Data Archiving with Archive Development Kit (ADK)

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Table of content

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Table of content
1 Data Archiving with Archive Development Kit (ADK)
1.1 Properties and Features of Data Archiving
1.2 Archiving Object
1.2.1 Sample Data Description Using an FI Document
1.2.2 Data Object
1.3 Archive Administration
1.3.1 Archive Development Kit
1.3.2 Authorization Check
1.3.3 Tables and Archiving Objects
1.3.3.1 Displaying Archiving Objects and Tables
1.3.4 Network Graphik
1.3.4.1 Calling the Network Graphic
1.3.5 Access to Archived Data
1.3.6 Archive Administration: Overview of Archiving Sessions
1.3.6.1 Calling Archiving Session Administration
1.3.6.2 Displaying Archiving Session Details
1.3.6.2.1 Archiving Session Details
1.3.6.3 Displaying Archive File Details
1.3.6.3.1 Archive File Details
1.3.7 Deleting Retrieved Archive Files
1.3.8 Interrupting and Continuing Archiving Sessions
1.3.8.1 Implicitly Interrupting an Archiving Session
1.3.8.2 Explicitly Interrupting an Archiving Session
1.3.8.3 Continuing an Interrupted Archiving Session
1.3.9 Database Actions Before and After Archiving
1.3.9.1 Database Actions Before Archiving
1.3.9.2 Database Actions After Archiving or Deletion
1.3.9.3 Performing an SQL Trace
1.3.10 Archive Selection
1.3.10.1 Selecting Archive Files
1.3.11 Statistics
1.3.11.1 Creating Statistics
1.3.12 Logs
1.3.12.1 Standard Log
1.3.13 Cross-Archiving-Object Check and Delete
1.4 Customizing for ADK Data Archiving
1.4.1 Cross-Archiving-Object Customizing (ADK Archiving)
1.4.1.1 Technical Settings
1.4.1.2 Setting Up Check and Delete Programs
1.4.2 Archiving-Object-Specific Customizing (ADK Archiving)
1.4.2.1 Technical Settings
1.4.2.1.1 Logical File Name
1.4.2.1.2 Size of an Archive File
1.4.2.1.3 Settings for the Delete Program
1.4.2.1.4 File Storage to Storage System
1.4.2.1.5 Settings for the Postprocessing Program
1.4.2.2 Archive Routing
1.4.2.2.1 Routing of Archive Files to Different Content Repositories
1.4.2.2.1.1 Business Add-In: Archive Routing
1.4.2.2.2 Routing of Archive Files to Different Directories
1.4.3 Basis Customizing (ADK Archiving)
1.4.3.1 Defining Logical Path and File Names.
1.5 Executing Data Archiving
1.5.1 Archiving Checklist
1.5.2 Scheduling Preprocessing for Data Archiving
1.5.3 Creating Archive Files
1.5.4 Storing Archive Files
1.5.5 Retrieving Stored Archive Files
1.5.6 Deleting Archived Data from the Database
1.5.7 Scheduling Postprocessing for Data Archiving

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1.5.8 Reloading Archives

1.5.9 Filling and Emptying the Index
1.5.10 Reading Archive Files
1.5.11 Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs
1.5.12 Entering the Start Date and Spool Parameters
1.5.12.1 Entering Spool Parameters
1.5.12.2 Entering the Start Date
1.6 Archive Information System
1.6.1 Using the Archive Information System
1.6.1.1 Creating an Information Structure
1.6.1.2 Activating and Deactivating Information Structures
1.6.1.3 Filling and Emptying Information Structures
1.6.1.4 Reporting Information Structures
1.6.1.5 Procedure for Reloaded Archives
1.6.1.6 Status
1.6.1.6.1 Status per Archive
1.6.1.6.2 Status per Infostructure
1.6.1.7 Creating Database Indexes
1.6.1.8 Partitioning
1.6.1.8.1 Copying of Infostructure Data
1.6.1.8.2 Example: Partitioning an Infostructure
1.6.2 Archive Retrieval Configurator
1.6.2.1 Field Catalogs
1.6.2.1.1 Creating Field Catalogs (One Source Table)
1.6.2.1.2 Creating Field Catalogs (More than One Source Table)
1.6.3 Archive Explorer
1.6.3.1 Reporting
1.6.3.2 Ad Hoc Reporting
1.6.3.3 Using List Variants
1.7 Archive File Browser
1.7.1 Archive Files
1.7.2 Displaying Data Objects
1.7.3 User Interface for the Archive File Browser
1.7.3.1 Archive Files Overview
1.7.3.2 Header Information
1.7.3.3 Display Area
1.7.3.4 Messages
1.7.4 Navigation in the Archive File Browser
1.7.5 Searching for Table Contents
1.7.5.1 Searching Online for Table Contents
1.7.5.2 Searching for Table Contents in the Background
1.7.5.3 Search Areas
1.7.5.4 Search Mode
1.7.5.5 Searching Efficiently for Table Entries
1.7.6 Using Archive File Browser Efficiently
1.7.6.1 Finding Data Object in Archive File (Example)
1.7.6.2 Finding Data Object with Offset in Archive File (Example)
1.7.6.3 Skipping Data Objects or an Archive File (Example)
1.7.6.4 Accelerate Start of Archive File Browser
1.7.6.5 Analyze Corrupted Files
1.7.6.6 Displaying Header Data of the Archive File
1.8 Table Analysis
1.8.1 Performing Table Analysis
1.8.2 Reorganizing Table Analysis
1.8.3 Analysis Variant
1.8.3.1 Creating Analysis Variants
1.8.3.2 Creating an Ad Hoc Analysis Variant
1.8.3.3 Virtual Fields
1.8.3.3.1 Creating Virtual Fields
1.9 Data Archiving in SAP NetWeaver AS
1.9.1 Archiving User and Authorization Changes (BC-ADM-SEC)
1.9.1.1 Archiving User Change Records (BC-ADM-SEC)

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1.9.1.2 Archiving Authorization Change Records (BC-ADM-SEC)

1.9.1.3 Archiving Profile Change Records (BC-ADM-SEC)
1.9.2 Archiving Work Items (BC-BMT-WFM)
1.9.3 Archiving IDocs
1.9.3.1 Displaying or Changing the Archivable Status
1.9.3.2 Archiving Functions for IDocs
1.9.3.2.1 Archiving and Deleting IDocs
1.9.3.2.2 Listing IDoc Numbers in Archive
1.9.3.2.3 IDoc Search
1.9.3.3 Archiving: Technical Implementation
1.9.3.3.1 Authorizations for IDoc Archiving
1.9.3.3.2 Archiving: Descriptions of Standard Reports
1.9.3.3.3 Database Tables
1.9.3.4 Deleting Links with IDocs
1.9.4 Archiving Table Change Logs (BC-DWB-CUS)
1.9.4.1 Technical Data (BC-BEW-CTL)
1.9.4.2 Variant Settings for Archiving (BC-DWB-CUS)
1.9.4.3 Archiving Object-Specific Customizing (BC-DWB-CUS)
1.9.5 Archiving Link Entries (BC-SRV-ARL)
1.9.5.1 Application Customizing (BC-SRV-ARL)
1.9.5.1.1 Setting Retention Periods (BC-SRV-ARL)
1.9.6 Archiving Archive Administration Data (BC-CCM-ADK)
1.9.6.1 Variant Settings for Preprocessing (BC-CCM-ADK)
1.9.6.2 Variant Settings for Writing (BC-CCM-ADK)
1.9.6.3 Variant Settings for Reloading (BC-CCM-ADK)
1.9.6.4 Archive Administration Data (BC-CCM-ADK)
1.9.7 Archiving Change Documents (BC-SRV-ASF-CHD)
1.9.7.1 Variant Settings for Writing (BC-SRV-ASF-CHD)

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1 Data Archiving with Archive Development Kit (ADK)

Context
Data Archiving removes mass data, which the system no longer needs, from the database, but which must still be available for reporting. For the most part,
SAP's data archiving concept is based on the archiving objects of the Archive Development Kit (ADK) .
Archiving Objects
Archiving objects describe the structure and context of the data to be archived. Predefined archiving objects are available for the applications for which data is
to be archived. In data archiving, the system writes the data to archive files according to the relevant archiving objects and stores these.

Example
Financial Accounting documents are archived using the archiving object FI_DOCUMNT. This archiving object includes the document header, company
code-specific postings, change documents, and related texts.
Steps for Data Archiving
Data archiving takes place in individual steps to ensure that only successfully archived data can be deleted. These are the three main steps:
Writing the data to be archived to a new archive file
Storing the archive files in an external store (optional)
Deleting the archived data from the database starting from the archived files you have created
The following illustration describes the data archiving procedure.

Figure 1: Data Archiving in the SAP System

Procedure
1. Familiarize yourself with the specifics of ADK-based data archiving.
More information:
Properties and Features of Data Archiving
Archiving Object
Archive Administration
2. Make the settings required for Customizing for data archiving.
More information: Customizing for Data Archiving
3. Execute the data archiving.
More information: Executing Data Archiving

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4. Use the options for viewing and analyzing archive files.

More information:
Archive Information System
Archive File Browser
Table Analysis

Next Steps
Data Archiving in SAP NetWeaver AS (available archiving objects)

1.1 Properties and Features of Data Archiving

Use
Properties of Data Archiving
As data archiving is integrated into the application, you have to be familiar with the semantics of the application data. Data archiving displays the following
properties over and above saving table contents:
Hardware independence
As the encryption of the numeric fields, for example, the integer is dependent on the hardware, information has to be added to the archived data about
the hardware used.
Release independent
As the data structure can depend on the SAP release, information about the record layouts and field definitions is also archived.
Dependencies between data
Dependencies between data objects can be checked and taken into account for archiving.
Company and business structure
Due to the possible dependence of archived data on the organizational structure of the company, the relevant information is also archived.
Data Archiving Features
Data security
As a result of the separation between writing the data to the archive file and deleting the data from the database, the archiving transaction can be
restarted if you encounter transfer errors. You can only delete the data once it has been successfully archived. You can achieve maximum security by
optionally storing the archive files in an external storage system before deleting the archived data. You can define the storage time in archiving objectspecific Customizing.
Connection to an external store
You can use the following options for storing archive files:
Tertiary storage media, such as WORMs This can be done manually or automatically using the SAP Content Management Infrastructure (which
also contains the ArchiveLink/CMS interface).
Hierarchical storage management systems (HSM systems) in the file system. The HSM system manages the archive files automatically. For
storage of the archive files, the HSM system can also use tertiary storage media.
Data compression
During archiving, data is automatically compressed by up to a factor of 5. However, if the data to be archived is stored in cluster tables, no additional
compression takes place.
Archiving without database backup
As the data is either in the database or an archive file, you can archive data without database backup during normal system operation. However, SAP
recommends that you backup archive files before storing them.
Access to Archived Data
As the archived data has only been removed from the database and not from the application, it is available at any time. Archive Administration enables
the following types of access:
(Read) access to a single data object, such as an accounting document
Analysis of an archive file (sequential read)
Reloading to the database (if supported for the archiving object)
Automatic conversion of old archive files
When archived data is read, the system automatically makes the conversions required by hardware and software changes.
The Archive Development Kit (ADK) can make allowances for changes to database structures after the data was archived and for changes to hardwaredependent storage formats. The conversion does not affect the archived data. The following items are changed during automatic conversion:
Database table schema (new and deleted columns)
Data type of a column
Column length
Code page (ASCII, EBCDIC)
Number format (such as the integer on various hardware platforms)
If database structures in an application have undergone more changes than the ADK can handle (for example, if fields have been moved from one table
to another or if one table has been divided into several separate tables), then a program is provided by the relevant SAP Business Suite solution for the
permanent conversion of existing archive files.
Memory space gain
As gaining an increase in memory space improves the performance of the application programs, you require information about the memory requirement
of the data to be archived in the database and also the memory requirement of the archived files created.
1. Call up the ABAP Dictionary (
Tools
ABAP Workbench
Development
Dictionary ).
2. Enter the name of each individual table, and choose Display .

1.2 Archiving Object

Use
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Use
The archiving object contains specifications for the archiving of your application data. It describes which database objects need to be bundled in order to
obtain a completed business object that can be interpreted at the time of archiving, regardless of the technical conditions (such as release or hardware status).
An archiving object has a name of up to ten characters in length. You need this name to be able to execute the assigned archiving activities in Archive
Administration (transaction SARA). The function for calling data archiving is often integrated in the application menu and the object name is set as the default.
Predefined Archiving Activities
The archiving activity options (programs and steps to be executed) are defined in the archiving object. You create and define archiving objects with transaction
AOBJ.

More Information
Sample Data Description Using an FI Document
Data Object

1.2.1 Sample Data Description Using an FI Document

Use
To ensure that archived FI documents remain available for evaluation, you need to store the technical and business environments together in the archive file.
The respective data description ensures this.
The archiving object for FI documents FI_DOCUMNT, includes the following data, which is stored in different database tables:
Document header
Document segment
Document segment
Document segment
Document segment
Document segment
Change documents
SAPscript texts

accounting
control data
posting procedures
CPD data
change data

1.2.2 Data Object

Use
A data object is the application-specific instance of an archiving object. While the archiving object describes only the logical connectivity of the data, the
corresponding data object contains all of the application data from the database that is needed for the complete and consistent archiving of a business object.
A business object can contain the following types of data:
Master data objects, such as material masters, customer masters, bills of material
Transaction data objects, such as financial accounting documents, billing documents, and deliveries.
Structure of a Data Object
A data object consists of the following:
Header containing general information for identifying the data object
Items that contain application data
Archiving
The Archive Development Kit (ADK) ensures that data objects are written sequentially to an archive file. All data objects in the archive file are set up
according to the specifications in the archiving object.

More Information
Archiving object

1.3 Archive Administration

Use
The most important actions relating to data archiving take place in Archive Administration . Archive Administration offers only those actions that have been
defined for the archiving object.
You can access Archive Administration as follows:
Transaction code SARA
Menu path
Tools
Administration
Application Menu

Administration

Data Archiving

Executing the Archiving Actions

You can schedule the following actions, for example, as a background job in Archive Administration:
Preprocessing
Creating archive files
Deleting data from the database

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Deleting data from the database

Storing archive files
Postprocessing
Reading archive files
Filling or emptying the index for archive files
More information: Executing Data Archiving
Administration
You can display and evaluate administration information in the overview of all archiving sessions for an archiving object.
More information:
Archive Administration: Overview of Archiving Sessions
Calling Archiving Session Administration
Other Functions
You can choose the following menu options direct from the application bar or, depending on the action chosen, using Goto or Environment :
Network Graphik
Reload
Customizing
Job Overview : Offers an overview of current archiving jobs and the functions available for processing them.
Logs
Administration
Stored Files : Enables you to search for stored archive files according to various selection criteria.
DB Tables
Information System
Statistics
Interrupting and Continuing
Check/Delete: Cross-archiving-object check and delete function - available using Environment .

1.3.1 Archive Development Kit

Definition
The Archive Development Kit (ADK) is a tool for developing archiving solutions. It also prepares the runtime environment for archiving. From a technical
viewpoint, it is an intermediate layer between the application program and the archive that provides all the functions required for archiving data.

Use
The ADK functions are required for archiving and for subsequent access to archived data. The ADK automatically performs the hardware-dependent
adjustments (such as codepage and number format) and structural changes that are required when archive files are created. When the archive files are
accessed later, the ADK temporarily converts data that was archived using earlier releases of the respective SAP Business Suite application (in the case of
SAP R/3, this applies to releases back to and including 2.1).

Integration
The following graphic illustrates the ADK's role in the archiving concept.

See also:
Archive Development Kit (Extended Function Library Applications)
Content Management Service (CMS)

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1.3.2 Authorization Check

Definition
Authorization object S_ARCHIVE checks the authorization to carry out various archiving object programs. The Archive Development Kit (ADK) performs the
check when an archive file is opened for one of the following actions:
Write
Delete
Read
Reload

Use
The following authorizations can be given per archiving object and solution (such as SAP Financials or SAP Human Capital Management):
Everything is permitted
Write, read, and reload archives; execute delete programs; change mode in archive management (notes)
Change mode in archive management
Maintain notes
Read and analyze archives and display mode in archive management
Furthermore, you need the S_DATASET authorization to read and write data. There may also be additional access authorization checks for specific application
components.
See also:
Authorization Checks in Archiving Programs

1.3.3 Tables and Archiving Objects

Use
You use transaction DB15 to determine all the archiving objects that archive the data records from a specific table, or to display all of the tables for a specific
archiving object. You can also call various statistics for the utilized database storage space.

Integration
This function is integrated in data archiving so that you have the option of calling it up from archive administration (transaction SARA) with DB tables.

