Evidence photography

• Scanning

• Chain of custody

Tablets provide additional screen space and a larger Monolith experience for users who want to work more extensively from a mobile device.

Monolith Mobile can be especially useful for:

• Receiving evidence at an intake counter

• Photographing evidence as it arrives

• Creating evidence items in the field

• Scanning device information instead of manually entering it

For screenshots and a visual overview of Monolith Mobile, visit the .

The Query Filter is used throughout Monolith to narrow tables using field-based conditions.

Filters use conditional logic to return only the records that match the criteria you define. Available fields and filter options depend on the type of records being viewed.

Example:

This filter uses AND logic, which means a record must match all three conditions to appear in the results.

• Open Date is sometime after January 1, 2023

• The Case Lead is Matt Danner

• The Case Type is Consultation

This filter combines those three conditions into an "exclusive" filter, which means that a record must match all three conditions. This can also be referred to as an "AND" statement:

"Show me all cases WHERE the open date is after January 1, 2023 AND the case lead is Matt Danner AND the case type is Consultation."

Available filter fields depend on the type of records being viewed. For example, Cases have different filter options from Evidence Items.

The operators available for each condition also depend on the field type.

Common filter types include:

• Date filters

• Text filters

• Multi-select filters

To add a filter, click on the "Add Filter" button above the table. This opens a searchable list of the fields you can filter on. Start typing to narrow the list to a specific field, or scroll to browse the available options.

Once you select a field, the filter displays an operator between the field and its value. This operator sets the parameters for the condition and changes based on the type of field selected.

The available operators are:

• Date filters: is after, is before, is between

• Text filters: contains, does not contain, is, is not

• Multi-select filters: is any of, is none of

You can add multiple conditions to narrow the data further.

Filters in Monolith are persistent. If you navigate away from a table and return later, Monolith remembers the filters you previously applied.

Filters also carry through to table exports, so exported data reflects the active filters.

If a table appears to be missing records you expect to see, check whether a previous filter is still applied.

To remove an individual filter, click the X on that condition.

Removing all conditions returns the table to its unfiltered view.

The Evidence Items table supports both AND and OR logic.

The default is AND. Use the filter logic control to switch between the two options.

The two options return different results:

• "AND" returns records that match every condition. A filter for case name and evidence type returns only the evidence items that match both.

• "OR" returns records that match any condition. A filter across two case names returns the evidence items from both cases in a single view.

Here is an example of an "OR" filter on the evidence table:

The above filter has two conditions:

• The Case Name is Smith Fraud Case

• The Case Name is Smith Agency

Because the filter uses "OR" logic, a record only needs to match one of the conditions to appear in the results:

"Show me all evidence items WHERE the case name is Smith Fraud Case OR the case name is Smith Agency."

What are storage items?

Storage items represent the physical devices or storage systems used to preserve forensic data that has been collected, processed, or provided to your organization.

Monolith tracks storage items separately from evidence items so teams can document where forensic data is stored, associate storage with cases, and manage the item throughout its lifecycle.

Examples of Storage Items

Storage items may include:

• External Hard Drives

• USB Drives

• Network-attached storage devices

• FTP Servers

• Cloud storage systems

• Other physical or digital storage used for forensic data

• Forensic images

• Mobile device extractions

• Case data

• Working files

Evidence and storage items serve different purposes in Monolith.

Evidence items represent the original source of forensic evidence or data. Examples may include smartphones, computers, email accounts, cloud accounts, removable media, or other original sources.

Storage items represent the device or system where collected or processed forensic data is stored. Examples may include an external hard drive containing a forensic image or a network storage system containing data from multiple cases.

A useful distinction is:

• Evidence is the original source or item being examined.

• Storage is where collected or processed data is preserved.

Monolith supports two categories of storage items:

• General

• Assigned

General storage items represent shared or permanent storage systems that may contain data from multiple cases.

A common example is a network-attached storage system used to preserve forensic images and case data for the lab.

General storage items:

• Cannot be assigned to a specific case

• May contain data from multiple cases

• Do not use case-specific chain of custody tracking

• Typically remain in a fixed location

Assigned storage items represent storage associated with a specific case.

These items are often smaller or portable devices that contain data for one case, such as an external hard drive prepared for a forensic examination or client delivery.

