diff --git a/catalogue/SqliteCatalogue.cpp_before_SQL_schema b/catalogue/SqliteCatalogue.cpp_before_SQL_schema
index e4188ad9f5171e427a3ed48afcb2f20251c0e438..6ca51302b91a473c5c625156f2c361a04f6a410c 100644
--- a/catalogue/SqliteCatalogue.cpp_before_SQL_schema
+++ b/catalogue/SqliteCatalogue.cpp_before_SQL_schema
@@ -1548,7 +1548,7 @@ uint64_t cta::catalogue::SqliteCatalogue::createArchiveFile(
       "CHECKSUM_VALUE,"
       "STORAGE_CLASS_NAME,"
       "CREATION_TIME,"
-      "LAST_UPDATE_TIME,"
+      "RECONCILIATION_TIME,"
 
       "RECOVERY_PATH,"
       "RECOVERY_OWNER,"
@@ -1563,7 +1563,7 @@ uint64_t cta::catalogue::SqliteCatalogue::createArchiveFile(
       ":CHECKSUM_VALUE,"
       ":STORAGE_CLASS_NAME,"
       ":CREATION_TIME,"
-      ":LAST_UPDATE_TIME,"
+      ":RECONCILIATION_TIME,"
 
       ":RECOVERY_PATH,"
       ":RECOVERY_OWNER,"
@@ -1578,7 +1578,7 @@ uint64_t cta::catalogue::SqliteCatalogue::createArchiveFile(
   stmt->bind(":CHECKSUM_VALUE", archiveFile.checksumValue);
   stmt->bind(":STORAGE_CLASS_NAME", archiveFile.storageClass);
   stmt->bind(":CREATION_TIME", now);
-  stmt->bind(":LAST_UPDATE_TIME", now);
+  stmt->bind(":RECONCILIATION_TIME", now);
 
   stmt->bind(":RECOVERY_PATH", archiveFile.drData.drPath);
   stmt->bind(":RECOVERY_OWNER", archiveFile.drData.drOwner);
@@ -1634,20 +1634,20 @@ std::list<cta::common::dataStructures::ArchiveFile>
   std::list<cta::common::dataStructures::ArchiveFile> files;
   const char *const sql =
     "SELECT "
-      "ARCHIVE_FILE_ID    AS ARCHIVE_FILE_ID,"
-      "DISK_INSTANCE      AS DISK_INSTANCE,"
-      "DISK_FILE_ID       AS DISK_FILE_ID,"
-      "FILE_SIZE          AS FILE_SIZE,"
-      "CHECKSUM_TYPE      AS CHECKSUM_TYPE,"
-      "CHECKSUM_VALUE     AS CHECKSUM_VALUE,"
-      "STORAGE_CLASS_NAME AS STORAGE_CLASS_NAME,"
-      "CREATION_TIME      AS CREATION_TIME,"
-      "LAST_UPDATE_TIME   AS LAST_UPDATE_TIME,"
-
-      "RECOVERY_PATH      AS RECOVERY_PATH,"
-      "RECOVERY_OWNER     AS RECOVERY_OWNER,"
-      "RECOVERY_GROUP     AS RECOVERY_GROUP,"
-      "RECOVERY_BLOB      AS RECOVERY_BLOB "
+      "ARCHIVE_FILE_ID     AS ARCHIVE_FILE_ID,"
+      "DISK_INSTANCE       AS DISK_INSTANCE,"
+      "DISK_FILE_ID        AS DISK_FILE_ID,"
+      "FILE_SIZE           AS FILE_SIZE,"
+      "CHECKSUM_TYPE       AS CHECKSUM_TYPE,"
+      "CHECKSUM_VALUE      AS CHECKSUM_VALUE,"
+      "STORAGE_CLASS_NAME  AS STORAGE_CLASS_NAME,"
+      "CREATION_TIME       AS CREATION_TIME,"
+      "RECONCILIATION_TIME AS RECONCILIATION_TIME,"
+
+      "RECOVERY_PATH       AS RECOVERY_PATH,"
+      "RECOVERY_OWNER      AS RECOVERY_OWNER,"
+      "RECOVERY_GROUP      AS RECOVERY_GROUP,"
+      "RECOVERY_BLOB       AS RECOVERY_BLOB "
 