Features
Archiving Objects
This pushbutton takes you to the part of the screen in which you can determine archiving objects. When you enter a table in the Objects for Table field and
select Display Tables , you can display the archiving objects for this table.
Tables archived
This pushbutton takes you to the part of the screen in which you can determine tables. When you enter an archiving object in the Tables for Object field and
select Display Objects , you can display the tables for this archiving object.

Note
When you display archiving objects, those with the following properties are not included:
Read, but do not delete
Archive using a view or a structure
Archive using an archiving class for which no table information is maintained (transaction ACLA )
By default, the system displays only tables whose data records are deleted during archiving. By selecting All Tables , you can, however, display all tables
that are linked to the archiving object (with the exception of those mentioned above).
More information: Displaying Archiving Objects and Tables.
Space (Statistics)
This transaction provides information from SAP tables that are filled by statistics determination runs. This also provides further information, such as the time
and number of the last archiving session and various details on the client used.

1.3.3.1 Displaying Archiving Objects and Tables

Use
You use an archiving object to archive exactly those tables that are defined in this archiving object in transaction AOBJ . If you do not know which table a
specific archiving object archives, or which archiving objects archive the contents of a specific table, you can use this procedure to find out.
Various export, filter and search functions are also available.

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Procedure
Choose
Administration
CCMS
DB Administration
(transaction SARA) and select DB tables.

Data Archiving (transaction DB15).

. Alternatively, you can call Archive Administration

The Tables and Archiving Objects screen appears.

Tables
1. To display a table for a specific archiving object, enter the name of the object in the Table for Object field and choose Enter .

Note
By default, the system displays only tables whose data records are deleted during archiving. To display all tables that the archiving object
processes, choose All Tables .
2. To display all the archiving objects for one of the listed tables, select the table and then choose Display Objects .
The corresponding archiving objects are listed in the top part of the screen.
Archiving Objects
1. Choose Archiving Objects .
2. To display an archiving object for a specific table, enter the table name in the Object for Table field and choose Enter to confirm.

Note
In addition to the transparent tables, you can also enter pool or cluster tables here. DB15 determines the transparent tables for the pool and cluster
tables.
3. To display all the tables for one of the listed archiving objects, select the archiving object and then choose Display Tables .
The corresponding tables are listed in the bottom part of the screen.

Caution
DB15 does not display any archiving objects with the following properties:
Read data, but do not delete
Use views or structures to archive data indirectly

1.3.4 Network Graphik

Use
You can use the network graphic to show any existing dependencies between archiving objects. It shows business process flows and contexts that can
influence the archiving sequence. In particular, at the start of an archiving object, you can use the network graphic to obtain a good overview of related
documents.

Caution
Like a map, the network graphic is only for orientation purposes. It is not intended to show all the available document types and dependencies that exist in
the system. This means that the network graphic cannot be used as a programming model for business processes.

Features
In an archiving session, you must take into account any dependencies between archiving objects that require a specific archiving sequence. In general, you
cannot archive data for an archiving object that has preceding objects until these preceding objects have been archived.
You can use the network graphic to determine whether the archiving object that you want to use has preceding objects. If so, the preceding objects should be
implemented before the current archiving object. The nodes in the network graphic represent the archiving objects. A node displays the following information:
Achiving object name
Application name
Short description
Date of last archiving displayed in the following colors:
Green: Archiving and deletion successful
Yellow: Successfully archived, but not yet deleted, , or Archiving still running or Delete in progress or Delete canceled
Red: Not yet archived or Archiving canceled
The network graphic is a standard tool for creating and displaying network plans and hierarchies.

Activities
You can use the network graphic to call Archive Management (transaction SARA) at the same time as the required object name:
1. Double-click the archiving object for which you want to perform an action (such as write or delete).
You access Archive Administration. The system copies the name of the archiving object automatically.
2. You can now select the action that you want to carry out and schedule the relevant background job.

More Information
Calling the Network Graphic
Archive Administration

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1.3.4.1 Calling the Network Graphic

Prerequisites
You are on the Archive Administration: Initial Entry screen of the transaction SARA .

Procedure
1.

If you want to display the network graphic for all archiving objects, leave the archiving object name field empty.
If you want to display all the predecessors of a particular object, enter the name of the archiving object in the Object Name field.
Choose
Goto
Network Graphic .
The network graphic is displayed for the specified archiving object or all registered archiving objects.

2.

Note
If you have called the network graphic for all archiving objects, you can increase the display area by enlarging the rectangle in the bottom right-hand corner of the
screen. Use the mouse to change the rectangle.

1.3.5 Access to Archived Data

Use
Data that has been archived using SAP Data Archiving has been removed from the database, but not from the application component. The data is still
available for read access and analysis. In some cases, archived data can even be reloaded into the database.

Prerequisites
A prerequisite of read access and reload access, is that the file can be found in the file system. You can check this in Archive Administration.

Features
Note
The uses of archived data described here are technically possible, but are not currently implemented in all application components. For more information,
refer to the application-specific sections of the documentation on Data Archiving in the SAP Library.
They following types of access are possible:
(Read) access to a single data object, such as an accounting document
Direct access or single document access requires an index that can be filled either during archiving or at a later point. A complex search of the
documents stored in the archive files, in which all orders of an article in a particular batch are required for a product recall action, is not possible.
The Archive Information System (AS) supports direct access using archive information structures, which are a type of index that can be generated
automatically either whilst the archive files are being written, or at a later point.
Analysis of an archive file (Sequential Read)
It is possible to run an analysis for one or several archiving sessions. The results of the analyzed data objects are displayed in a list. Furthermore, some
archiving objects offer the option of a combined analysis. With this option, you can link current data and archived data in the database.
Reloading to the Database
Archived data does not usually need to be reloaded because it remains accessible to the applications. There is also a large amount of data that cannot
be reloaded or for which reloading is problematic. For this reason, reload programs do not exist for all archiving objects.

1.3.6 Archive Administration: Overview of Archiving Sessions

Use
On this screen, you can display and edit administration information about archiving sessions.

Features
Within a status area, archiving sessions are, by default, organized in groups of 20. The sessions are ordered according to the following statuses:
Archiving Sessions with Errors: The write process terminated before the first archive file was created.
Incomplete Archiving Sessions: The write process has not been completed, the deletion program did not run for all archive files, or a write process was
terminated.
Completed Archiving Sessions: Both the write process and the delete phase were completed successfully.
Archiving Sessions to be Reloaded: The content of the archiving session is to be reloaded into the database.
Archiving Sessions Created during Reload: The archiving session contains data that could not be reloaded into the database during the reload. The
archiving session is not accessible again until the reload program has been run successfully.

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Replaced Archiving Sessions: The archiving session was reloaded or converted.

Invalid Archiving Sessions: The archiving session has been marked as invalid.
Archiving Sessions Flagged for Archiving: The administration data for the archiving session can be archived and deleted using archiving object
BC_ARCHIVE.
Interrupted: The archiving session was interrupted. This was done either manually by the user or because the interruption parameters were reached (for
example, the maximum runtime or a total number of data).
You can call up detailed information about sessions and files on the following screens:
Archiving Session Detail
Archive File Detail
The Goto menu offers access to the following:
Customizing
Job Overview Offers an overview of all archiving jobs and the functions available for their administration. For more information on the job overview, refer
to Managing Jobs in the Job Overview.
Logs
Stored Files: Enables you to search for stored archive files according to various selection criteria.
Retrieved Files: Allows you to search for archive files that were retrieved into the file system, for a comprehensive analysis, for example. These archive
files are no longer needed and can be deleted after they have been used. See Deleting Retrieved Archive Files.
DB Tables
Information System
Statistics
Interrupting and Continuing
See also:
Calling Archiving Session Administration

1.3.6.1 Calling Archiving Session Administration

Procedure
1. Call Archive Administration (transaction SARA).

2. In the Object Name field, enter the name of the archiving object.

3. On the initial screen, choose Administration .

4. On the overview of archiving sessions, call the required function.

View the details of an archiving session or an archive file.
Store the archive file or retrieve the stored file, if there is a connection to the storage system.
More information:
Storing Archive Files
Retrieving Stored Archive Files
5. If necessary, use the tool bar to call the following functions:
Overview of the current spool request for the archiving sessions
Function for storing or retrieving archive files
Customizing settings
Overview of all archiving jobs and the functions available for their processing
DB Tables
Information System
Statistics
6. To go to additional functions, choose Goto .

1.3.6.2 Displaying Archiving Session Details

Prerequisites
You are on the Archive Administration: Initial Entry screen of the transaction SARA . The name of the archiving object is entered in the Object Name field.

Procedure
1.
2.

Choose Administration .
This takes you to the Archive Administration: Overview of Archiving Sessions screen.
Position the cursor on the list of archiving sessions with the relevant status and expand the list.

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3.
4.

Position the cursor on the required archiving session.

Choose Detail Screen .
The Archiving Sessions Details dialog box appears.

Next Steps
Displaying Archive File Details

1.3.6.2.1 Archiving Session Details

Use
You can display detailed information for each archiving session.

Features
General Information
System ID for the system used for the archiving session
Number of archiving sessions
Date, time, and user for the session
Number of the spool assigned to the session
Current Jobs for the Session
This area only appears if there are still active read or write jobs for the current session. To go to the job overview, choose Display Job . Here you can release,
cancel, or delete individual jobs.
For the current job, the following job activities can be indicated:
Active: The job has status "ready", "scheduled", or "active".
Terminated: The job was terminated.
Changeable Settings
You can create a note and a long text for the session or mark it for archiving or as invalid. You should mark a session as invalid if, for example. you discover
after archiving that the data selection was incorrect. Invalid sessions are no longer offered for archive selection.
Mark Several Archiving Sessions for Archiving or as Invalid
You can use the report RSARCH_FLAG_SESSIONS to mark several archiving sessions
For archiving
As invalid
When selecting the archiving sessions, you can also differentiate between sessions whose archive files are in a storage system, and sessions for which no
accessible archive files exist.
You can use this report, for example, to mark all the archiving sessions created prior to a specified date for archiving or as invalid. This can be useful, for
example, as an initial run when archiving archive administration data using the archiving object BC_ARCHIVE .
See also:
Displaying Archiving Session Details

1.3.6.3 Displaying Archive File Details

Prerequisites
You are on the Archive Administration: Initial Entry screen of the transaction SARA . The name of the archiving object is entered in the Object Name field.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Choose Administration .
This takes you to the Archive Administration: Overview of Archiving Sessions screen.
Position the cursor on the required archiving session.
Expand the archiving session
Position the cursor on the required archive file.
Choose Detail Screen .
The Archive File Details dialog box appears.

Next Steps
Displaying Archiving Session Details

1.3.6.3.1 Archive File Details

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Use
You can display an archive file status dialog box for all archiving sessions except for incomplete sessions where no archive files have been created.

Features
General Information
Archive file name
Date and time or archiving
Number of data objects
Size of archiving file in MB
Archive file status
Information for storing the file in a storage system
Index status
Archiving Status
An archive file can have the following statuses:
Write complete: The archive files have been written, but the data objects in the database have not been (completely) deleted.
Delete complete: Previously archived data objects have been deleted from the database
Reloaded: Data objects in the archive file have been reloaded into the database.
Converted: The contents of the archive files have been written to a new archive file with conversion programs delivered by SAP.
Saved: The content of the archive file is a backup copy of the data in the database.
Storage Status
An archive file can have the following storage statuses:
Not stored: The archive file is still in the file system.
Storage in progress: The request to store the archive file in a storage system is running.
Stored: The archive file has been successfully stored in a storage system.
Storage error: The archive file was not successfully stored.
Retrieval in progress: The request to reload the archive file in the file system has been issued.
Retrieval error: The file could not be reloaded into the file system.
Storage incomplete: The archive file could not be completely stored in a storage system.
Index
An index for an archive file can have the following statuses:
Index built: The index for this archive file was successfully built.
Index deleted: The index for this archive file was deleted.
No index exists: No index exists for the archive file.
Accessibility Status
An archive file can have the following accessibility statuses:
Accessible: The archive file can be accessed in Archive Administration.
Not accessible: The archive file cannot be accessed in Archive Administration.
Changeable Settings
The dialog box can also contain the following changeable information:
Note written by the user
File name of the archive file
Platform-independent path specified during archiving in archiving object-specific Customizing
The physical file name

Activities
Displaying Archive File Details

1.3.7 Deleting Retrieved Archive Files

Use
This function enables you to delete copies of archive files retrieved to the file system that are stored in an external storage system. This is usually the case if
you no longer need the copies and want to access the stored files directly.

Features
Overview of the Retrieved Archive Files
The program RSARCH_LIST_RETRIEVED provides you with the retrieved archive files. You can restrict the selection to archiving objects, archiving sessions,
archiving files and Content Repositories. The list contains the following information about the retrieved archived files:
Archive file name
Related logical file path
Creation date
Content Repository name
Document ID in the storage system

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Status of the stored file in the storage system

Storage date and time
Deleting Archive Files
To delete retrieved copies of stored archive files, select the relevant entries and the list and choose Delete Retrieved Files . The program deletes the archive
file on operating system level and automatically adjusts the administration entries in archive administration. After this, you can again access archive files
directly in the storage system.
You can delete retrieved archive files only if the original archive files have the status ONLINE in the storage system, and the access check of the stored
archive file is performed successfully. The system checks whether the header information in the archive files corresponds with the administration data in
archive administration. If it does not, you cannot perform the deletion.
For files that do not have the status ONLINE in the storage system, you can double-click on the Status field or use the Errors Occurred pushbutton to
display additional information about the cause. If this information is not available, no message is displayed.

Activities
You can call up the program RSARCH_LIST_RETRIEVED either from ABAP program execution (transaction SA38) or from archive administration. To do so,
choose
Goto
Retrieved Files .

1.3.8 Interrupting and Continuing Archiving Sessions

Use
In order that Data Archiving can be seamlessly integrated into the production system, you can interrupt an active archiving session that is still in the write
phase and continue it at a later time. This enables you to react, during archiving, to specific time constraints or hard-disk space shortages. You can continue
and complete interrupted archiving sessions when you have more time or more storage space.

Integration
This function is a part of the Archive Administration (transaction SARA) and requires the support of the write program.

Prerequisites
If you want to interrupt an archiving session, the following prerequisites must be fulfilled:
The archiving object must be registered in transaction AOBJ as interruptible , so that the Archive Development Kit (ADK) is able to inform the write
program of the interruption request.
The write program is able to process the interruption request.
The archiving session must be run in production mode (not test mode) and be in process.
The settings in transaction AOBJ allow the delete phase to start before the write phase has finished.
If you want to continue the interrupted archiving session, the following prerequisites must be fulfilled:
The session was interrupted using this interruption concept. Archiving sessions that were interrupted for other reasons or that were terminated by
Archive Administration cannot be continued.
The delete phase must be completed for the data that was archived up to the point of interruption (status Completed ).

Features
The write phase of an interruptible archiving session can be interrupted either implicitly (based on the values that are specified in Cross-Archiving Object
Customizing or explicitly (manually by an Application Programming Interface (API) Remote Administration Function.

Activities
1. Explicitly Interrupting an Archiving Session
2. Implicitly Interrupting an Archiving Session
3. Continuing an Interrupted Archiving Session

1.3.8.1 Implicitly Interrupting an Archiving Session

Prerequisites
The archiving object supports interruption.
In Cross-Archiving Object Customizing , you have specified the runtime in hours or the storage space in MB, or both.

Context
When scheduling an archiving session, you realize that the time slot available or the amount of storage space is not sufficient. However, you want to start the
archiving session, interrupt it, and continue it later.

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Procedure
1.
2.

3.

Start the archiving session as usual.

For each data object that function module ARCHIVE_SAVE_OBJECT writes, the ADK determines whether it is necessary to interrupt the archiving session.
ADK calculates the following:
a. The time that has elapsed since the write job was released.
b. The storage space, by adding the size of already closed archive files to the size of the archive file that is currently being written.
As soon as one of these values is reached, the ADK triggers the interruption by raising the exception TERMINATED_REQUESTED.

Note
The write program must be able to process the exception and call function module ARCHIVE_CLOSE_FILE.
4.

The ADK sets status of the archiving session to Incomplete as usual, but also marks it as Interrupted .

Results
The archiving session was interrupted and can be continued later. To continue an interrupted archiving session, see Continuing an Interrupted Archiving
Session.

1.3.8.2 Explicitly Interrupting an Archiving Session

Prerequisites
The archiving object supports the interruption of an archiving session.
The archiving session to be interrupted is in the write phase.
You are on the Archive Administration: Initial Entry screen of the transaction SARA. The name of the archiving object is entered in the Object Name
field.
Alternatively, you can interrupt an archiving session from archive administration.