Assigned storage items:

• Must be assigned to a case before they can be used within that case

• Can contain data for only one assigned case at a time

• Support chain of custody while assigned to a case

• Can be removed from a case and reused when appropriate

There are two ways to associate a storage item with a case:

• Create a new storage item

• Assign an existing storage item

To create and assign a storage item from a case:

1. Open the case.

2. Select the Storage Items tab.

3. Create a new storage item.

4. Enter the storage item details.

The new storage item is created and assigned to the current case.

To assign an existing storage item:

1. Open the case.

2. Select the Storage Items tab.

3. Choose the option to assign an existing item.

4. Select the storage item.

An existing item may also be assigned through the available Actions menu.

Storage items may move through several stages during their use.

Depending on your organization’s workflow, an assigned storage item may be:

• Created for a case

• Assigned to an existing case

• Used to store one or more acquisitions

• Moved between physical locations

• Use clear storage numbers and descriptions.

• Record make, model, serial number, capacity, and location when available.

• Use General storage for shared systems that contain data from multiple cases.

• Use Assigned storage for devices dedicated to a specific case.

Your organization should review and configure the core settings that support users, cases, evidence, storage, reporting, and quality assurance.

Some settings may already be configured during implementation or trial setup. Use this page as a setup checklist to confirm that Monolith is ready for your team’s workflow.

Recommended Setup Checklist

1. Review organization information

Confirm your organization details before users begin working in Monolith.

See: Organization Info

This information may be used throughout Monolith, including reports, labels, and other organization-specific areas.

2. Add user accounts

Create user accounts for team members who need access to Monolith.

See: Team Management

Confirm that each user has the appropriate access for their role before they begin working with cases, evidence, reports, or administrative settings.

3. Configure item number formats

Set the formatting for case numbers, evidence numbers, and storage numbers.

See:

Number formats help standardize how records are created and referenced across Monolith.

Review and customize the options your team will use when creating and managing cases.

Recommended settings include:

These options help your team classify cases consistently and track case progress over time.

Review and customize the options your team will use when adding and managing evidence.

Recommended settings include:

These options help standardize evidence intake and tracking across your organization.

Review the categories your team will use for time tracking.

See:

These settings help organize time entries and provide more consistent reporting.

Review and customize the options your team will use for quality assurance workflows.

Recommended settings include:

These settings help your team standardize review processes and track QA issues consistently.

Create and upload labels for evidence, storage items, or people.

See:

Monolith supports DYMO label templates and variables that can pull information from Monolith records.

Create the physical locations where evidence may be stored.

See:

Locations should reflect how your organization tracks evidence in the real world, such as evidence rooms, shelves, bins, lockers, or other storage areas.

If your organization already uses storage items that should be tracked in Monolith, add them before beginning the related storage workflows.

See:

This helps your team manage physical or digital storage items and associate them with cases and related workflows as needed.

Enter the forensic software tools used by your lab or organization.

See:

This information can support acquisition tracking, reporting, and lab management workflows.

Before beginning active casework, create a test case and evidence item using the settings your team configured.

Confirm that:

• Case and evidence numbering works as expected

• Case and evidence options are available

• Locations and labels behave as expected, if configured

• Users have the access they need

Once your team is comfortable with the test workflow, you can begin using Monolith for active casework.

Depending on your organization's workflow, you may also want to configure:

These options can be added during implementation or introduced later as your team's Monolith workflow develops.

The Equipment section provides a central inventory of the physical equipment used by your organization.

Use Equipment records to maintain information about forensic workstations, imaging hardware, write blockers, acquisition devices, and other lab resources your team needs to track.

View Equipment

Navigate to Lab Management > Equipment to view the equipment records maintained by your organization.

The table can display information such as:

• Asset Number

• Vendor

• Name

• Model

• Category

• Serial Number

• Purchase Date

• Cost

• Location

• Other available equipment metadata

Use the table controls to search, filter, sort, show or hide columns, and organize the view around the information most useful to your team.

See for additional guidance on working with Monolith tables.

Select New Equipment to create an Equipment record.

Available information may include:

• Asset Number

• Vendor

• Name

• Model

Capture the information that is useful to your organization's asset management process.

Consistent asset numbers, equipment names, vendors, and serial numbers can make individual devices easier to identify later.

The Location field can be used to record where a piece of equipment is generally located or assigned.

