1. A method running under a processor, the method comprising: storing, in a database, a directory containing identifications of members of distribution lists, wherein the identifications of the members include identifications of individuals and groups; storing, in the database, a table for each of the distribution lists, wherein each table includes identifications of members of the respective distribution list and dynamic components identifying a period of time during which the members are active members of the respective distribution list, and wherein the members of the respective distribution list are a subset of the members in the directory; receiving a document and identifying a dynamic component in the document, wherein the dynamic component comprises a time-varying property that changes over time, wherein the dynamic component identified in the document comprises an identification of one of the members listed in the directory; detecting a plurality of states of the dynamic component, wherein each state of the plurality of states corresponds to a new version of the document that results from subsequent changes to the document; associating a set of validity parameters with each state of the plurality of states, the set of validity parameters defining a validity period for the state; and archiving the document by using the directory to archive the plurality of states and the set of validity parameters of the dynamic component into the tables that include the identification of the identified member, instead of archiving each new version of the document that corresponds to each state of the plurality of states.