Context
You want to interrupt an active archiving session manually and continue it later.

Procedure
1.
2.

Choose
Goto
Interrupt .
Select the archiving session(s) to be interrupted. You have the following options:
All interruptible archiving sessions for all interruptible archiving objects
All interruptible archiving sessions for the specified archiving object
Specific archiving sessions that you can select in Archive Selection

Note
The selection of the archiving sessions is always cross-client if the archiving objects used are cross-client.
3.

After you have selected the relevant archiving session, confirm your interruption request by choosing Execute .

Results
The archiving session is interrupted before the system starts writing the next data object. In archive administration, the session is marked as Interrupted .

1.3.8.3 Continuing an Interrupted Archiving Session

Prerequisites
The delete jobs have been run for the archive files in the archiving sessions that were interrupted (the archiving session has the status Completed ).
You are on the Archive Administration: Initial Entry screen of the transaction SARA . The name of the archiving object is entered in the Object Name
field.
Alternatively, you can continue an archiving session from administration.

Context

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You can use this function to continue archiving sessions that you interrupted earlier.

Procedure
1.
2.

Choose
Goto
Continue .
Select the archiving session(s) to be continued.
You have the following options:
All interrupted archiving sessions for all interruptible archiving objects
All interrupted archiving sessions for the specified archiving object
Specific archiving sessions that you can select in Archive Selection

Note
The selection of the archiving sessions is always cross-client if the archiving objects used are cross-client.
3.

Once you have entered the Start Time and Spool Parameters , schedule the continuation job by choosing Execute .

Results
The archiving session is continued at the specified time - that is, the data objects that still have to be archived (in accordance with your selection criteria) are
written to archive files.

1.3.9 Database Actions Before and After Archiving

Use
When archiving application data, the way in which the database data is organized plays a central role. Therefore, you should only use database actions can be
used to optimize organization of data in the database before and after archiving.

Process
1. Database Actions Before Archiving
2. Database Actions After Archivng or Deletion

1.3.9.1 Database Actions Before Archiving

Use
Archiving application data helps to prevent storage and performance bottlenecks. Since relocating data can, in some circumstances, in itself, impair
performance - this is the case if you need to access archived data - you need to consider carefully what data to archive.
To determine whether or not you should archive data, consider the following questions:
For memory problems: Can more memory be assigned to the table (MAXEXTENT, Tablespace)?
If the answer is yes, and if you will need to access the archived data and you have no performance problems, you should consider enlarging the table.
You can find the exact description in the SAP NetWeaver AS Documentation SAP Database Guide: Oracle (BRSPACE for Oracle) or ABAP
Dictionary , section Tablespaces und Extents database-independent parameterization, MaxDB).
How likely is it that you will need to access the archived data again and how often?
If you need to access the archived data often and there are no performance problems, assign more memory to the tables in question (see above).
For performance problems: Are you using an optimal index for the access?
In some circumstances, a suitable index may be available but not being used. This depends on the database optimizer.
You can check which index is actually used to access data by Performing an SQL Trace. For more information on indexes, refer to the SAP NetWeaver
AS documentation ABAP Dictionary and search for appropriate sections using "index" as your search term.
Does the application perform a full table scan on the tables that contain the data to be archived?
If the answer is yes and the table is fragmented, it may help to reorganize the table before archiving so that new records and any records that remain in
the database are physically contiguous.

Caution
Note that reorganization takes a long time and may need to be repeated after archiving.
Throughput during a reorganization:
- With export/import: approximately. 60-100 MByte/hour
- With unload/load: approximately. 250-300 MByte/hour

1.3.9.2 Database Actions After Archiving or Deletion

Use
Oracle: Reorganization of the Index
If data has been archived or simply deleted and the associated tables were accessed via an index, the index should be reorganized. Deleting table entries

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leaves holes in the table which are still indexed. Reorganization can shorten the access paths, reducing response times.
For databases with a cost-based optimizer (CBO): Refresh the database statistics
If your database uses a cost-based optimizer, you must choose Update Statistics to recalculate the access paths.
Oracle: Reorganization of Tablespaces and Dbspaces
Whether you should reorganize the tablespace depends on the reason for archiving.
Do you expect a lot of new data for the archived tables?
If so, you should not reorganize.
On the other hand, if, for performance reasons, you have archived data that is no longer needed in the system and the table is otherwise rarely changed,
you should reorganize.
Do you want to make space for other tables?
If so, you should reorganize the tablespaces and dbspaces of both the tables and the indices.
This procedure is described in the SAP NetWeaver AS documentation SAP Database Guide: Oracle (BRSPACE for Oracle databases) and the ABAP
Dictionary, section Tablespaces and Extents (database-independent parameterization, MaxDB).

1.3.9.3 Performing an SQL Trace

Procedure
1.

Open a new window and choose

System
Utilities
Performance Trace .
The Trace Requests screen appears.
Choose Trace On to activate the trace.
Perform a typical database access in the first window (for example, an application transaction or the transaction SE16 ).
Choose Trace Off to deactivate the trace. Examine the SQL statement with List Trace .
Position the cursor on one of the PREPARE, OPEN, or REOPEN statements, and choose Explain SQL .
The system displays detailed information. The index used is specified in the line beginning with Index .

2.
3.
4.
5.

1.3.10 Archive Selection

Use
When executing certain archiving actions, it is necessary to select individual archive files or entire archive sessions and make them available for the relevant
action. You do this using Archive Selection , which you access from the initial screen of the relevant action.
Archive selection is relevant for the following actions:
Delete
Read
Build Index
Reload
Postprocessing

Prerequisites
Depending on the action, there are various criteria that define whether archiving sessions and archive files are displayed in the archive selection
Criterion 1:
Archive File Status
Action

Criterion

Delete

Archive file has the status Archived or Stored (if the sequence "Store before deletion" has been selected in Customizing)

Read

Archive file has the status Archived or Deleted or Saved .

Build Index

Archive file has the status Deleted and the file is in the file system

Reload

Archive file is in file system and the session has the corresponding status (see criterion 5)

Postprocessing

All archive files have status Deleted

Criterion 2:
The archive file must contain at least one data object. If you have performed an archiving session and maintained the variants so that no data objects were
archived, the archive file is automatically deleted and no longer offered for selection.
Criterion 3:
If a file is not accessible in the file system, the file is not offered for selection. A file is only offered for read if all the files in a session are accessible.
While checking the accessibility of a file, the system performs a read access for each file. This check process can take a long time if a large number of files
are involved. To optimize this process the access check can be activated or deactivated according to archive files in the file system and archive files in an
optical archive in archiving object-specific Customizing.
Criterion 4:
In the case of client-dependent archiving objects, the system only offers you sessions for the current client.
Criterion 5:

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An archiving session can only be reloaded if it has the status Complete or Archiving session is reloaded .

Features
You can select complete archive sessions or specific archive files from the archive selection window, which you can access by choosing Archive Selection ,
from the initial screen of the archiving action.

Activities
Selecting Archive Files

1.3.10.1 Selecting Archive Files

Prerequisites
You have selected one of the following actions and are in the screen from which the relevant action is started:
Delete
Read
Build Index
Reload
Postprocessing
At least one of the archive selection criteria is valid for this action.
More information: Archive Selection

Procedure
1.

Choose Archive Selection .

The archive selection screen appears for the selected action.
To select all files belonging to an archiving session, select the appropriate checkbox.
As a confirmation, the small rectangle to the right of the checkbox is filled.
To select individual files belonging to an archiving session, expand the required node and select the relevant checkbox.
As a confirmation, the small rectangle to the right of the checkbox is only half-filled.

2.
3.

Note
You can select all sessions or cancel the selection by choosing Select All or Deselect All .

Note
The reload program can only ever process complete archiving sessions. For this reason, you cannot select individual files for reloading.
4.

Confirm the file selection by choosing Continue .

You return to the initial screen.

Results
You have selected the archive file(s) for processing. If you have also entered the start date and spool parameters, you can schedule the required archiving
action.

Next Steps
Entering Spool Parameters
Entering Start Date

1.3.11 Statistics
Use
When writing, deleting, reading, or reloading, the system automatically generates statistical data on each archiving run (such as the storage space that has
been freed in the database by deletions, or the number of deleted data objects), and stores it persistently in the database.
Data archiving administrators can analyze these key figures so that they can better plan future archiving projects and provide the necessary resources.
Statistics also provide pertinent information on the role of data archiving in reducing the volume of data in the database.
Features
Statistics are collected by the Archive Development Kit (ADK). This occurs during the write, delete, and reload processes. In other archiving contexts, for
example execution of preprocessing, postprocessing, or conversion programs, no statistical data is collected.
You can call the analysis transaction either directly from the initial Archive Administration screen (transaction SARA ), or from the Management screen in

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Archive Administration, using the Statistics pushbutton. Alternatively, you can use the SAR_DA_STAT_ANALYSIS transaction.
As well as being displayed directly in the analysis transaction, the statistical information flows into the standard log of the write, delete, read, and reload
program. You can analyze it there as well. As a prerequisite, the relevant application must call the standard log. In the programs mentioned, the standard log is
output in the write program only, in both test mode and productive mode. In other programs, it is only output in productive mode. In other archiving contexts,
such preprocessing, postprocessing, or conversion programs, no standard log is issued.
Selection
Statistical information is displayed on the basis of the selection data entered here. This includes:
The client in which the archiving session was executed
The name of the archiving object
The date on which the archiving session data was created
The status of the archiving session
Archiving Session Status
When selecting the archiving sessions for reporting, you can choose between archiving sessions with the following statuses:
Incomplete
Complete
Replaced
To select a status, enter the corresponding code. You can mark one indicator, or a combination of several.
The status used here is the same as the archiving session status in the management part of Archive Administration. You can find more information under
Archiving Session Details.
Displaying Statistical Information
To display statistical information, choose the Display Statistics pushbutton.

Note
Via Choose Layout , you can change various statistics display settings, such as column width, column order, or column selection. You can also save this
changed display as a user-specific layout variant. For a display that is easier to use, for example, you can hide columns that do not interest you.
In the full display (that is, if a user-layout has not been defined), the following information is displayed:
Column

Explanation

Session number

Number of archiving session

Object

Name of archiving object

Client

Client in which the archiving session was executed

Date

Date on which the archiving session was executed

Status

Status of the archiving session (incomplete, complete, replaced)

Disk space

Space on the (hard) disk occupied by the archiving session

Header data

Proportion of header data in the archiving session that classifies and describes the actual data

Total DB storage space (write)

Virtual storage space in MB that an incomplete archiving session occupies in the database

DB table storage space (write)

Occupied table storage space in the database in MB

DB index storage space (write)

Occupied index storage space in the database in MB

DB cluster storage space (write)

Occupied cluster storage space in the database in MB

DB structure storage space (write)

Occupied structure storage space in the database in MB

Total DB storage space (delete)

Virtual storage space in MB that was deleted from the database by a completed archiving session

DB table storage space (delete)

Deleted table storage space in the database in MB

DB index storage space (delete)

Deleted index storage space in the database in MB

DB cluster storage space (delete)

Deleted cluster storage space in the database in MB

DB structure storage space (delete)

Deleted structure storage space in the database in MB

Total DB storage space (reload)

Virtual storage space in MB that was reloaded into the database by a replaced archiving session

DB table storage space (reload)

Reloaded table storage space in the database in MB

DB index storage space (reload)

Reloaded index storage space in the database in MB

DB cluster storage space (reload)

Reloaded cluster storage space in the database in MB

DB structure storage space (reload)

Reloaded structure storage space in the database in MB

Written data objects

Number of data objects that were written for an incomplete archiving session

Deleted data objects

Number of data objects that were deleted from the database for a complete archiving session

Reloaded data objects

Number of data objects that were reloaded into the database for a replaced archiving session

Number of delete jobs

Number of executed delete jobs for an archiving session

Length of write job

Length in hours of the write job for an archiving session

Length of delete job

Average length in hours of the delete job for an archiving run

Length of reload job

Length in hours of the reload job for an archiving session

Caution
When calculating storage space in the database, the system uses the length of the respective object types in the ABAP dictionary. The value determined

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in this way can therefore only be an indication of the actual storage space in the database.
Archiving Statistics Information
Statistics information is saved persistently in the database table ADMI_STATS. You can archive it together with archive management data using the archiving
object BC_ARCHIVE.
Activities
Creating Statistics

More Information
Archiving Archive Administration Data (BC-CCM-ADK)

1.3.11.1 Creating Statistics

Prerequisites
You are on the Archive Administration: Initial Entry screen of the transaction SARA . The name of the archiving object is entered in the Object Name field.

Note
Alternatively, you can call the statistics function from the archive management in Archive Administration, or in transaction SAR_DA_STAT_ANALYSIS .
If you use this transaction, you must enter client and archiving object manually.

Context
You can display statistical information that was automatically generated by the archiving programs (write, delete, read, reload). Statistical information provides
useful data on the individual archiving sessions for the database administrator.

Procedure
1.

Choose Statistics .
The Display Statistics for Data Archiving screen appears.
In the Selection area, enter the date on which the archiving session was carried out.
The client and archiving object are prefilled. However, you can change these values.
In the Archiving Status area, select the required status for the archiving sessions for which you want to call statistics.
You can select one or more checkboxes.
Choose Display Statistics .

2.
3.
4.

Results
The statistics are displayed in line with the entries made in the selection and status parameters.
More information: Statistics

1.3.12 Logs
Use
This function provides a central access to the logs generated during data archiving. You can call this function from within Archive Administration by choosing
Logs or
Goto
Logs
as well as from Archive Administration.

Features
The following logs are written when an archiving program, such as a preprocessing, write, or delete program, is executed, and can be displayed in this function:
Job Overview
Information on the background jobs of the archiving program
Job Log
Log of the different steps of an individual background job
Spool List
List generated by the archiving program and stored in the spool
Application Log
Log of all processed objects (summarized and detailed)
Job overview, job log, and spool list are generated only by programs that are executed in the background. The application log can be generated for programs
that run in the background and in dialog mode.

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Note
Whether or not the log of the processed objects is to be updated in the application log, meaning that an application log is generated, can be set in the
variant maintenance of the corresponding program in the entry field Log Output . See Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs.

Note
Note that not all archiving objects offer the updating of an object log (entry field Detailed Log in variant maintenance).
Log Display
In the log function, the left area of the screen shows the available logs, organized by archiving object, action (for example, preprocessing, write, delete, and so
on) date and time. The newest log is highlighted. If cross-archiving-object logs were created, you can view them at the end of the log tree under the entry
Cross-Archiving-Object (see below).
Under Process Control , you can see whether the process was started in the test or the productive mode. If the process control could not be determined, the
field remains empty.
In the Archiving Session column, you can see the number of the archiving session that was generated by the corresponding program (for write programs) or
processed (for example by delete programs). If the session number could not be determined (for example, in preprocessing programs), the field remains
empty. In case of reload programs, the Original Session column contains the number of the reloaded session.
Due to technical reasons, the job overview, the job log, and the spool lists can only be displayed as fullscreen.
The Application Log is displayed directly on the right-hand side of the screen. It is used to inform the user about the results of processing the business
objects he or she has selected. For example, in the write program the user learns which business objects have been archived and which could not be archived
and why.
You use the two tab pages to choose between a summarized and a detailed application log (if available). f detailed information is available for an object, you
can display it by using the magnifying glass icon in the Detail column. Click on the question mark icon in the Long Text column to view the message long
text. If no application log was created, the relevant message text is displayed. Possible reasons for this are, for example, that the relevant archiving program
does not support this function or the user wanted the log output in the list (spool) and not in the application log.
Cross-Archiving-Object Logs
Cross-archiving-object logs are created during the execution of the cross-archiving-object check and delete function. In the log display, these logs appear at
the end of the log tree under Cross-Archiving-Object . The logs are sorted by action, date and time of the action, and archiving object. For example, if you
want to display the logs of all archiving objects for which the system performed a cross-archiving-object check, expand the Preprocessing node in the tree
structure under the above-named heading and double-click the node with the desired date. In the right-hand area of the log display, the application log of the
cross-archiving-object check session you have chosen appears. In the summarized view, the log contains a consolidated list of all summarized log messages
of the archiving objects included in the check (these are listed as subnodes in the log tree). Due to performance reasons, the detailed messages of the
different archiving objects are not included in the detail view.
It is not possible to display information on the next lower level, that is, on archiving object level. When you choose a node (document symbol) below the
archiving object, the messages for this particular archiving object are shown in the form of a summary and as detailed information.