     "FROM ARCHIVE_FILE;";
   std::unique_ptr<SqliteStmt> stmt(m_conn.createStmt(sql));
@@ -1672,7 +1672,7 @@ std::list<cta::common::dataStructures::ArchiveFile>
     file.drData.drBlob = stmt->columnText(nameToIdx["RECOVERY_BLOB"]);
     
     file.creationTime = stmt->columnUint64(nameToIdx["CREATION_TIME"]);
-    file.lastUpdateTime = stmt->columnUint64(nameToIdx["LAST_UPDATE_TIME"]);
+    file.reconciliationTime = stmt->columnUint64(nameToIdx["RECONCILIATION_TIME"]);
 
     files.push_back(file);
   }
@@ -1694,19 +1694,20 @@ cta::common::dataStructures::ArchiveFile cta::catalogue::SqliteCatalogue::
   getArchiveFileById(const uint64_t id) {
   const char *const sql =
     "SELECT "
-      "DISK_INSTANCE      AS DISK_INSTANCE,"
-      "DISK_FILE_ID       AS DISK_FILE_ID,"
-      "FILE_SIZE          AS FILE_SIZE,"
-      "CHECKSUM_TYPE      AS CHECKSUM_TYPE,"
-      "CHECKSUM_VALUE     AS CHECKSUM_VALUE,"
-      "STORAGE_CLASS_NAME AS STORAGE_CLASS_NAME,"
-      "CREATION_TIME      AS CREATION_TIME,"
-      "LAST_UPDATE_TIME   AS LAST_UPDATE_TIME,"
-
-      "RECOVERY_PATH      AS RECOVERY_PATH,"
-      "RECOVERY_OWNER     AS RECOVERY_OWNER,"
-      "RECOVERY_GROUP     AS RECOVERY_GROUP,"
-      "RECOVERY_BLOB      AS RECOVERY_BLOB "
+      "ARCHIVE_FILE_ID     AS ARCHIVE_FILE_ID,"
+      "DISK_INSTANCE       AS DISK_INSTANCE,"
+      "DISK_FILE_ID        AS DISK_FILE_ID,"
+      "FILE_SIZE           AS FILE_SIZE,"
+      "CHECKSUM_TYPE       AS CHECKSUM_TYPE,"
+      "CHECKSUM_VALUE      AS CHECKSUM_VALUE,"
+      "STORAGE_CLASS_NAME  AS STORAGE_CLASS_NAME,"
+      "CREATION_TIME       AS CREATION_TIME,"
+      "RECONCILIATION_TIME AS RECONCILIATION_TIME,"
+
+      "RECOVERY_PATH       AS RECOVERY_PATH,"
+      "RECOVERY_OWNER      AS RECOVERY_OWNER,"
+      "RECOVERY_GROUP      AS RECOVERY_GROUP,"
+      "RECOVERY_BLOB       AS RECOVERY_BLOB "
 
     "FROM ARCHIVE_FILE WHERE "
       "ARCHIVE_FILE_ID = :ARCHIVE_FILE_ID;";
@@ -1736,7 +1737,7 @@ cta::common::dataStructures::ArchiveFile cta::catalogue::SqliteCatalogue::
     file.drData.drBlob = stmt->columnText(nameToIdx["RECOVERY_BLOB"]);
     
     file.creationTime = stmt->columnUint64(nameToIdx["CREATION_TIME"]);
-    file.lastUpdateTime = stmt->columnUint64(nameToIdx["LAST_UPDATE_TIME"]);
+    file.reconciliationTime = stmt->columnUint64(nameToIdx["RECONCILIATION_TIME"]);
 