For example:

• Lab

• Intake Room

• Mobile Lab

• Examiner workspace

Equipment Location is descriptive inventory information. It is separate from the and Chain of Custody workflows used to track the movement of Evidence Items and Storage Items.

The Equipment table can be exported to Microsoft Excel using the Export control.

Exports follow the same table behavior used elsewhere in Monolith. The visible columns and active filters determine the information included in the exported file.

If expected information is missing from an export, confirm that the appropriate columns are visible and that no unintended filters are applied.

All matching records are included in the export, not only the page currently visible on screen.

See for more information about table exports.

Select an existing Equipment record to review or update its information.

Update the record when its assignment, location, cost, description, or other tracked information changes.

Keeping Equipment records current provides your team with a more useful shared inventory of lab resources.

Users with the appropriate permissions can delete Equipment records that should no longer be maintained in Monolith.

Review the record before deleting it to confirm that the correct Equipment Item has been selected.

• Use Asset Numbers when your organization already has an established asset identification system.

• Record serial numbers when available to distinguish similar equipment.

• Keep Vendor, Name, Model, and Category values consistent.

• Update Location when equipment is permanently reassigned or moved to another working area.

The System settings page contains general information and display settings for your Monolith environment.

Navigate to Settings > System to review account information, access Monolith Desktop installers, and configure date, time, and currency formats.

Account Information

The Account Information section provides a high-level view of your Monolith environment.

Organization Profile

The Organization Profile displays information about your organization.

Organization details are managed separately under Settings > Organization Info.

See Organization Info for information about updating your organization's name, address, contact information, and other profile details.

Subscription Information

The Subscription Information section provides information about your Monolith account and subscription.

Available information may include:

• Registered account information

• Licensed users

• Subscription expiration

• Cloud storage usage

This section can be useful when reviewing your current Monolith environment or confirming account-level information with your administrator or Monolith Support.

Organizations using Relay may see their Relay URL listed in the System settings.

Relay is Monolith's request portal for collecting structured forensic requests from people outside the primary Monolith user base.

For Relay setup, administration, and request workflows, see and .

If your account has access to more than one Monolith workspace, available workspaces may also appear in this section.

Select a workspace to switch to that Monolith environment.

Monolith Desktop is available for Windows and macOS.

Use the installer section to download the appropriate version for your computer.

Available downloads may include:

• Windows

• macOS for Apple Silicon

• macOS for Intel

For installation instructions, cloud region or partner environment selection, and on-premises connection guidance, see .

You can also find current desktop download information on .

Use the Date and Time Format settings to control how dates and times are displayed throughout Monolith.

Available settings include:

• Date Format

• Time Format

Select the formats that match your organization's preferred display convention.

These settings affect how supported dates and times appear throughout the Monolith interface.

Use Currency Format to select the currency displayed in supported areas of Monolith.

Choose the currency that best matches your organization's location or reporting requirements.

Editor Templates are reusable note templates for Monolith’s note-taking system.

Teams can use editor templates to standardize how notes are written for common workflows, collection procedures, examinations, reviews, or other repeatable processes. Templates can be kept private for your own use or shared with other Monolith users in your organization.

When to Use Editor Templates

Use editor templates when your team regularly documents the same type of information in notes.

Common examples include:

• Evidence intake notes

• Device collection notes

• Phone examination notes

• Computer examination notes

• Processing request notes

• Review or quality assurance notes

• Internal lab process notes

• Customer-specific documentation formats

Editor templates are especially helpful when a process requires information that is not already captured in Monolith’s standard case, evidence, acquisition, storage, or reporting fields.

To manage editor templates:

1. Open Settings from the left navigation.

2. Select Editor Templates.

3. Review the existing templates or create a new one.

The Editor Templates page shows available templates, when they were created, whether they are shared, and actions to edit or delete each template.

To create a new editor template:

1. Open Settings.

2. Select Editor Templates.

3. Click New Template.

4. Choose whether to enable Share With Others.

The template content editor supports common formatting options such as headings, bold text, italic text, underlined text, strikethrough text, bulleted lists, numbered lists, and text alignment.

Editor templates can be private or shared.

If Share With Others is enabled, other Monolith users in your organization can use the template when creating notes.

If Share With Others is not enabled, the template is only available to the user who created it.

Editor templates can also be created from notes already written inside a case.