Activities
You can limit the display of the logs to one specific archiving object by entering the object in the initial screen of Archive Administration. If you want to
access the logs of all archiving objects, you must leave this field empty.
To display the log for a specific log entry, select the entry in the log entries list and with a right mouse click choose the corresponding log, for example,
the job log or the application log.
To access only cross-archiving-object logs, first choose Check/Delete in Archive Administration and then Logs .
You can delete selected application logs from the system by choosing
Environment
Delete Application Logs . This function corresponds to the
central delete function of logs using Transaction SLG2, the only exception being that the object ARCHIVING is already entered per default.
See also:
Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs
Standard Log

1.3.12.1 Standard Log

Definition
The executing program creates a log during reading, writing, deleting, or reloading. This is either a standard log or an application-specific log that is described
in archiving object-specific documentation.

Structure
Depending on the archiving action you have performed, the standard log can contain information about the archiving session or the archiving file, as well as
information about the processed business objects.
Archiving Session Archive File-Specific Log
Number of archiving sessions
Number of processed data objects
Size of archiving session in MB
Amount of header data in %
Table space in MB occupied for
Tables
Indexes
Number of processed table entries

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This information is written exclusively in the list (spool).

Business Object-Specific Log
It is used to inform the user about the results of processing the business objects he or she has selected. For example, in the write program the user learns
which business objects have been archived and which could not be archived and why.
First the summarized version of the is displayed. If the user wants the detailed version, he or she can request it on the selection screen of the relevant
archiving program (see Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs). If detailed information for an object is available, you can display the required object by doubleclicking it. If detailed information for a message is available, you can display it by double-clicking the message.
If no application log was created, the relevant text is displayed. Possible reasons for this are, for example, the relevant archiving program does not support
this function or the user wanted the log output in the application log and not in the list (spool).
You can call up the standard log with the Archive Administration: Overview of Archiving Sessions view with Spool List . If the user has defined in variant
maintenance that the business object-specific information is to be output in the application log, you can display this information in archive administration with
Logs .

1.3.13 Cross-Archiving-Object Check and Delete

Use
This function is used to schedule the cross-archiving object check or delete programs. These programs enable you to execute an archivability check or to
delete application data from the database for several archiving objects at once.
Using these programs allows for a more pronounced separation between the moment of the archivability check and the actual write phase. It also allows you to
merely mark data that has been archived for deletion from the database, instead of executing a delete session immediately. The data is later deleted with the
cross-archiving-object delete program (see below).
By de-coupling the archiving phases, you can better control the archiving process and integrate it in the running system. Time-consuming program runs such
as the archivability check or the physical deletion of data can be separated from the write phase, and be executed when the system is not busy. This concept
is therefore particularly suitable for archiving large volumes of data.

Prerequisites
The cross-archiving-object check and delete functions can be used for all archiving objects that support these functions. To check if this is the case for a
specific archiving object, see the archiving documentation for that application, available in the SAP Library.
Before you schedule either of these two programs you must activate the archiving objects to be considered in the Customizing for Cross-Archiving-Object
Programs view.
More information: Check and Delete

Features
Check
Here you schedule the cross-archiving-object check program, with which you want to execute an archivability check for several archiving objects at once.
During the check the program marks all business objects that fulfill the archivability criteria and are therefore ready to be removed from the database, with a
specific status.
Different applications use different statuses to mark data for archiving. The statuses used can therefore change from one archiving object to another. SAP
Customer Relationship Management, for example, uses the status Archivable and has the technical ID I1100. A business object, such as a CRM sales
order, is considered to be archivable if it fulfills the following criteria:
It is closed, meaning that it has the status Completed . This means that it is no longer changed in the application.
It has reached its set residence time. The residence time should be chosen in such a way that it only covers data that is very seldomly accessed for
reading.
In addition to these general criteria, there may be additional, object-specific criteria for determining the archivability of business objects. These are described in
the corresponding documentation available for the archiving object in question.
The business objects marked for archiving can then be archived in a second step using an archiving-object-specific write program. The deletion of the archived
data then takes place via an archiving-object-specific delete program, or a cross-archiving-object delete program, if supported by the archiving object (see
below).
Deletion
Here you schedule the cross-archiving object delete program. The program selects the business objects that were already archived and those only marked for
deletion, and deletes them from the database. If this function is not supported by the archiving object, the Delete pushbutton is not offered.
The status used by the delete program for the selection of the data is application specific and can therefore differ from one archiving object to another. In SAP
Customer Relationship Management, for example, the Deletable status has the technical ID I1102 and the Archived status the ID I1101. More information
on whether a specific archiving object uses this status and what it is called is available in the corresponding documentation in the SAP Library.
Displaying the Log
The Logs function is used to display the application logs generated during the cross-archiving-object check and delete functions. For more information, see
Logs .

Activities
You make the cross-archiving-object check and delete program settings in Archive Administration in
Delete .

Cross-Archiving-Object Customizing

Check and

You schedule the cross-archiving-object check and delete program in Archive Administration. To do so you must enter a variant, where you can make the
following settings:
In the Server Groups field, enter the group of application servers on which the processes are to run. If no server group is available, you can create one

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using Computing Center Management System (CCMS).

In the Number of Parallel Processes field, enter the number of processes that are to be started in parallel.
Under Process Control , you determine whether the process is to run in the test or production mode. In test mode the check or deletion process is only
simulated and no actual changes occur on the database. The test or production mode settings you make in this variant override the settings in the
Customizing variant. See Check and Delete and Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs .

Note
Both programs support parallel processing, meaning that it is possible to divide their processes among several jobs and application servers. This is
generally positive in terms of performance, but also generates a greater system load, as several tasks are being executed concurrently. Parallel
processing cannot be used if no server group is specified.

1.4 Customizing for ADK Data Archiving

Use
In Customizing for data archiving, you to set parameters that affect the data archiving process.
Prerequisites
You have Customizing authorization.
Data types are entered.
Organizational data is entered.
Areas
Archiving Customizing can be divided into the following areas:
Cross-Archiving-Object Customizing
Archiving-Object-Specific Customizing
Basis Customizing
Application-Specific Customizing
Some applications provide the option of specifying archivability criteria for application data, to be used during data archiving. Examples would be the
residence time for sales documents or the account type life and document type life for accounting documents. If it is possible to enter archivability
criteria, this function appears in the Customizing of the application in question and in Archiving Customizing of the corresponding archiving object.

Note
For more information on archiving-object-specific and application-specific Customizing, see the application-specific sections of the archiving
documentation available in the SAP Library.

1.4.1 Cross-Archiving-Object Customizing (ADK Archiving)

Use
The settings that you make here apply on a cross-application and cross-archiving object basis for all archiving objects.
The cross-archiving object Customizing includes the following functions:
Technical Settings
Check and Delete

1.4.2.1 Technical Settings

Use
With this function you can make the following settings to control the data archiving process. These settings apply to all archiving objects.
Data Archiving Monitor
Using this indicator, you can either switch the data archiving monitor (transaction SAR_SHOW_MONITOR) on or off.
If you set this indicator before the data is archived, the archiving-relevant information about the write and delete jobs is updated. You can analyze this
information using the Data Archiving Monitor. In addition, Alerts (error messages) are triggered if there are errors.
The Data Archiving Monitor also provides the following information:
Overview of all archiving objects that were executed
Detailed information about individual archiving sessions
Progress report on processed archive files
Help with the analysis of open alerts
The Data Archiving Monitor is part of the CCMS monitor group (transaction RZ20), and is available under
Data Archiving .

SAP CCMS Monitor Templates

Database

For more information, see Data Archiving Monitor.

Check Access for Archive Selection
With this function you can check whether an archive file is available for access in archive administration, when you select archives for reading, deletion,
analysis or reloading. The check can be performed separately for stored archive files and archive files that are still in the file system.
If you select For Files in File System , the access check covers all archive files in the file system.
If you select For Stored Files , the access check covers all archive files that are in a storage system.

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Archive files for which the access check was negative are shown as "not accessible" in the selection screen.

Note
The access check for stored files requires accesses to the storage system. This means that the check can be very time-consuming and should only be
used after careful consideration.
Verify Archive Files
With this function you can specify that archive files receive additional verification information, which is to be analyzed at a predetermined point in time. The
saving of this additional information does not affect the size of the archive files. The verification information is necessary for later analysis during deletion,
reading or reloading.
The information is used to verify the state of the archive files before the file is accessed. Corrupt files are recognized and reported at once, and as a result the
data is not deleted from the database.
When archive files are written the system automatically saves the verification information. With the Delete , Read or Reload indicator, you can determine
when this verification information is to be analyzed. You can set more than one indicator.
Implicit Interruption of the Write Phase
If supported by the archiving object, you can interrupt the write phase and resume it later. You can specify the time of interruption using the following criteria:
Max. Duration Hours
Here you specify how much time (in hours) has to pass since the write job was started, before the write session of all archiving objects that support
interruption is stopped.
Max. MB per Session
Here you specify the amount of data (in MB) that has to be reached for the write phase of all archiving objects to be interrupted automatically.
Both interruption criteria are independent of each other: The criterion that is first fulfilled automatically triggers the interruption; the other criterion does
not have to be fulfilled.

Note
You can see whether an archiving object supports the interruption function or not in transaction AOBJ, if the Interruption Possible indicator has
been set.
Server Group for Background Processing
Here you can specify on which application server or servers the archiving jobs (write, delete, read, and so on) are to run in the background, irrespective of the
archiving object. If no server group exists yet, you can create it using transaction SM61.
The system distributes the archiving jobs across the application servers of the server group.
Preprocessing, postprocessing and write jobs that were scheduled via Archive Administration (transaction SARA) have the following characteristics:
These jobs are scheduled with a higher priority (job class A).
If the specified server group contains an application server that runs on the database server, then the jobs are scheduled there.

Note
The higher prioritization of the write jobs and the fact that the jobs are scheduled on the database server, decreases the network load during data
selection and when the archive files are written to a file system that belongs to the database server.

Note
Constraints on the side of the application server may increase the runtime of the entire archiving process, especially if fewer background work
processes are active as delete programs.
Choose only those servers for a server group on which background work processes are active during archiving.
If you have created a server group and entered it in cross-archiving-object Customizing, then other activities such as reloading, reading of archive files, and
index build/delete functions, are performed on that server group.
More Information
Basis Customizing
Archiving Object-Specific Customizing
Implicit Interruption of an Archiving Session

1.4.1.2 Setting Up Check and Delete Programs

Use
You can set up the cross-archiving object check and delete program according to your requirements. For example, individual parameters for the selection of
the business objects to be checked for a specific archiving object, or you can activate specific archiving objects for the cross-archiving-object check or delete.
The check is based on the archivability of business objects. You can execute the check for multiple archiving objects in parallel. The deletion of business
objects is also possible for multiple archiving objects.

Prerequisites
The cross-archiving-object check and delete functions can be used for all archiving objects that support these functions. Therefore, only this objects are
offered In Customizing.

Procedure
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You make the settings for the relevant parameters in the detail view for an archiving object. To go there, double-click the line with the required object, for
example, BC_ARCHIVE (Archive Administration data).
You can set the following parameters:
General Settings
Check active
If you select this checkbox, the archiving object is taken into account by the next session of the cross-archiving-object check program, This
covers all archiving objects for which you have selected the checkbox. The program periodically reads a control table to see which archiving
objects are still active. Only those parameter values that were initially (at the time the program is started) read from this table by the check
framework program are processed. In the standard system, this checkbox is deselected.

Note
Framework programs control the cross-object check and delete programs. They are responsible for starting the corresponding check or delete
function module in the application. This module then does the actual work.

Note
Changing the Customizing settings during the runtime of the check program: Activating an archiving object does not affect the running
program. An archiving object that was deactivated during the runtime of the program is removed from the program run, if it has not been
processed at that point in time. If you want to stop the program prematurely, you must deactivate all active archiving objects.
Delete active

Note
This indicator is offered only for an archiving object if the object supports this function. If this is the case, you can use the object-specific
delete program.
If you select this checkbox, the archiving object is taken into account by the next session of the cross-archiving-object delete program, This
program runs in the background periodically and covers all archiving objects for which you have selected the checkbox. The program deletes
all business objects with the Archived or Deletable status (however not Archivable ). In the standard system, this checkbox is deselected.
Settings for the Check Program
Number of Calls for Preselection Module
Determines total number of times the preselection function module is called. As soon as this value is reached, the archiving object is removed
from the program session. The default value is 10,000 calls.

Note
The check program works with two archiving-object-specific function modules: The preselection function module and the check function
module.
Package Size of the Preselection Module
Here you define the number of business objects that are selected in the database and passed to the check function module of the application per
call of the preselection function module. The default value is 50,000 objects.
Package Size of the Check Module
The framework program divides the business objects transferred during the preselection process into subpackages, which are then processed in
parallel. The package size is the number of objects that are processed per call of the check function module. The default value is 500 objects.
Resubmission Interval in Days
Here you define after how many days a business object, which was not archivable during a previous check, can be checked again. By setting the
corresponding value, for example 10 days, you can prevent already checked business objects from being checked again, as this would
unnecessarily prolong the check process. The default value is 10 days.
In the Active Variant field, you can set the variant to be used by the check program. It defines which data is to be processed by the check program.
Settings for the deletion program

Note
These settings are only offered for an archiving object, if the object supports this function.
Number of Calls for Preselection Module
Determines total number of times the preselection function module of the delete program is to be called. As soon as this value is reached, the
archiving object is removed from the program session.
The preselection module of the delete program selects all the business objects with the deletable status, groups them and passes them to the
cross-archiving-object delete program.
Package Size of the Preselection Module
Here you define the number of business objects that are selected in the database and passed to the delete function module of the application per
call of the preselection function module.
Package Size of the Delete Module
Here you define the size of the subpackages that are to be processed by the delete program in parallel.
More information:
Cross-Archiving Object Check and Delete
Cross-Archiving Object Check Program

1.4.2 Archiving-Object-Specific Customizing (ADK Archiving)

Use
These settings are valid only for the relevant archiving object. You can set the following parameters:
Technical Settings

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Logical file name

Size of an archive file
Settings for the deletion program
File storage to storage system
Check and Delete
This function enables you to navigate to Customizing for cross-archiving-object checking and deleting. Unlike when you access from cross-archivingobject Customizing, you can only make settings for Customizing of the current archiving object.
Archive Routing
You use this to define the rules and conditions for the definition of the Content Repositories that are used to store archive files.

1.4.2.1 Technical Settings

Use
You use this function to make the following settings to control data archiving. These settings are valid only for the relevant archiving object.
Logical file name
Size of an archive file
Settings for the deletion program
File storage to storage system

1.4.2.1.1 Logical File Name

Use
This is where you enter the logical file name that is used for the archiving object when you store the archive files in the file system. During runtime, this logical
name is converted to a platform-specific physical file name under which the archive files are stored in the file system.

Features
For information on how to define a logical file name, see Defining Logical Path and File Names. This also provides information on the interplay between the
logical and physical file and path names and the settings that you need to make.

Note
Provided you have not defined a logical file name that differs from the standard, you do not need to make any further settings.

1.4.2.1.2 Size of an Archive File

Use
This parameter specifies the maximum size that an archive file can reach when running a write program.

Features
You have the option of specifying the
Maximum size in MB
Maximum number of data objects
. The value that is reached first triggers the creation of a new archive file. If you leave both fields blank, only one archive file is created.
Many archiving objects have a maximum files size of 100 MB by default. The maximum number of data objects is set to 0 by default. For these archiving
objects, the maximum size of the archiving file determines the file size.
Note that the maximum size of an archiving file is limited by the operating system and also by the external storage system if one is connected.

Note
Since the action Start Deletion Program is triggered automatically for each archive file, you can carry out delete and write jobs in parallel if relatively small
archive files are created. This parallel activity can have a positive effect on the runtime of an archiving session, as the database is used more efficiently. If
a file is too small, the number of processes rises and the system is negatively affected.

Note
The size should usually be between 20 and 100 MB. The size must not exceed 2 GB, or no index can be constructed, thereby preventing single document
access.

1.4.2.1.3 Settings for the Delete Program

Use
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You define the control parameters for running the delete program here.

Features
You can set up a Test Mode Variant by modifying the parameters accordingly. A test mode variant does not delete data from the database.
You can set up a Production Run Variant by modifying the parameters accordingly. A production run variant deletes the archived data from the
database.

Caution
Delete program variants are client-specific. You must therefore make the variant settings in all the clients for which you want to carry out archiving
sessions.
When archiving for the first time using a selected archiving object, the relevant test mode and production mode variants for the delete program must
be fully maintained. Check whether both variants exist. Note especially, that if a production mode variant is not available, data is not deleted form
the database when the delete program is run.
During a delete job , you specify when the delete program is to be run in the background:
If you select the Not Scheduled , the delete program is not run automatically but can be run at any time following archiving.