     return file;
   }
diff --git a/catalogue/catalogue_schema.sql b/catalogue/catalogue_schema.sql
index a4fe50e87879fec79b3912d757bf71e805366ed8..f9f1b430b158ef840f293684050984657ed5a9b5 100644
--- a/catalogue/catalogue_schema.sql
+++ b/catalogue/catalogue_schema.sql
@@ -168,15 +168,15 @@ CREATE TABLE REQUESTER_GROUP(
     REFERENCES MOUNT_POLICY(MOUNT_POLICY_NAME)
 );
 CREATE TABLE ARCHIVE_FILE(
-  ARCHIVE_FILE_ID    INTEGER       NOT NULL,
-  DISK_INSTANCE      VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
-  DISK_FILE_ID       VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
-  FILE_SIZE          INTEGER       NOT NULL,
-  CHECKSUM_TYPE      VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
-  CHECKSUM_VALUE     VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
-  STORAGE_CLASS_NAME VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
-  CREATION_TIME      INTEGER       NOT NULL,
-  LAST_UPDATE_TIME   INTEGER       NOT NULL,
+  ARCHIVE_FILE_ID     INTEGER       NOT NULL,
+  DISK_INSTANCE       VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
+  DISK_FILE_ID        VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
+  FILE_SIZE           INTEGER       NOT NULL,
+  CHECKSUM_TYPE       VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
+  CHECKSUM_VALUE      VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
+  STORAGE_CLASS_NAME  VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
+  CREATION_TIME       INTEGER       NOT NULL,
+  RECONCILIATION_TIME INTEGER       NOT NULL,
   RECOVERY_PATH  VARCHAR2(2000) NOT NULL,
   RECOVERY_OWNER VARCHAR2(100)  NOT NULL,
   RECOVERY_GROUP VARCHAR2(100)  NOT NULL,
diff --git a/common/dataStructures/ArchiveFile.cpp b/common/dataStructures/ArchiveFile.cpp
index c13cb4ac4360f6b32ec3b66eac753fbc86edf636..b527377f86ad5a71a5cb9ec84352e0e6a9cd5ceb 100644
--- a/common/dataStructures/ArchiveFile.cpp
+++ b/common/dataStructures/ArchiveFile.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ cta::common::dataStructures::ArchiveFile::ArchiveFile():
   archiveFileID(0),
   fileSize(0),
   creationTime(0),
-  lastUpdateTime(0) {}
+  reconciliationTime(0) {}
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // operator==
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ bool cta::common::dataStructures::ArchiveFile::operator==(const ArchiveFile &rhs
       && drData==rhs.drData
       && tapeCopies==rhs.tapeCopies
       && creationTime==rhs.creationTime
-      && lastUpdateTime==rhs.lastUpdateTime;
+      && reconciliationTime==rhs.reconciliationTime;
 }
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &os, const cta::common::dataStructures::Ar
      << " drData=" << obj.drData
      << " tapeCopies=" << obj.tapeCopies
      << " creationTime=" << obj.creationTime
-     << " lastUpdateTime=" << obj.lastUpdateTime << ")";
+     << " reconciliationTime=" << obj.reconciliationTime << ")";
   return os;
 }
 
diff --git a/common/dataStructures/ArchiveFile.hpp b/common/dataStructures/ArchiveFile.hpp
index 10f6ff7788af50ae7b91e88506687e9ed6bbc062..a30378c34426722dfe0e28e12b40b68c9079f601 100644
--- a/common/dataStructures/ArchiveFile.hpp
+++ b/common/dataStructures/ArchiveFile.hpp
@@ -31,9 +31,7 @@ namespace common {
 namespace dataStructures {
 
 /**
- * This struct holds all the CTA file metadata (the lastUpdateTime is used for 
- * reconciliation purposes: if a file has not been updated for a long time by 
- * the disk system, it has to be checked against it) 
+ * This struct holds all the CTA file metadata 
  */
 struct ArchiveFile {
 
@@ -53,7 +51,7 @@ struct ArchiveFile {
   cta::common::dataStructures::DRData drData;
   std::map<uint64_t,cta::common::dataStructures::TapeFileLocation> tapeCopies;
   time_t creationTime;
-  time_t lastUpdateTime;
+  time_t reconciliationTime;
 
 }; // struct ArchiveFile