If you create a note that would be useful to reuse later, save that note content as a template from within the note editor. After it has been saved as a template, you can return to Settings > Editor Templates to manage, edit, share, or delete it.

This is useful when a strong note format develops naturally during casework and should be reused for future cases.

To edit an existing template:

1. Open Settings.

2. Select Editor Templates.

3. Find the template you want to update.

4. Click Edit.

Changes to a template affect future use of that template. Existing notes that were previously created from the template are not automatically changed.

To delete a template:

1. Open Settings.

2. Select Editor Templates.

3. Find the template you want to remove.

4. Click Delete.

Deleting an editor template removes it from the list of available templates. It does not delete notes that were already created using that template.

Editor templates are used for Monolith notes.

They are different from document templates, report templates, or other template types that may be used elsewhere in Monolith. Use editor templates when you want to standardize note content. Use document or report templates when you are configuring generated documents or report outputs.

• Use clear template names that describe the workflow or note type.

• Keep templates structured but flexible enough for real casework.

• Use headings to separate major sections.

• Add prompts or placeholders for information users should remember to document.

Audits help your organization verify that physical Evidence Items and Storage Items are where Monolith expects them to be.

Use an Audit to compare items under your control with their Monolith records, confirm their current locations, identify items that still need to be verified, and maintain a historical record of inventory checks.

Audits are especially useful for routine evidence inventories, storage reviews, and other accountability processes where your team needs to confirm that the physical item matches the information recorded in Monolith.

How Audits Work

An Audit defines the group of Evidence Items or Storage Items your team wants to verify.

A typical workflow is:

Create Audit
    ↓
Identify Items to Verify
    ↓
Locate Physical Items
    ↓
Verify Each Item
    ↓
Review Audit Results
    ↓
Complete the Audit

Items can be reviewed and verified directly within Monolith. Organizations using Monolith labels can also use a compatible barcode or QR code scanner to quickly locate and verify items during the Audit process.

Audits and Item Locations

Audits work alongside the location information maintained for Evidence Items and Storage Items.

As your team uses Chain of Custody and Item Locations to track where items move, Audits provide a way to periodically confirm that the physical items remain consistent with those records.

For example, an Audit can help verify items expected to be located in:

• An evidence room

• A storage shelf

• A locker or evidence cage

• A user or examiner location

See for information about configuring the physical locations used by your organization.

If your organization uses Monolith Evidence or Storage labels, barcode and QR code scanning can make physical inventory checks faster.

During an Audit, scanning an item's Monolith label can quickly locate the corresponding record so the item can be reviewed and verified.

See for the Audit scanning workflow.

For information about creating labels and the supported QR code and barcode values, see .

• : Define the items that should be included in an Audit.

• : Find existing Audits and review their status.

• : Understand the information and controls available within an Audit.

• :

Case Types provide a consistent way to categorize the different kinds of work your organization handles in Monolith.

Each organization can define Case Types that reflect its own workflows. For example, a law enforcement lab may use Case Types based on crime or examination categories, while a corporate, consulting, or legal team may use categories such as internal investigation, data breach, litigation, or other matter types.

Consistent Case Types make it easier to organize, filter, report on, and understand work across Monolith.

View Case Types

The Case Types settings page displays the Case Types currently configured for your organization.

Each Case Type also shows the number of Cases currently associated with it.

Use this list to review the categories available to users when creating Cases and Inquiries.

Create a Case Type

To create a new Case Type:

1. Select Create Case Type.

2. Enter the name of the new Case Type.

3. Select Create Case Type to save it.

The new Case Type becomes available when creating or updating supported records throughout Monolith.

Choose names that are clear, recognizable, and meaningful to the people who will use them.

A Case Type can be selected when creating a new Case and provides a structured way to categorize the work being performed.

For example, Case Types might represent:

• Criminal investigation types

• Mobile device examinations

• Incident response matters

• Internal investigations

Keeping this list focused and consistent makes Case filtering and organization-wide reporting more useful.

See for additional information about Case creation and Case metadata.

Inquiry Types are also based on the Case Types configured in Monolith.

This allows request intake and active Case records to use a consistent categorization model as work moves from an Inquiry into a Case.

See for additional information about request intake and Case creation.

Case Types can be deleted when they are no longer needed.

If Cases are currently associated with the Case Type being deleted, those Cases must be reassigned to another existing Case Type before deletion can be completed.