Note
Delete jobs can also be scheduled without using Archive Administration (transaction SARA). You so so using an external job scheduler or the
program RSARCHD. For more information, see Scheduling Delete Jobs Outside of Archive Administration.
If you have selected the Start Automatically button, the delete program is run automatically immediately after an archive file is generated. See also
the note under Archive File Size here. If it was specified in Customizing that the file storage is to take place before the delete phase, the delete program
is not started until the file has been stored .
This radio button is of interest primarily if you want to save the archive files before the delete phase. If there is a long time period between the write
phase and the delete phase, there is a danger that the data could be changed before it is deleted, which means that the data in the archive and in the
database are no longer the same. The delete phase should therefore be carried out as soon as possible after the write phase.

Note
Since Before Images has been deactivated for the rollback segments, there should be enough space available (Oracle's Rollback Tablespace).
If you have selected the After Event radio button, the delete program is run automatically once a specific event has occurred. You select the relevant
event by using the F4 input help for the Event field. an event requires that a parameter be set (an argument), enter the required parameter in this field.
A parameter qualifies an event. See also Background Event.
Once all delete jobs for an archiving session are complete, the ADK issues the event SAP_ARCHIVING_DELETE_FINISHED. The event parameter is
the number of the archiving session. You can use this event for event-driven scheduling of accumulated archiving jobs, succh as the automatic backup
of archive files using external tools.

Note
You can use transaction SM62 to display and maintain events.
You can use the Build Index indicator to specify whether an index is to be constructed for a particular archiving object. You can use this index to
access specific data objects from the archive file (single document access).

Recommendation
Instead of using this function for single document access, we recommend that you use the Archive Information System (AS).

1.4.2.1.4 File Storage to Storage System

Use
You can specify here whether an archive file is to be transferred automatically after successful processing to a connected storage system. This can be done
manually or automatically using the SAP Content Management Infrastructure (which also contains the ArchiveLink/CMS interface). You can also specify the
sequence of the delete and storage phases.

Prerequisites
A storage system is linked to the SAP Business Suite software.

Features
To start automatic storage of the archive file, select the Start Automatically indicator. Select the relevant content repository.

Note
If rules and conditions have been defined for the specified archiving object for Archive Routing, it is no longer possible at this point to manually select the
content repository as described above. During the archiving process, the Archive Routing settings always override the manual selection of the content
repositories. In this case, instead of an input field for the content repository, the system displays the Archive Routing button, which you can use to
access Archive Routing to maintain the rules and conditions.
More information:

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Archive Routing
Routing of Archive Files to Different Content Repositories
Under Sequence , you can specify when the storage is to take place:
If you select Delete Before Storage , the archive file is not stored until it has been processed by the delete program. If the delete program is run in test
mode, automatic storage is not carried out. This option improves performance.
You can use this setting to perform storage manually if no delete program has been run for the archive file. In this case, the system informs you that this
does not match the selected sequence. You must then ensure that the file is not stored at the same time as the delete program is active.
If you select Store Before Delete , the archive file is stored as soon as the write program has created the archive file, but before the delete program has
edited it. The delete program can therefore only remove the contents of an archive file from the database once the archive file has been stored. option
offers enhanced backup, as the archived data is not deleted until it has been stored.
During storage before delete, you can choose Delete Program Reads from the Storage System to control the read behavior of the delete program during
the delete process:
Indicator selected: After storage, the stored archive file is deleted from the file system. Consequently, during the delete phase, the delete program
reads the archive file from the storage system. ensures that the data is only deleted from the database if it was successfully stored in the storage
system.
Indicator not selected: After storage, the archive file is not deleted from the file system. The delete program reads the archive file from the file
system. This setting results in improved performance of the delete program without neglecting backup considerations.
If in the settings for the delete program, the radio button Start Automatically is also selected, the delete program is started automatically following
storage. It therefore makes no difference whether the delete program is run in test or production mode.
Similarly, if you select After Event ,delete jobs are scheduled, but they are not run until triggered by the event that has been configured in the settings for the
delete program.

1.4.2.1.5 Settings for the Postprocessing Program

Use
Here you can schedule a postprocessing program to run after the delete phase. Postprocessing programs carry out operations following an archiving session,
such as updating statistics and cleaning up secondary indexes. Most archiving objects do not require a postprocessing program.

Prerequisites
The archiving object being used has a postprocessing program.
To start the postprocessing program, you need to fulfill the following prerequisites:
The last delete program in the archiving session is finished.
No archive file has the status Archived , Archiving in Progress , or Delete in Progress .

Features
In the Variant input field, you define with which variant you want to schedule the postprocessing program.
By selecting the Start Automatically checkbox, you define that the postprocessing program starts automatically after the delete phase.

1.4.2.2 Archive Routing

Use
You can use this function to create rules and conditions, based on which archive files are automatically routed to specific areas in the file or storage system.
You have the following options: You can enter one or morel logical file names to determine one or more directories in the file system into which the archive
files are written. You can also enter one or more content repositories to which the archive files are to be routed during the store phase.
Which of these two options you choose depends on whether you are using a file system or a storage system connected through ArchiveLink in your archiving
strategy. However, it is also possible for you to specify both a logical file name and a content repository for one archiving session. In this case, the specified
directory would be used as an exchange directory before the storage phase. It is also possible to specify only directories at first and then to extend the rules
later by specifying content repositories for storage of the archive files.
The criteria used in the rules and conditions for both directories and content repositories should be on the organizational unit level (such as company code) or
time-based (such as fiscal year).
Due to legal compliance issues, companies, especially those with international locations, are increasingly forced to keep archived data separately in order to
comply with different retention requirements for different kinds of data, lines of business or countries. Compared to the manual selection of content repositories
or the use of a standard directory such as ARCHIVE_GLOBAL_PATH, Archive Routing offers companies more flexibility and automation options for this
purpose, especially as the latter permits you to specify only one content repository for all data of one archiving object.

Integration
Customizing
The routing rules and conditions are entered for individual archiving objects in Archive Routing. The function is available under Archiving-Object-Specific
Customizing in Archive Administration (transaction SARA). If no rules have been entered, the directory or content repository are selected the traditional way.
For more information, see Defining Logical Path and File Names and File Storage to Storage System.
Archiving Process
The system checks the rules during the write phase of the archiving process. If you are also storing your archive files, then the system checks the rules again
during the store phase. It is important to note that Archive Routing does not use the actual contents of the archive file to determine the directory or content

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repository, but the selection criteria entered in the variant for the write session. Note that the set of data covered by the selection criteria in the variant does
not have to be exactly the same as the set of data covered by the routing rules and conditions. However, it is important rather the set of data for the variant
selection is within the set of data specified by the rules. If it is the case, the archiving session is carried out and the archive files are routed to the appropriate
directory or content repository. If not, the archiving session is terminated.

Features
In Customizing, you can create rules for each archiving object that determine which directory or content repository is to be chosen based on the selection
criteria of the write program variant. For each rule, you enter conditions that contain a selection criterion and a corresponding value or interval. It is possible to
create one or more rules per archiving object and one or more conditions per rule. The complexity of the rules depends on how specific your criteria for
separating your archived data into different directories or content repositories is.
The smallest unit for which a directory or content repository can be determined using Archive Routing is an archiving session. This means that the individual
archive files, and therefore all the data objects (documents) in an archiving session are routed to one and the same directory or content repository. If you want
to route data to different directories or content repositories, you must start a separate session for each directory or content repository.

Example
You define the following rules and conditions for archiving object SD_VBAK:
Sales Organization

Creation Date

Content Repository

0001

Any

A1

0002

01.01.2000 to 12.31.2002

A2

0002

01.01.2003 to 12.31.9999

A3

Logical File Name

These rules are checked during the write phase of the SD_VBAK archiving session. If the selection criteria of the write variant match the values entered in the
rules and conditions, as described above, then the data is routed to the appropriate content repository during the storage phase. If not, the archiving session is
terminated during the write phase. In this example, no logical file name was specified. This means that prior to the storage phase the data is written to the
previously defined standard exchange directory (determined, for example, by ARCHIVE_GLOBAL_PATH).

More Information
Routing of Archive Files to Different Content Repositories
Routing of Archive Files to Different Directories

1.4.2.2.1 Routing of Archive Files to Different Content

Repositories
Use
This process describes how you can use archive routing to define rules and conditions that enable archive files to be stored in specific content repositories
automatically during archiving. The actual storage process is also described here.

Process
1. Define Rules and Conditions for Archive Routing
You define the rules and conditions in the Customizing settings for specific archiving objects in archive administration (transaction SARA) under
Archive Routing .
1. Archiving Object
You first specify here the archiving objects for which the content repository is to be determined using archive routing. By specifying a content
repository here, you can override the content repository entered in the technical settings.
The system requires this information so that it can assign a content repository. Archiving is not possible without this.
2. Rules
You select an archiving object and enter one or more rules with the respective content repository here.
3. Conditions
You select one of the rules and enter the condition(s) that the system can use to determine a content repository that is suitable for the rule. Enter
a selection here, such as airline or posting date and the associated value or interval. (Note the following: You can only enter single values and not
ranges for selection values such as airline. The single value, such as the ID LH , is entered in the From field.) You can use the possible entries
(F4) to select the selection values.
2. Routing of Archive Files
During an archiving session, the system checks the rules and conditions you have specified twice: Once during the write phase and then again during
the storage phase.
As described under Archive Routing, it is essential that the system uses the selection values or the content of the write program variants to determine
the content repository in which the archive files in an archiving session are to be stored. You should therefore ensure that the data quantity covered by
the selection values in the write variant is found within the data quantity defined by the rules. If this is not the case, the system terminates the archiving
session during the first check before the write phase.
Archive files are first routed during the storage phase if all conditions described here are met and it was possible to uniquely determine a content
repository.
You can only define one content repository for each archiving session. If you want to use more than one content repository for the same archiving
object, you must start a separate archiving session for each content repository.

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Following storage: Changes to the routing rules do not usually affect archive files that have already been stored. When an archive file is created, the
system transfers the content repository to archive administration and then always reads it from there. This means that the system also finds an
archive file even if the new routing rules would mean that it would be stored in a different content repository.
The storage is not reorganized even if the routing rules are changed. This means that archive files that have already been stored are not moved.

Result
During the storage phase, the system stored the archive files in the content repository according to the rules that you specified.

Example
The following examples show various archive routing scenarios.
You have created the following routing rules in archive routing:
Sales Organization

Creation Date

Content Repository

0001

Any

A1 (rule 1)

0002

01.01.2000 to 12.31.2002

A2 (rule 2)

0003

01.01.2003 to 12.31.9999

A3 (rule 3)

Logical File Name

In words, these rules mean the following:

Archive files for sales organization 0001 are stored in content repository A1.
Archive files for sales organization 0002 and a creation date between 2000 and 2002 are stored in content repository A2.
Archive files for sales organization 0002 and a creation date up to and including 2003 are stored in content repository A3.

Note
The creation date refers to the selection field "Created On" in the write variant and not the date on which the archive was written.
Example 1:
You start an archiving session with the following variant:
Selection variant
Sales organization

From

0002

to

Created On

From

01.01.2000

to

31.01.2000

Archive files that are to be generated using this variant should be stored in content repository A2. The sales organization is the sales organization in the
second rule and the date range is found in the date range for the same rule.
Example 2:
You start an archiving session with the following variant:
Selection variant
Sales document

From

to

100.000

Sales Organization

From

0002

to

Created On

From

01.01.2000

to

31.01.2000

Or

From

01.01.2001

to

31.01.2001

Without

From

06.01.2001

to

This variant means that sales documents are to be archived if their document number is found between 1 and 100,000, which belong to sales organization
0002 and were created in January 2000 or January 2001 but not on 6.1.2001.
The system would determine content repository A2 for these selection values. The system ignores the line in the sales document, since this selection criterion
does not appear in the rules. The system ignores the last line, since this selection is already found in the range between 01.01.2001 to 01.21.2001 This leaves
the following for archive routing:
Selection Variant
Sales Organization

From

0002

to

Created on

From

01.01.2000

to

31.01.2000

From

01.01.2001

to

31.01.2001

This is suitable for the requirements in rule 2.

Example 3:
Selection Variant
Sales Organization

From

0002

to

Created On

Greater or equal to

01.01.2003

to

The system was unable to determine any content repository here. It initially appears that the third rule should apply and the system would use content
repository A3. This is not however the case, since the system does not know here that all data that is equal or later to 1.1.2003 is automatically suitable for

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the range "From 1.1.2003 to 12.31.9999".

See also:
If the archive routing function available in the standard system does not meet your requirements, you can use the Business Add-In (BAdI)
ARCH_ROUTING_EXTERN. For more information, see Business Add-In: Archive Routing..

1.4.2.2.1.1 Business Add-In: Archive Routing

Use
You can implement the Business Add-In (BAdI) ARCH_ROUTING_EXTERN (for the Routing of Archive Files to Directories in the file system this BAdI is only
available as of the next major release of SAP NetWeaver), if the standard Archive Routing function does not sufficiently meet your specific requirements. The
main purpose of this BAdI is to replace the standard Archive Routing process with customer-specific code. This is possible for individual archiving objects.
The BAdI is filter-dependent, with the archiving object being the filter.
An active implementation of this BAdI for an archiving object replaces the entire Archive Routing for that archiving object. In this case the system uses neither
the rules as described under Archive Routing nor the content repository specified in technical Customizing (V_ARC_USR). Other application-specific settings
are not run either. The basic concept of Archive Routing, however, remains the same - the content repository is still determined using the information in the
selection variant.
The BAdI has two methods for determining the content repository from the selection variant:
PARAMS2CREP
PARAMS2PATH_EXTENSION
A detailed description of these methods is available in the system documentation of this BAdI.

Caution
From a technical standpoint it is possible to insert other information into a customer-specific program for determining the content repository, than that
taken from the selection variant. However, keep in mind that the content repository is not physically determined until the storage phase. During the write
phase it is merely checked. This means that the algorithm should be delivered at both points in the process. The system itself (ADK) only remembers the
content repository at the time of storage.

1.4.2.2.2 Routing of Archive Files to Different Directories

Use
This process describes how you can use archive routing to define rules and conditions that enable archive files to be automatically stored in specific
directories in the file system during archiving. The way in which archive files are actually stored is also described here.
If you are not using a storage system that is connected using ArchiveLink, or you initally want to only store your data in the file system, you can specify
logical file names in Archive Routing to define directories in which archive files can be stored automatically. If archive files are subsequently to be stored in
content repositories, you can subsequently assign the correct content repository to the rules. The system observes this assignment in the storage location.

Prerequisites
In Basis Customizing (transaction FILE ), you have defined logical file names for use in Archive Routing and assigned them to the individual logical file
names. For more information, see Defining Logical Path and File Names.

Process
1. Define Rules and Conditions for Archive Routing
You define the rules and conditions in the Customizing settings for specific archiving objects in archive administration (transaction SARA) under Archive
Routing .
1. Archiving Object
You first specify here the archiving objects for which the directory is to be determined using archive routing.
2. Rules
You select an archiving object and enter one or more rules with the respective logical file names here.
3. Conditions
You select one of the rules and enter the condition(s) that the system can use to determine a directory that is suitable for the rule. Enter a
selection here, such as carriier ID or booking date and the associated value or interval. (Note the following: You can only enter single values, such
as carrier ID, and not intervals for selection values, The single value, such as the ID LH , is entered in the From field.) You can use the possible
entries (F4) to select the selection values.
2. Routing of Archive Files
During the write phase of an archiving session, the system checks the rules and conditions that you have specified in the Customizing settings for
specific archiving objects.
As described under Archive Routing, it is essential that the system uses the selection values or the content of the write program variants to determine
the directory in which the archive files in an archiving session are to be stored. You should therefore ensure that the data quantity covered by the
selection values in the variant is found within the quantity defined by the rules. If this is not the case, the system terminates the archiving session during
the first check before the write phase.
Archive files are first routed to the respective directories during the write phase in the production mode, if all conditions described here are met and it
was possible to uniquely determine a directory using the logical file name.
You can only define one directory for each archiving session. If you want to use more than one directory for the same archiving object, you must start a
separate archiving session for each directory.

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Result
During the write phase, the system stored the archive files in the directory according to the rules and conditions that you specified.

Example
Before archiving using SD_VBAK, define the routing rules as follows:
Sales Organization

Creation Date

Content Repository

0001

Logical File Name

Z_MY_LOG_FILE1

0002

01.01.1999 to 12.31.1999

Z_MY_LOG_FILE2

0002

01.01.2000 to 12.31.2000

Z_MY_LOG_FILE3

0002

01.01.2001 to 12.31.2001

Z_MY_LOG_FILE4

In words, these rules mean the following:

Archive files for sales
Archive files for sales
Z_MY_LOG_FILE2.
Archive files for sales
Z_MY_LOG_FILE3.
Archive files for sales
Z_MY_LOG_FILE4.

organization 0001 are created in the directory associated with the logical file name Z_MY_LOG_FILE1.
organization 0002 and a creation date during 1999 are created in the directory associated with the logical file name
organization 0002 and a creation date during 2000 are created in the directory associated with the logical file name
organization 0002 and a creation date during 2001 are created in the directory associated with the logical file name

Archive files are not stored, since no content repository was specified. They remain in the file system. However, they are created in the directories for the
corresponding logical file names. Once archives have been generated for both sales organizations, you decide to store the archive files. To do so, you extend
the rules as follows:
Sales Organization

Creation Date

0001

Content Repository

Logical File Name

A1

Z_MY_LOG_FILE1

0002

01.01.1999 to 12.31.1999

A2_1999

Z_MY_LOG_FILE2

0002

01.01.2000 to 12.31.2000

A2_2000

Z_MY_LOG_FILE3

0002

01.01.2001 to 12.31.2001

A2_2001

Z_MY_LOG_FILE4

Since the files have already been generated for the rules you defined previously and routed to the appropriate directories, you can easily store these here.
These examples show it can be necessary to change routing rules for sessions that have not yet been stored. This is often the case if a storage system is to
be introduced at a subsequent stage.

More Information
Routing of Archive Files to Different Content Repositories

1.4.3 Basis Customizing (ADK Archiving)

Use
In Basis Customizing you can specify the file names under which the archive files are to be created. The logical file name is composed of a name and a path.
The path is a logical path, meaning that you must follow predefined conventions that determine the physical format of the path during runtime (platformspecific) based on your specifications. File names and file paths can be client-specific (transaction SF01) or cross-client-specific (transaction FILE).
For more information, see Defining Logical Path and File Names.

Recommendation
We recommend that you maintain the platform-independent file names as cross-client files names.

Note
If you want to transfer archive files to a storage system using the SAP Content Management infrastructure, ensure that the correct content repository is
set up in Archiving Object-Specific Customizing.

1.4.3.1 Defining Logical Path and File Names.

Use
To specify the platform-specific physical path and file name under which the archive files (which were created during archiving using this archiving object) are
to be stored, you define logical path and file names assign them to the archiving object.

Note
By default, the system uses the logical file name ARCHIVE_DATA_FILE and the logical path name ARCHIVE GLOBAL PATH. Consequently, the names

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only need to be changed if they have to be adjusted to meet special requirements.

Prerequisites
If you intend to transfer the archive files to a storage system using the Content Management Service (includes ArchiveLink and the CMS interface) , you
must ensure that this storage system has access to the archive files.
In the case of HSM systems, you must make sure that the archive files can be written to the file system of the HSM system.

Procedure
1. Defining logical path names
1. Start transaction FILE .
Alternatively, from the initial screen for Archive Administration (transaction SARA ), choose
Customizing
Basis Customizing
Cross-Client File
Name/Paths .
2. To enter a new path name, select an existing path name, such as ARCHIVE_GLOBAL_PATH, or choose New Entries . This must be as descriptive as
possible.
3. In the Logical File Path Definition dialog structure, double-click on the Assignment of Physical Path and Logical Paths substructure.Double-click to
select a syntax group or create a new syntax group.
4. Assign a physical path name to the logical path name.

Caution
When assigning path names, the symbol <FILENAME> must appear at the end. At runtime, this symbol is replaced by the physical file name
(without path name). No part of the physical file name in the path name must be defined.

Recommendation
If you want to store your archive files, enter the placeholder <F=ARCHIVELINK> in the logical path. With <F=ARCHIVELINK><FILENAME> the files
are created directly in the basis path of the content repository that has been assigned to the archiving object. This way you can avoid an internal
copy process during the store phase.

Recommendation
You have created the subdirectory "data_archiving" for archive files in the global directory. You then specify a path name:
<P=DIR_GLOBAL>/data_archiving/<FILENAME> (Syntax group UNIX)
<P=DIR_GLOBAL>\data_archiving\<FILENAME> (Syntax group WINDOWS NT)
In a heterogeneous system landscape (such as UNIX and Windows NT servers) all system-specific syntax groups must be maintained. Ensure that the
definitions for the various syntax groups point to the same directory.
1. Save your entry.
2. Defining Logical File Names

Note
Logical file names client-specific (transaction SF01 ) or cross-client-specific (transaction FILE ). A client-specific definition always overrides a crossclient definition. Therefore, ensure that in every client any unnecessary client-specific definitions are deleted.
The following describes the procedure for creating a cross-client definition using the transaction FILE . You create the client-specific definition in the same
way using transaction SF01 .
1.

Start transaction FILE for cross-client file names.

Alternatively, from the initial screen for Archive Administration, choose
Customizing
Basis Customizing
Cross-Client File Name/Paths .
For client-specific definitions, from the initial screen for Archive Administration, choose
Customizing
Basis-Customizing
Client-Specific File
Names .
2. To enter a new file name, select an file path name, such as ARCHIVE_DATA_FILE, or choose New Entries . This must be as descriptive as possible.
3. Double-click on the Logical File Name Definition, Cross-Client dialog structure.
You can access the Change View: Logical File Name Definition, Cross-Client: Overview screen.
4. Maintain the Physical File and Logical Path fields.
In the Physical File field, enter the physical file name you require.
The following parameters are of particular interest here:
PARAM_1: Two-character application abbreviation (such as HR; CO, MM) for classifying the archive files in the system. The value is determined
from the definition of the relevant archiving object at runtime.
PARAM_2: Single-character alphanumeric code (0-9, A-Z). If, when a new archive file is created, an existing file with an identical physical name
would result in a conflict, the ADK increases this value. This must therefore always be a part of the physical name.
PARAM_3: At runtime, this parameter is filled with the name of the archiving object. In archive administration, this enables you to check the file
contents or to store the archive files by archiving object.

Recommendation
To enable maximum space in the name range for the archive file, the following entry is recommended for this field:
<PARAM_1>_<DATE>_<TIME>_<PARAM_2>.ARCHIVE
In the Logical Path field, you assign the logical path name defined previously to the current logical file name. You can assign a logical path name to
multiple logical file names.
5. Save your entry.
3. Assigning a Logical File Name to the Archiving Object
Once you have defined the logical path name and file name, you need to assign the logical file name to the archiving object. Proceed as follows:

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1. In the initial screen for Archive Administration, enter the name of an archiving object and choose Customizing .Under Archiving Object-Specific
Customizing, choose Technical Settings .
2. In the Logical File Name field, enter the required logical file name .
3. Save your entries.

1.5 Executing Data Archiving

Prerequisites
You have defined the necessary settings.
More information: Customizing for Data Archiving
You have executed or checked the necessary preparatory steps according to the checklist for data archiving.
More information: Archiving Checklist

Context
In addition to the main steps (creation and storage of archive files and the deletion of archived data from the database), data archiving also includes other
activities. These include scheduling preprocessing an postprocessing as well as reloading or reading archive files.

Procedure
1.

Call Archive Administration.

More information: Archive Administration
Enter the archiving object.
When you call from the application, the system automatically transfers the archiving object to Archive Administration.
You can branch to the network graphic to view the available archiving objects, their status and possible dependencies. From the network graphic, you can access
the initial screen for Archive Administration by double-clicking an archiving object.
Select the required Activity for the archiving object and schedule the corresponding background job.
1.
Optional: If you want to prepare data for archiving(for example, selecting the delete checkbox), schedule the preprocessing program.
More information: Scheduling Preprocessing for Data Archiving
2.
Schedule the creation of archive files as your first archiving step.
More information: Creating Archive Files
3.
Schedule the storage or the deletion of archived data. Decide on the sequence of these actions according to the following criteria:
If security is your main concern, you should schedule the storage of the archive files first. In addition, you can set the delete program to read the data
from the storage system and not from the file system.
If the performance of the archiving program is more important to you, schedule the delete program first. To do so, you need to have selected the
before Storage checkbox in archiving object-specific Customizing.
More information:
Storing Archive Files
Deleting Archived Data from the Database
4.
Optional (if offered by the archiving object): Schedule the postprocessing program.
More information: Scheduling Postprocessing for Data Archiving
5.
Fill (or empty) an index for the archive files. The index is required for the display of individual documents belonging to archiving objects.
More information: Filling and Emptying the Index
6.
Access archived files, if necessary.
More information:
Retrieving Stored Archive Files
Reading Archive Files
7.
In emergencies only (if data was archived incorrectly): Reload data to the database.
More information: Reloading Archived Data

2.

3.

1.5.1 Archiving Checklist

Use
This checklist helps to ensure that you complete the necessary archiving steps and that you perform them in the correct order.

Procedure
Before the first archiving session
1. In Basis Customizing, check that the logical file names are entered.
2. In cross-archiving object Customizing, check that the Central Repository for storage is maintained using the SAP Content Management Infrastructure.
3. In application-specific Customizing, check that the residence times are defined.
Before using an archiving object for the first time
Check archiving object-specific Customizing settings:
Was the file name correctly assigned?
Are the deletion program variants maintained? (Note that the variants are client-specific)
Is the maximum archive file size correctly set?

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Is the delete program set to run automatically?

Is index creation scheduled?
For each archiving session
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Ensure that the user department and system administration coordinate their activities.
Check the network graphic to determine whether interdependencies exist (do other data objects have to be archived first?)
Schedule the archiving session (create variant).
If the delete program does not start automatically, start it manually.
If the archive files are not to be stored automatically by the Content Management Infrastructure, , trigger storage manually.

1.5.2 Scheduling Preprocessing for Data Archiving

Context
You have the option of preparing the data in the database for archiving. For example, the preprocessing program selects the data for archiving.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.

Call Archive Administration (transaction SARA).

On the initial screen, enter the name of the archiving object in the Object Name field.
Choose Preprocessing .
This takes you to the Archive Administration: Preprocessing screen, in which you can schedule a background job for the program.
Use the F4 help to choose a variant. If there is no variant available, choose Variant and enter the relevant variant.

4.

Note
You can use a variant only in one job. Otherwise you risk the data being archived more than once. If you use a variant again, a dialog box notifies you of this.
Choose Jobs with Selected Variant to access the overview of all jobs that already have variants created. In the job overview, you can delete jobs that use a
specific variant.
5.

Enter the start date and the spool parameters.

More information:
Entering the Start Date
Entering Spool Parameters

Note
You use the Archive Directory to determine the amount for available storage space in the current object-specific archive directory.

Results
You have now entered all data required for the background job. To create the job, choose Execute .

1.5.3 Creating Archive Files

Context
Archiving begins with the creation of an archive file. This includes the following steps:
1. Creating an archive file with the write program
2. Reading the data to be archived from the database (in background processing)
3. Writing the data to the archive file
The creation of an archive creations continues until archiving is complete or until a restriction defined in archiving object-specific Customizing (maximum size
or an archive file or maximum number of objects in archive file) has been reached. If archiving is not completed due to a restriction, the write program creates
an additional archive file for the data that has not been archived.
If a restriction defined in Customizing is reached during archiving, Archive Administration continues with the deletion phase (if none of the following
checkboxes have been selected in archiving object-specific Customizing. Start Automatically and Deletion Phase before Storage ).

Note
It is always possible to schedule a write job, even outside of Archive Administration (transaction SARA ), by using an external Job Scheduler. This
enables an improved reconciliation of the data archiving processes with the other processes in your system environment.
More information: Scheduling Write Jobs Outside of Archive Administration.
Virus Scan
When you write archive files, you can run a virus scan on the data to be archived. The virus scan checks all data objects, which contain records with
XSTRING fields (length of Byte sequence variable) or X fields (Byte sequence). Only these byte sequences or date types potentially contain viruses.
The ADK virus scan is integrated in the virus scan interface for SAP NetWeaver. You can activate and implement it as described there. The virus scan profile

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is called /SARC/ARCHIVING_ADK. It is deactivated when delivered. When the profile is active, the message " Virus Scan with Virus Scan
Profile/SARC/ARCHIVING_ADK Active" appears in the job log of a write job. This message is always issued, even if no suspicious data objects has
been detected.
If a virus is found, the ADK issues the message as follows: Virus <Name> found in Object <Structure Type> <Component>. The write program
terminates with a system exception. The relevant session is handled the same as other terminated session (for example, technical reasons) in Archive
Administration. Non-infected archive files that were written and completed correctly before the termination, remain intact.
Write Run Followed by Event
After the creation of all archive files for an archiving session has been completed, the Archive Development Kit (ADK) triggers the system event
SAP_ARCHIVING_WRITE_FINISHED. As a result of the reaction to the system event, you have the option of scheduling subsequent archiving jobs
automatically. These include refilling indexes or value help as well as saving archive files prior to deletion. The event parameter is always the number of the
archiving session.
For additional automation of the archiving process, you can transfer the archiving session number to the function module
ARCHIVE_GET_FILES_OF_SESSION. This determines the platform-independent name and path of the archive files that were written for an archiving session.
To define new jobs, use transaction SM36 . To maintain events, use transaction SM62 .

Procedure
1.
2.
3.

Call Archive Administration (transaction SARA).

On the initial screen, enter the name of the archiving object in the Object Name field.
Choose Write .
A new screen, on which you can schedule a background job for the write program, appears.
If archiving for the archiving object was executed or interrupted and if archiving files that have not yet been processed by the relevant deletion program still exist for
the archiving session, the systems points this out.

Caution
Multiple archiving of data can lead to problems. For this reason, some archiving objects required that data does not exist multiple times this could lead to
incorrect results, for example, in totals formation.
Make sure that:
The new write job you want to plan does not select any data contained in the archived files that have not yes been processed by the deletion program.
No variants with overlapping selection values are used at the same time.

Note
If the variant you have chosen is already being used in another jobs, display these with the Jobs with Selected Variant pushbutton and delete if
necessary.
4. Use the F4 help to choose a variant. If there is no variant available, choose Variant and enter the relevant variant. For more information about variant maintenance,
see Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs.

Caution
If, in archiving object-specific Customizing for the deletion program, the Start Automatically checkbox is selected and you have chosen a product variant for the
write program, the deletion program then starts its product variant. This means that after archiving, the data is deleted from the database.
5.

Enter the Start Date and the Spool Parameter.

Note
Before you start archiving, you can use the Archive Directory pushbutton to determine the amount for available storage space in the current object-specific
archive directory. However, this function is not suitable for HSM system.

Results
You have now entered all data required for the background job. To create the job, choose Execute .

Note
After all archive files have been completely written for a run, ADK starts the system event SAP_ARCHIVING_WRITE_FINISHED. This triggers
subsequent processes, such as file backup using external tools.
The Goto menu offers access to the following:
Customizing
Job Overview Offers an overview of all archiving jobs and the functions available for processing them. For more information on the job overview, refer to
Managing Jobs in the Job Overview.
Administration
DB Tables
Information System

Note
You can view the logs for the started process from the initial screen of Archive Administration by choosing Logs.

1.5.4 Storing Archive Files

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1.5.4 Storing Archive Files

Prerequisites
An external storage system is linked to your SAP System. If you use a Hierarchical Space Management system (HSM) as a store, enter the file path in
transaction FILE,
The content repository, to which you want to transfer the file, has been maintained in archiving object-specific Customizing for the archiving object.
You are in Archive Administration of the archiving object for which you want to store files.

Context
If you have not specified in archiving object-specific Customizing that archive files are to be transferred automatically after their creation to a connected
storage system, you can store the archive files retroactively by using the SAP Content Management Infrastructure .

Procedure
1.

Choose Storage System .

The Store/Retrieve Archive Files menu selection screen appears.
Choose Store Files
The Archive Administration: Store/Retrieve Archive Files selection screen appears.
Use Archive Selection , to select the archive files you want to store and specify the start date.
Confirm the storage request by choosing Execute.
The selected archive files will be transferred to the storage system at the specified time.

2.
3.
4.

Next Steps
Retrieving Stored Archive Files

1.5.5 Retrieving Stored Archive Files

Prerequisites
You are in Archive Administration of the archiving object from which you want to retrieve files.
The archive files for retrieval are accessible from Archive Administration.

Context
You use SAP Content Management Infrastructure (also contains the ArchiveLink/CMS interface), to retrieve archive files stored in a storage system into the
SAP system for further processing such as evaluation.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.

Choose Storage System .