• Create Case Types that reflect meaningful categories of work performed by your organization.

• Keep naming consistent so users do not have to choose between duplicate or nearly identical categories.

• Avoid creating overly specific Case Types when a broader category will provide better long-term reporting.

• Review Case Types periodically as your organization's services and workflows change.

Tables throughout Monolith include tools for finding, organizing, customizing, and exporting data.

Although the records displayed may differ between areas such as Cases, Evidence Items, Inquiries, Clients, and Contacts, the core table controls work consistently across the platform.

Video Walkthrough

Features

Sorting

To sort rows within a Monolith table, click the column header. Monolith will then sort the data based on that column.

Clicking once sorts the column in ascending order. Clicking a second time sorts it in descending order. Clicking a third time clears the sorting for that column.

Filtering

Use Query Filter to narrow a table to records that match specific field-based conditions.

See Query Filter for detailed filtering guidance.

Column Resizing

Resize a column by hovering over the edge of its header, then clicking and dragging it to the desired width.

Reorder columns by clicking and dragging a column header to the desired position in the table.

Use the Column Selector to choose which fields appear in a table.

The Column Selector is typically available in the controls near the top right of the table and uses an icon representing three vertical columns.

• Checked columns are visible.

• Unchecked columns are hidden.

Use this feature to create a table view focused on the information most relevant to your workflow.

Many Monolith tables include a search box for quickly finding records within that table.

Enter a search value in the search box and press Enter to return matching records.

For searching across different areas of Monolith rather than within a single table, see .

Most Monolith tables can be exported to a Microsoft Excel document using the Export button in the table controls.

Table exports follow a "what you see is what you get" approach. The exported data reflects the current table configuration, including:

• Applied filters

• Visible columns

• Current table results

If a column is hidden, it will not appear in the export. If expected information is missing from an export, confirm that the relevant column is visible before exporting again.

The export includes matching records across all pages of the table, not only the page currently visible on screen.

QA Issue Types provide a consistent way to categorize problems identified during Quality Assurance Reviews in Monolith.

Organizations can define Issue Types that reflect the kinds of exceptions, deficiencies, or review findings they want to track.

Examples might include:

• Compliance

• Data Acquisition

• Documentation

• Tool Validation

• Process Deviation

• Reporting

• Policy or SOP Violation

• Other organization-specific quality issues

The QA Issue Types settings page displays the Issue Types currently configured for your organization.

Each Issue Type also shows the number of QA entries currently associated with it.

Use this list to review the classifications available when documenting issues found during a QA Review.

To create a new QA Issue Type:

1. Select Create Type.

2. Enter the name of the new Issue Type.

3. Select Create Issue Type to save it.

The new Issue Type becomes available for supported Quality Assurance workflows throughout Monolith.

Choose names that clearly describe the type of problem being documented.

QA Issue Types help standardize how review findings are categorized.

For example, a reviewer may identify an issue related to:

• Evidence handling

• Acquisition methodology

• Missing documentation

• Report content

Using consistent Issue Types makes it easier for teams to distinguish between different kinds of QA findings rather than relying only on free-text descriptions.

QA Issue Types are used as part of the Case-level Quality Assurance workflow.

During a QA Review, reviewers can document issues identified while checking work against the appropriate QA Checklist.

This allows the review record to preserve both:

• The checklist or review process being performed

• The type of issue identified during that review

See for information about creating reusable Quality Assurance review checklists.

QA Issue Types can be deleted when they are no longer needed.

Before deleting an Issue Type, review whether it is still being used by existing QA records and whether the classification should remain available for future reviews.

• Create Issue Types that represent meaningful categories of QA findings.

• Keep names clear and consistent across the organization.

• Avoid creating duplicate or overlapping Issue Types.

• Use categories broad enough to remain useful across multiple review workflows.

Document Templates stores the Microsoft Word templates available for use with Custom Report Templates.

Templates saved here can be reused when generating reports from different Cases, allowing your team to maintain consistent report formats without uploading the same .docx file each time.

View Document Templates

Navigate to Settings > Document Templates to view the templates available in your Monolith environment.

The table can display information such as:

• Template Name

• Description

• Created By

• Created On

• Shared status

Use the available table controls to search for templates or adjust the visible columns.

Select Add Template to upload a new Microsoft Word report template.