The Store/Retrieve Archive Files menu selection screen appears.
Choose Retrieve Files
This takes you to the Archive Administration: Retrieve Files screen.
Use Archive Selection , to select the archive files you want to retrieve and specify the Start Date for the retrieval.
Confirm the retrieval by choosing Execute .

Results
The selected archive files will be retrieved into the SAP system at the specified time for further processing.
See also:
Storing Archive Files

1.5.6 Deleting Archived Data from the Database

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Prerequisites
In Archive Administration, there are archiving sessions for which the delete phase is not yet complete.
You have waited for the write phase to be completed.
More information: Settings for the Delete Program

Context
In the third archiving step (after creating and storing archive files), Archive Administration starts the delete program. This reads the archived data from the
archive file and deletes it from the database.
Depending on the settings you have made in archiving object-specific Customizing, the deletion process for an archive file can run at the same times as the
creation of new archive files.
If you want to save the archive files prior to deletion or if you the next available timeframe for the delete phase is insufficient, you can schedule the delete
program manually. You do the scheduling in Archive Administration (transaction SARA ), directly with an external job scheduler, or you use the program
RSARCHD.

Note
If you do not carry out deletion until after the archive file has been stored, you can make a setting in Archiving Object-Specific Customizing so that the
system will read archive files the from the storage system during deletion. In this way, you can detect early on errors that might arise when transferring or
saving the archive files in the storage system.
Delete Run Followed by Event
After all delete jobs for an archiving session have been completed, the Archive Development Kit (ADK) triggers the system event
SAP_ARCHIVING_DELETE_FINISHED. As a result of the reaction to the system event, you have the option of scheduling subsequent archiving jobs
automatically. These include refilling indexes or the value help as well as saving archive files. The event parameter is always the number of the archiving
session.
For additional automation of the archiving process, you can transfer the archiving session number to the function module
ARCHIVE_GET_FILES_OF_SESSION. This determines the platform-independent name and path of the archive files that were written for an archiving session.
To define new jobs, use transaction SM36. To define events, use transaction SM62.

Note
You can also schedule event-controlled delete runs to start automatically. You can define the event that triggers the delete program in the Settings for
the Delete Program group box in archiving object-specific Customizing.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.

Call Archive Administration (transaction SARA).

On the initial screen, enter the name of the archiving object in the Object Name field.
Choose Delete .
This takes you to a screen in which you can schedule a background job for the program.

Note
If you only want to run the delete program for test purposes (so that the data is not deleted from the database), select the Test Mode checkbox.
4.

Choose Archive Selection .

This takes you to a dialog box that contains the archiving sessions for this archiving object. This should be the current archiving session.
If you want to edit a complete archiving session, select an archiving session and choose Continue . You return to the initial screen.
f you want to edit one or more specific archive files, expand the archiving session. Select the required archive files, than choose Continue .
Enter the start date and the spool parameter.
More information:
Entering the Start Date
Entering the Spool Parameter

5.
6.

Results
You have entered all data required for the background job. Start the job with Execute .

Note
You can view the logs for the started process from the initial screen of Archive Administration.
More information: Logs

1.5.7 Scheduling Postprocessing for Data Archiving

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Prerequisites
A postprocessing program exists for the archiving object (not all archiving objects have a postprocessing program).

Note
The postprocessing program processes the data after the archiving session in the database, for example, by deleting log data that is no longer required or
by updating statistics. For this, no access to the archive files is required. Postprocessing is not usually necessary.

Procedure
1.
2.

On the initial screen for Archive Administration, choose Postprocessing .

On the Archive Administration: Postprocessing screen, you schedule the archiving job by entering the variant, the start date, and the spool parameter.
More information:
Creating the Archiving Job Variant
Entering the Start Date
Entering the Spool Parameter

Note
You use the Archive Directory pushbutton to determine the amount for available storage space in the current object-specific archive directory.

Results
You have scheduled a background job and can execute it.

1.5.8 Reloading Archives

Prerequisites
Caution
The reloading function is intended for emergencies, such as an error in Customizing or selecting the wrong documents for data archiving. Therefore, data
should be reloaded immediately after the erroneous archiving session. If you reload the data later you may end up with inconsistencies in your database.
You are on the Archive Administration: Initial Entry screen of the transaction SARA . The name of the archiving object is entered in the Object Name
field.
Archive Administration has access to the archive files to be reloaded.

Note
When reloading data, the system can only process complete archiving sessions. Archive files can be reloaded completely or partially. In either case
the archive file is marked as reloaded. Objects that were not reloaded are written to a new archive file.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.

Choose
Goto
Reload .
This takes you to a screen in which you can schedule a background job for the program.
Choose Archive Selection .
This takes you to a dialog box that contains the archiving sessions processed by the delete program.
Select the desired archiving session and choose Continue .
You return to the initial screen.
Enter the Start Date and the Spool Parameters.

Results
You have now entered all data required for the background job. To create the job, choose Execute .
See also:
Creating Archive Files
Archive Selection

1.5.9 Filling and Emptying the Index

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Prerequisites
You are on the Archive Administration: Initial Entry screen of the transaction SARA. The name of the archiving object is entered in the Object Name field.

Procedure
1.

Choose Index .
The Filling and Emptying Index dialog box appears.
Choose Fill Index or Empty Index .
Define the variant, select the archive, and enter the start date and the spool parameter.
More information:
Selecting the Archive
Entering the Start Date
Entering the Spool Parameter
Choose Execute .

2.
3.

4.

1.5.10 Reading Archive Files

Use
In addition to the data in the online database, archived data can also be read or analyzed. When data is analyzed, it is read sequentially and elementary
information such as item number, customer, and order date is displayed in list form. It is possible to run an analysis for one or several archiving sessions. Not
all archiving objects offer an analysis program.

Prerequisites
The archive files to be read are accessible from Archive Administration.
There is at least one read program for the archiving object used.
You are on the Archive Administration: Initial Entry screen (transaction SARA). You enter the name of the archiving object in the Object Name field.

Procedure
1. Choose Read .
This takes you to the Archive Administration: Start Read Program screen, where you can schedule jobs.
2. In the Batch/Dialog field, you define whether the read program will run in the background (batch) or online (dialog).
3. In the Read Program field, enter the required read or analysis program and choose Execute .
Depending on the selected archiving object, you access a specific selection screen. You more information, see the documentation for the relevant
archiving object.
4. Enter the your selection and choose Execute .
This takes you to the Archive Administration: Select Files to Read dialog box. For more information, see Archive Selection.
5. Select the archive file that you want to read or analyze and confirm the selection by choosing Continue .
The Goto menu offers access to the following:
Customizing
Job Overview Offers an overview of all archiving jobs and the functions available for processing them.
More information: Managing Jobs in the Job Overview.
Administration
DB Tables
Information System

More Information
Archive Information System
Reporting Information Structures

1.5.11 Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs

Use
When you schedule jobs for the execution of archiving programs, such as the preprocessing, write or delete programs, you must enter a variant. The purpose
of this variant is to define which data is to be processed and to allow the user to make other settings that are necessary for the processing of the data.
These variant settings can be made when you are scheduling jobs, using the Maintain function.

Features
Variant maintenance is always dependent on the corresponding archiving object. Therefore, the variants may vary considerably depending on the archiving
object. These differences, however, occur mainly in the section of the variant maintenance, in which the data selection takes place. For more information

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about the variant maintenance for a specific archiving object, see the corresponding documentation for the archiving object in the SAP Library.
The rest of the variant maintenance is the same for most archiving objects. The following settings are possible (depending on the type of program to be
scheduled: write, delete, and so on).
Under Process Control, you determine whether the process is to run in the test or production mode.
Test Mode
In the test mode, the program is only simulated. Depending on the program, either no archiving files are written, or no data is deleted from the database.
Productive Mode
In this mode the data is physically processed, according to your selection criteria and, if applicable, additional archiving-object-specific criteria. For
example, during the delete phase data is actually removed from the database by the delete program.
Additional settings you can make in the variant maintenance function:
Detailed Log
In this field you can decide whether a detailed log ( Complete option) is to be generated in addition to the summarized log during the execution of the
program. The summarized log contains each message only once. For each message the number of affected objects is listed as well as an example of
an object.
The detailed log contains all processed objects including the corresponding messages. If you choose Without Success Messages , no success
messages are written to the detailed log.

Recommendation
Detailed logs should only be generated if you are processing a small number of objects, or, for example, in the test mode. Otherwise the program
may terminate, due to a memory overflow.
Log Output
Here you can determine, whether the log should be output into the List (spool for background programs), to the application log , or to both.
The advantage of the application log output is that the log messages are displayed during the program runtime. (With background programs this occurs
every 30 minutes and with dialog programs, every 10 seconds). Logs that were output to the list can only be viewed after the program has finished.
With the list output you have the option to automatically store the log in a storage system (see Spool Parameters under job scheduling). Logs that were
written to the application log can only be stored manually from within the display view. Moreover, logs that were output to the list, are automatically
removed when the corresponding background job is deleted. Logs written to the application log must be deleted manually.
All logs can be displayed from within Archive Administration by choosing
Goto
Logs . For more information, see Logs.
Comment on Archiving Session
Here you can enter a short text that helps you identify and better find the archiving session in Archive Administration.
See also:
Logs

1.5.12 Entering the Start Date and Spool Parameters

Use
On the initial screen for scheduling the following archiving activities, you need to enter the start date and the spool parameters:
Write
Delete
Read
Fill and Empty the Index
Store and Provide Archive Files
Schedule Preprocessing
Schedule Postprocessing
Reload

Features
The Start Date and Spool Parameters pushbuttons are followed by a traffic light icon and a note. The table lists the three possibilities.
Traffic Light

Note

Red

The values are not entered.

Yellow

The values have already been maintained in this session, for the current action or the values for the spool parameters were taken
from the user settings or from the user-specific print parameters.

Green

The values are entered.

Activities
Entering the Start Date
Entering the Spool Parameters

1.5.12.1 Entering Spool Parameters

Prerequisites
You are in Archive Administration (transaction SARA) and have selected one of the following actions:

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Write
Delete
Reload

Note
If the spool parameters are already maintained in the user-specific print parameters, these values are automatically copied Otherwise, you only have to
maintain the spool parameters once after entering the Archive Administration transaction. The settings remain valid until the end of the archiving session.

Procedure
1.

Choose Spool Parameter .

The Background Print Parameters screen is displayed. Here, you can maintain the settings for the printing the archiving log.
Enter the general parameters for the printer , number of printouts , and number of pages .
Under Attributes , you can maintain a range of further attributes for spool requests.
Choose Continue .

2.
3.
4.

Results
The spool parameters for printing the archiving log are entered. If you have also made your archive selection and entered the start date, you can now schedule
the required archiving action.

Next Steps
Entering the Start Date

1.5.12.2 Entering the Start Date

Prerequisites
You are in Archive Administration (transaction SARA ) and you have selected one of the following actions: Write, delete, or reload.

Note
You have to enter the start date only when you execute the first action of an archiving session. The start date is retained until the end of the archiving
session.

Procedure
1.
2.

3.

Choose Start Date .

You reach the screen for maintaining the start date values.
Choose one of the buttons for defining the desired start date, and maintain the parameters in the fields available.
To schedule periodic jobs, use the Period Values function to enter the required start values.
Use the Restrictions pushbutton to define restrictions for the start date.
Choose Continue .

Results
You have entered the start date for the archiving action. If you have also made your archive selection and entered the spool parameters, you can now
schedule the required archiving action.

Next Steps
Entering the Spool Parameter
Selecting Archive Files

1.6 Archive Information System

Use
The Archive Information System (AS) is an SAP data archiving environment-integrated generic tool for indexing data archives. The indexes that are created,
called the Archive Information Structure , let you display the archived data.

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Note
In this documentation the terms archive information structure and information structure that is infostructure are used as synonyms.

Features
The archive information structure includes the following components:
Archive Retrieval Configurator (ARC)
The ARC enables you to create archive information structures with the help of field catalogs, and to fill the structures with data from the archive. The archive
information structure, which represents a kind of archive index, provides the basis for archive data reporting.
Archive Explorer
The Archive Explorer enables fast searches of archived data. It does this by accessing the archive information structures that have been created and stored in
transparent database tables using the Archive Retrieval Configurator. Furthermore, the Archive Explorer allows direct accesses of individual data objects in the
archive, which can then be displayed in both technical and application-specific views.
See also:
Using the Archive Information System

1.6.1 Using the Archive Information System

Use
This process describes the step-by-step procedures for using the Archive Information System (AS).

Note
Reloading archived data can lead to problems with the Archive Information System, as the available information structures are not updated automatically.
More information: Procedure for Reloaded Archives

Procedure
1. Checking available information structures
First you should check if an information structure already exists that you could use for reporting archived data. You can then change this information structure
to suit your needs. If there is no information structure available that you can use, you can create a new one.
2. Creating the information structure
You define the information structure to be used for archive reporting. In doing this, you specify which source fields from the archive are copied to which fields
in the information structure. You do this with the help of application-specific field catalogs, which are included in the features of the Archive Information
System.
An information structure is only ever valid for one archiving object. Multiple information structures can be defined for one archiving object. For more
information, see Creating Information Structures.
3. Activating the information structure
After you have created an information structure, you need to activate it. Alternatively you can use a standard information structure, provided that it fits your
requirements.
At this stage, the system generates a transparent database table and the reporting program. For more information, see Activating Information Structures.
4. Filling the information structure
During an archiving delete run all (activated) archive information structures belonging to an archiving object are filled automatically. To do so, the Archive
Development Kit (ADK) transfers all data records found in the archive to the AS interface. From the defined infostructure, the AS filters the data from the data
records transferred and enters it in a transparent database table together with an access key. This table serves as the basis for later searches.
As well as the automatic fill using the delete program, an information structure can also be filled later for already available archives This can be useful if you
want to fill the information structure, report data that was already archived, or if you have changed the fields of an information structure. For more information,
see Filling Information Structures.
5. Reporting information structures
In Archive Explorer , define the archiving object and the information structure from which you want to report. In the selection screen, where necessary, specify
the display parameters for the archived data. Select a data object from the list of data objects and, where possible, specify the view in which it is to be
displayed. For more information, see Reporting Information Structures.

Note
As well as standard reporting, there is also a special ad-hoc reporting function available that enables direct reporting from archives. There is no need to fill
the archive information structure with data from the archive.

1.6.1.1 Creating an Information Structure

Procedure
1. On the initial screen for Archive Retrieval Configuration (ARC) , choose

Archive Infostructure

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Create

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2. Enter data as required.

This includes the name of the new archive information structure, the archiving object for which the information structure is intended, as well as a field catalog that you can
select by choosing the F4 input help. In the field on the right, you can also enter a short text for the information structure.
3. Choose Create .

4. In the Selectable Fields frame, select all the fields that you want to include in the information structure.

5. Choose Include Selected Fields .

The selected fields are included in the information structure in the Infostructure Fields frame.
6. Save your entries. Choose Return to go back to the ARC entry screen.

Next Steps
Activating and Deactivating Information Structures

1.6.1.2 Activating and Deactivating Information Structures

Procedure
You are in the initial screen of the Archive Retrieval Configurator (ARC).
Activating an Information Structure
1. Choose
Archive Infostructure
Activate . The information structure is activated. This structure will be filled automatically during the next delete
phase for this archiving object.
2. Optional: If necessary, you can fill an active information structure for existing archives retroactively.
For more information, see Filling and Emptying Information Structures
The consequences of activation are:
The archive info structure can be reported in the Archive Explorer.
You can display status information about this information structure.
You cannot make any changes to the information structure.
Deactivating an Information Structure
In the menu, choose

Archive Infostructure

Deactivate

This ensures that the system ignores this information structure during the next delete phase for the archiving object or if the archive information structure is
filled retroactively.

Note
You can make changes to an inactive information structure. However, if you make changes, note that you might also have to regenerate the table. When
doing this, you must delete the data in it. Finally, you must refill the information structure.

1.6.1.3 Filling and Emptying Information Structures

Prerequisites
You are in the initial screen of the Archive Information System (transaction SARI).
The information structure to be filled has been created and activated.

Note
An information structure can only be filled for archive files that have already been processed by the delete program.

Procedure
Filling Information Structures
1. Choose Status .
You are now in Status Administration:
2. Enter the name of the archiving object for which you want to fill and information structure.
3. Choose Status per Infostructure .
This takes you to the selection screen for archive information structures.
More information: Status per Infostructure

Note

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When filling the info structure, you can also select individual archiving sessions. Choose Status per Archive .
4. Select the archive infostructures that are to be filled with data from the archive.
5. Choose Fill Structures and enter your desired processing type in the dialog box that appears. Confirm your entry. The information structure is filled.