Document Templates use the .docx file format and can contain Monolith report variables, loops, tables, conditional logic, and other supported template syntax.

After a template is added, it can be selected when generating a Custom Report from a Case.

See Custom Report Templates for information about building and using report templates.

Custom Report Templates can also be uploaded while generating a report from a Case.

Once saved, those templates are available from Settings > Document Templates for future management and reuse.

This allows users to build and test templates as part of the reporting workflow without needing to upload the same template again for every Case.

Use the Shared setting to control whether a template is available to other users in your Monolith environment.

A shared template can be selected by other team members when creating Custom Reports.

Templates that are not shared remain available only to the user who created them.

Sharing commonly used templates can help standardize reporting across the organization.

Use Document Templates to maintain the reusable report formats used by your team.

This is especially useful when:

• Updating an existing report template

• Testing changes to template syntax

• Maintaining organization-specific report formats

• Providing standardized templates to other users

When updating a template, test the generated report before using the revised version for final reporting.

Document Templates are Microsoft Word .docx files used to generate Custom Case Reports.

are reusable content blocks used within Monolith's Notes editor.

Use Document Templates when you need a reusable report format. Use Editor Templates when you want to standardize recurring Notes or documentation entered directly into Monolith.

Monolith supports several hardware integrations that can help connect digital case and evidence records with the physical work happening in your lab.

Use the Hardware Integrations documentation to set up supported label printers, barcode and QR code scanners, and signature devices used throughout Monolith workflows.

DYMO Label Printers

Monolith can work with supported DYMO Label Printers to print labels for Evidence Items, Storage Items, and other supported records.

Labels can include Monolith data such as identifying information, text, QR codes, and barcodes.

A common workflow is:

Create or update an item
    ↓
Generate a Monolith label
    ↓
Print with DYMO
    ↓
Attach the label to the physical item
    ↓
Scan the item later when needed

See DYMO Label Printers for installation and troubleshooting guidance.

See Printer Recommendations for information about supported printer options.

Barcode and QR Code Scanners

USB barcode and QR code scanners can be used with Monolith labels to quickly locate records without manually searching for an Evidence Number or other identifier.

Scanning is especially useful during , where physical items can be scanned as your team works through an inventory.

Most standard USB scanners behave like keyboard input and do not require specialized Monolith configuration.

See for hardware guidance.

For the Audit workflow, see .

For information about configuring QR codes and barcodes on Monolith labels, see .

Monolith supports signature capture during workflows such as Chain of Custody.

Depending on the device and workflow, signatures may be captured using supported signature hardware or directly from touch-enabled devices.

See for information about supported signature hardware and setup.

The hardware you need depends on the workflows your organization wants to support.

You do not need every hardware integration to use Monolith. Add the devices that support the way your organization handles physical evidence, labeling, inventory, and custody.

The Admin Log provides users with appropriate administrative access a centralized view of activity recorded across Monolith.

It can be useful when reviewing user activity, investigating when a change occurred, or tracing activity associated with a particular Case or user.

Review Admin Log Entries

Each Admin Log entry can include information such as:

• Timestamp

• User

• Whether the entry is categorized as an Admin Log event

• Case Number

• Case Name

• Activity or log details

The information available depends on the activity being recorded.

The Admin Log uses a standard Monolith table and includes tools for narrowing the activity you want to review.

Select Add Filter to filter Admin Log entries by supported fields such as:

• Timestamp

• User

• Admin Log

• Case information

Filters can help isolate activity for a particular user, date range, Case, or type of log entry.

See for more information about filtering Monolith tables.

Use the Search Logs field to quickly search the Admin Log for matching activity.

This can be useful when looking for a particular Case, user, record, or activity description.

The Admin Log supports standard Monolith table functionality such as:

• Sorting

• Selecting visible columns

• Resizing and rearranging columns

• Searching

See for more information about working with Monolith tables.

The Admin Log can help administrators review questions such as:

• Who performed a recorded action?

• When did an activity occur?

• What recent activity is associated with a Case?

• What activity has been recorded for a particular user?

Because log entries preserve contextual information about recorded activity, the Admin Log can also be useful when troubleshooting or reviewing historical actions in Monolith.

Template Examples provide downloadable Microsoft Word .docx files that demonstrate how Monolith report variables and template syntax can be used in real report layouts.

Use these examples as a starting point when building or troubleshooting your own Custom Report Templates.

You can open a template to review how variables, loops, tables, images, and other report logic are structured, then adapt the approach to match your organization's reporting requirements.

Standard Monolith Report

The Standard Monolith Report is an example of a complete templated report generated by Monolith.

This example demonstrates several common Custom Report Template techniques, including:

• Report variables

• Case information

• Evidence data

• Evidence loops

• Microsoft Word tables

• Evidence photos

• Other supported report content

Download the template and review it alongside the documentation to see how Monolith data is placed throughout the Word document.

The Chain of Custody With Signatures example demonstrates how to output Chain of Custody records for an Evidence Item, including signature images.

This example is useful when building a report that needs to display custody history in a structured Word document format.

Use it as a reference for:

• Evidence loops

• Nested Chain of Custody records

• Custody metadata

• Signature images

See for the supported Chain of Custody variables and syntax.

When working with an example template:

1. Download the .docx file.

2. Open it in Microsoft Word.

3. Review the Monolith variables and template syntax used throughout the document.

4. Compare the syntax with the corresponding entries in .

Starting from a working example can make it easier to understand how Monolith data and Microsoft Word formatting work together.

Once you have created a reusable report template, save it in so it can be selected again for future Cases.

Templates can also be marked as Shared so other Monolith users can select and reuse them when generating reports.

See for additional guidance.

Before deploying Monolith on-premises, review the infrastructure and supporting services required for your environment.

The exact deployment may vary depending on how your organization plans to host Monolith, provide user access, store files, and integrate with internal systems.

Docker

Docker or Docker Desktop is required for a standard Monolith on-premises deployment.

Install Docker on the system that will host the Monolith containers before beginning the deployment process.

Follow the existing Docker installation link for installation guidance.

Hardware

The following minimum hardware is required to run the Monolith application backend within Docker:

• Operating System: Ubuntu Server 20, 22, or 24

• Memory: 4 GB RAM

• CPU: 2 cores

• Storage: At least 100 GB

More than 500 GB of storage is recommended for environments that expect to retain a larger amount of Monolith data or uploaded files locally.

Storage requirements may increase substantially depending on how your organization plans to use Monolith and where uploaded files will be stored.

To use Monolith email functionality, your organization must provide access to an SMTP service.

Required SMTP information includes:

• SMTP host

• SMTP port

• SMTP user

• SMTP password

These values are supplied to the Monolith application container at runtime.

SMTP configuration supports features that send email from Monolith, such as account, notification, and other supported email workflows.

Organizations that want to store Monolith files in Amazon S3 can configure S3 as part of the on-premises deployment.

Required information includes:

• AWS Access Key

• AWS Secret Key

• AWS Region

• AWS Endpoint

S3 integration is optional and depends on how your organization plans to store Monolith files.

Organizations may instead use other supported storage configurations documented in the on-premises deployment section.

Before continuing, confirm that your technical team has determined:

• Where the Monolith containers will run

• How much storage should be allocated

• Whether Monolith email functionality will be enabled

• Where uploaded Monolith files will be stored

After confirming these requirements, continue to for information about the application components used in the deployment.

Quality Assurance Checklists allow your organization to create repeatable review processes for work performed in Monolith.

A checklist can represent the items another user should verify during a QA Review, helping teams apply a consistent review process across Cases and Evidence workflows.

Organizations can create different checklists for different types of review, such as:

• Case review

• Evidence review

• Collection review

• Report peer review

• Case closure review

• Organization-specific SOP or compliance checks

The QA Checklist Items settings page displays the Quality Assurance checklists configured for your organization.

From this page, you can:

• Create a new QA Checklist

• Enable or disable a checklist

• Preview an existing checklist

• Edit checklist content

Enabled checklists can be used as part of supported QA Review workflows in Monolith.

Select Add QA Checklist to create a new checklist.

Give the checklist a clear name that identifies the type of review it is intended to support.

For example:

• Evidence Intake Review

• Collection Review

• Report Peer Review

• Case Closure QA

Once created, open the checklist to add its review groups and individual checklist items.

A QA Checklist can contain one or more Checklist Groups.

Groups allow related review items to be organized into logical sections.

For example, a checklist might include groups such as:

• Screening

• Evidence Handling

• Acquisition

• Analysis