Note
Alternatively you can trigger the filling of an info structure from the Archive Retrieval Configurator entry screen. Enter the relevant information
structure and then select
Environment
Fill Structure . This takes you to the Status per Info Structure screen.
Emptying Information Structures
1. Select the archive information structures or archiving session that you want to empty.
2. Choose Empty Structures .
The system empties the information structures.

1.6.1.4 Reporting Information Structures

Prerequisites
You have created and filled the information structure on which reporting is to be based.
The initial screen of the Archive Explorer appears.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

Enter the name of the information structure. It must be active.

To select an information structure, you can also enter the name of an archiving object and use F4 to display all active information structures belonging to the object.
Choose menu option
Archive Infostructure
Reporting .
This takes you to the Archive Explorer selection screen.
Enter selection criteria to establish which data you want the reporting to read.
If you do not want to restrict the selection, choose Execute .
Choose Execute .
The system displays the information structure list. It contains all of the data that the reporting program has read from the fields contained in the information
structure.
Double click on the entry you want to access the archive directly. If more than one view is defined for this object, a dialog with a choice of views appears.

Note
Depending on the archiving object, the dialog box offers a technical view or a business view or both. Multiple business views are also possible.
6.

Select the desired view and confirm with Continue .

This takes you to the table overview for the selected data object.
To display the table contents, click on the magnifying glass symbol for a table (similar to the display function in transaction SE16 ).

7.

Results
You are now at the lowest level of data, that is the field level for the archived object. You can take the information directly from the table.

Next Steps
Ad Hoc Reporting

1.6.1.5 Procedure for Reloaded Archives

Context
After archived data has been reloaded, the system does not automatically update the archive information structures, so the Archive Information System status
display displays an error. You must therefore perform the update manually.
Prerequisite
Archived data has been reloaded into your system.
You are in Status Administration of the Archive Information System.

Procedure
1.

Choose the Status per Archive view.

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2.
3.

Select all of the archiving sessions whose files were reloaded (these sessions have the status Reloaded ).
Empty the information structures for the reloaded archive files using Empty Structures . You can usually do this online. Scheduling as a background job is not
necessary.

Results
The reloaded files have now disappeared from the display. If new archive files have been created during the reload, proceed as follows:
1. Continue with the Status per Archive view.
2. Select the archiving sessions that were created by the reload (these sessions have the comment Created by reload from <session> ).
3. Fill the information structures for the newly created archive files.
More information: Filling and Emptying Information Structures.

Note
If you performed this sequence in reverse order, in certain circumstances, the fill status of the newly created archive files can appear as Incorrect .
If this occurs, empty all of the information structures for which the fill status is Incorrect . Perform the steps according to the standard procedure.

1.6.1.6 Status
Use
The Status function allows you to check whether an information structure has already been filled. Using this information, you can then fill or empty specific
information structures. Furthermore, you can check the actual indexing as well as the retention of archive files.
You can go to the status screen either from the initial screen of the archive information system or from the Archive Retrieval Configurator (choose
Environment
Fill Infostructure ).
Prerequisites
There must be at least one activated information structure for the archiving object.
Status per Archive
This function provides a list of the available archiving sessions and the information structures assigned to them. You can see from the list for which archiving
sessions the activated structures have been completely filled.
More information: Status per Archive
Status per Infostructure
This function provides a list of the statuses of the activated information structures. From this, you can see whether an information structure has been
completely filled with all archived data or data otherwise removed from the database.
More information: Status per Infostructure
Checking Indexing
This function checks the actual indexing of an archive file, that is, it checks whether data has been passed from the source fields to the information structure.
The affected archive files are marked accordingly.
You can call the Check Indexing function from the Extras menu.
Displaying File Residence
This function checks the residence of an archive file, that is, it checks whether Archive Administration can access the file. The affected archive files are
marked accordingly. A file can only be used to fill an information structure if is accessible by Archive Administration. Otherwise direct access to the data
object is only possible with the Archive Explorer.
You can call the Display Residence function from the Extras menu.
Filling or Deleting Information Structures
Use Fill Structures to fill information structures with data from the archive.
Use Empty Structures to delete the contents of information structures.
More Information
Filling and Emptying Information Structures
Procedure for Reloaded Archives

1.6.1.6.1 Status per Archive

Use
The following status information is displayed:
Archiving session identification, date, and status
Information structure fill status per archive file
Description of the information structure
Name and status of the archive file

Note
Choose Compress to restrict the display to the archiving sessions. This gives you a better overview when you want to select individual sessions. This
function cannot be applied to individual archiving sessions.

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The traffic light displays the following statuses:

Green: The system has already filled an information structure for this session.
Yellow: The system has filled an information structure for this session, however, all of the archive files could not be fully reported.
Red: The system has not yet filled an information structure (indicated by -) or has only partially filled an information structure.
An archive file can have the following statuses:
1) Complete
This archive file has been completely incorporated into the specified archive information structure.
1) Errors
This archive file has not been completely incorporated into the specified archive information structure.
1) This archive file was not selected when the archive information structure was filled.
The Complete status tells you that these archive files have been searched completely for source fields. However, it does not tell you anything about the
indexing of the files, that is, whether data has actually been moved from the source fields to the information structure. You can check the indexing with the
help of the Check Indexing function in the Extras menu.

More Information
Status per Infostructure

1.6.1.6.2 Status per Infostructure

Use
The following status information is displayed:
Description of the information structure
Archiving object name
Archiving session identification, date, and status
Information structure fill status per archive file
Name and status of the archive files

Note
Choose Expand to display the complete list of status information. This expands the list to include the fill status for the information structure. The name
and status of the archive file are also displayed. This function cannot be applied to individual information structures.
The traffic light displays the following statuses:
Green: The system has fully reported all archiving sessions for this information structure.
Yellow: The system cannot report, or can only partially report, some of the archiving sessions for this information structure.
Red: The system has not yet reported any archiving sessions for this information structure (indicated by "-").
An archive file can have the following statuses:
Complete
This archive file was completely incorporated when the archive info structure was filled.

Note
The status tells you that the archive file has been searched completely for source fields. However, it does not tell you anything about the indexing of
the file, that is, whether data has actually been moved from the source fields to the information structure. You can check the indexing with the help
of the Check Indexing function in the Extras menu.
Erroneous
This archive file was not completely incorporated when the archive info structure was filled.
This archive file was not selected when the archive info structure was filled.

More Information
Status per Archive

1.6.1.7 Creating Database Indexes

Use
To avoid long runtimes when archive information structures are accessed, we recommend that you create a database index for every infostructure. The index
helps speed up accesses to the database table of the infostructure. If you are using an infostructure that does not have a database index, you can use this
function to create an index.

Recommendation
Do not create your own database indexes for SAP infostructures, because this may create problems during the transport of the infostructures, due to
naming conventions. Instead, copy the relevant SAP infostructure into your own namespace and then create an index for the new infostructure.

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Integration
The data of the infostructure is saved in the database table, which is generated when the infostructure is activated, that is, directly in the production system.
Because productive systems are protected against changes to cross-client objects (settings in system change option), it is not possible to create database
indexes for generated Archive Information System tables. Instead, you can use the function described below, provided by the Archive Information System, to
do so.

Features
To create a database index for an infostructure, simply define it The index will then be generated when you activate its infostructure in the database. The index
definition is stored in table AIND_STR8.
To use the function for the definition of a database index from the Archive Information System, choose

Customizing

Goto

Database Index

You will see a table whose rows correspond to the fields of the index you want to define. The columns of the table have the following meanings:
Column

Meaning

Index Name

Name under which the index is saved in the ABAP dictionary

Position

Position of a field in the index

Field Name

Technical name of the filed in the infostructure

Assign the relevant fields to the table. If you need the field MANDT (Client), then you must incorporate it manually.
Note the following when you work with database indexes for archive information structures:
Entries in table AIND_STR8 are transported automatically together with the infostructure. You only need to trigger the transport manually if the
infostructure itself is not to be transported.
If you delete an infostructure, the corresponding entries in table AIND_STR8 are also deleted.
If you remove a field that is also part of an archive index from an infostructure, you must adapt table AIND_STR8 manually, otherwise you will encounter
problems when you try to activate the infostructure.
The system only recognizes index definition entries if no database table exists yet for the infostructure. Therefore, you may have to delete the database
table of the infostructure. You can find this function in the Archive Information System under
Customizing
Utilities
Delete Table .

Note
Creating or changing a database index for an already existing infostructure generally means long runtimes, because you must deactivate the
infostructure, delete the corresponding tables, activate the infostructure, and then refill it. You can use program ASCORRINDX to make changes to
database indexes without having to delete the corresponding infostructures and fill them again. For more information about how to use this program
see the corresponding program documentation.

Example
The index definition for the standard infostructure SAP_FI_DOC_002 contains the following rows:
Index Name

Position

Field Name

LIF

10

MANDT

LIF

20

LIFNR

LIF

30

BUKRS

REF

10

MANDT

REF

20

AWKEY

When you activate the infostructure a database table with two indexes is creates: The index LIF contains the fields MANDT, LIFNR, and BUKRS (in that
order), and the index REF contains the fields MANDT and AWKEY.

1.6.1.8 Partitioning
Use
The database tables that are generated when you create new archive information structures can become extremely large over the duration of their usage. This
puts an increased pressure on the database and makes it more difficult to handle the infostructures and tables. To combat this effect, you can use partitioning
to divide up the infostructures in such a way that the system distributes the data across several tables instead of writing it into one single table. This facilitates
the administration of the database, which is more difficult with large data volumes.

Features
Configuration of Partitioning
You can call partitioning from the Archive Retrieval Configurator (transaction SARJ) by entering an infostructure and choosing

Goto

Partitioning

To configure the partitioning function, in the From Date field, enter the date as of which the system is supposed to write the entries for the infostructure into a
new table. The date refers to the creation date of the archiving session. If required, you can also enter the name of the table that is to be generated in the
Table Name field. If you do not want to specify a name, the system automatically generates a table name that corresponds to the infostructure. The tables

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are not generated until the first data record is written, which would be either during the delete phase or during the subsequent filling of the infostructure.

Example
The following configuration data has been entered for partitioning:

From Date

Table Name

01.01.0001
01.02.2005
14.04.2005

Based on these entries, the system would generate a separate database table for the following time periods: "Until 01.31.2005", "02.01.2005" until
"04.13.2005"and as of "04.14.2005".
For a detailed example of a partitioning scenario, see Example: Partitioning an Infostructure.

Caution
The configuration entries for partitioning logically belong to the infostructure. This means it is cross-client and is transported and shipped together with the
infostructure. Changing the configuration settings means a modification of the infostructure. Therefore, never change the partitioning of infostructures that
are not part of your namespace. This particularly applies to the SAP infostructures (those shipped by SAP) in customer systems. For more information,
see Copying Infostructure Data.
The partitioning concept is so flexible that you do not have to specify that partitioning is to take place from the outset. In the case of large data volumes,
rebuilding the infostructure would be very resource intensive. This means that data that has already been built does not need to be changed. All accesses to
the Archive Information System remain intact. This applies to the Archive Explorer and to programmed accesses with the function module AS_API_READ or
other interfaces to the Archive Information System.
Predefining Tables
In addition to partitioning you also have the option of predefining a table or several tables for a specific infostructure. This has the following advantages:
The name of the predefined table is determined when configuration takes place. You can choose a name from within your namespace or a name that
matches your requirements. If you do not specify a table name the system automatically generates a name, which you cannot influence.
The table you specify is generated in the development or Customizing system and is then transported to the production system. This allows you to still
make changes to the table, such as other technical settings or a different short text. In addition, the table has the same name in all systems, which is
not the case for the automatically generated AS tables (ZARIX tables). This facilitates the administration of the system landscapes.
When you specify a table in the configuration, the system checks whether this table already exists. If so, it checks whether the table matches the
infostructure and rejects the entry you made if necessary. If the table does not exist, the system asks you whether you want to generate the table. If you say
yes, the table is generated in such a way that it corresponds to the infostructure.

Note
We recommend that you always instruct the system generate these tables. This means you can be sure that the structure of the table always matches the
infostructure. We also recommend that you enter the same data for the object directory entry as that of the infostructure. This is particularly important for
package assignments.
Displaying Partitioning
You can use the display function to view the current settings of the partitioning of an infostructure. You can call up the display function from within the status
management of the Archive Information System by choosing
Goto
Partitioning
or from within the display of an infostructure in Customizing by
choosing Technical Data .
Partitioning Configuration
This area on the display screen shows how partitioning was configured.
Current Partitioning
This area shows which tables the system used during which time periods so far. For the time periods that were entered in the configuration and that
appear in this area, the system uses the assigned table also in the future. When the first record for the corresponding interval is written to the
infostructure, the system sets the Change On date for that particular table. The entry that does not have a change date contains the table that was
generated when the infostructure was first activated (normal AS table). This table only serves as a reference structure for partitioned infostructures.
Tables that have the G (Generated) indicator, have been generated.
If an entry only has the indicator N (Read Only) indicator, it means that the Archive Information System does not write any more entries to this table. It
only reads from this table. This happens when you change partitioning, by, for example, grouping several time periods together. this is the case, the
system sets the tables used up until then for the individual tables to read only mode.
Assignment of Tables and Files
This area shows all the archive files that have entries in the infostructure. It lists the corresponding tables where the entries can be found. This
relationship is unique. A table always contains the complete set of entries of an archive file. The system uses this information especially for the deletion
of infostructure contents.
See also:
Example: Partitioning an Infostructure

1.6.1.8.1 Copying of Infostructure Data

Use
You can use this function to copy data from one infostructure to another.
Similar to other standard objects in the SAP system, SAP infostructures cannot be changed without running the risk of a modification. This also includes
changes to the partitioning of SAP Infostructures. If, however, a SAP Infostructure contains data that you want to copy, you must delete all that data and

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rebuild it, in order for the data to be copied to one of your own infostructures. This procedure is possible, but, depending on the amount of data to be copied,
can take a long time.
A good alternative for your purpose is the function for copying infostructure data.

Prerequisites
The prerequisites must be fulfilled so you can copy data from one infostructure to another.
The target infostructure already exists. The system only copies the data from source infostructure, not the definitions of the data.
Both infostructures are consistent. This applies to the definition of the infostructures and for their fill status. The copying of infostructure data is not a
correction program.
The source infostructure may not have a predefined table in the partition configuration. f the source infostructure lies within your own namespace (such
as a customer-specific infostructure), you first remove this table from the configuration of the source infostructure. After you have copied the data you
can enter this table in the configuration of the target infostructure.
The source infostructure contains all the fields of the target infostructure. In addition, all the key fields of the target infostructure must also be key fields
of the source infostructure. Note that the target infostructure may have fewer fields than the source infostructure.
The field types of the target infostructure correspond to the field types of the source infostructure. This only applies to the technical field types. The data
elements may be different, but not the field length.
The target infostructure should be empty.

Recommendation
To avoid functional changes or problems when using the AS modules, we recommend that you fill the target infostructure on the basis of the same
field catalog as that of the standard infostructure that you want to copy.

Features
You can call this function from within the Archive Retrieval Configurator (transaction SARJ) by choosing
program AS_DATA_MOVE.

Utilities

Copy Data

or by executing the

To copy the data you need to enter a Source Infostructure and a Target Infostructure .
Executing this function only takes a few seconds. It may, however, take longer, if the infostructures contain several thousand archive files, for example.
However, the runtime does not depend on the number of entries in the infostructures. After you have executed the program, the source infostructure is empty
and inactive. The target infostructure contains the data of the source infostructure and is active if it was active before, or if the source infostructure was active.
The data transfer does not actually take place through copying, but rather by "moving" the tables. The system simply assigns the tables of the source
infostructure to the target infostructure by entering the tables of the source infostructure into the current partitioning of the target infostructure and adjusting the
status administration. For this simple moving of data to take place, however, the above prerequisites must be fulfilled.

Example
You have an active SAP infostructure that already contains a large amount of data. This infostructure does not use partitioning and does not have any
predefined tables. You want to copy the data of an SAP infostructure to one of your own infostructures. To do this, proceed as follows:
1. In the development or Customizing system (the system in which you make the developments and changes that are not permitted in the productive
system) you create your own infostructure. The new infostructure should look exactly like the infostructure to be copied.
2. You make the desired changes to the new infostructure. In particular, you can configure the partitioning.
3. You transport the new infostructure into the productive system and leave it as inactive.

Note
Make sure that during the next step no archiving session, delete session, or filling of an infostructure takes place for the archiving object in question.
4. In the productive system, you copy the data of the SAP infostructure to the new infostructure (see above).
As a result of this procedure, the infostructures now have the following characteristics:
The SAP infostructure is

The new infostructure is

Inactive

Active

empty and without references to any tables.

Filled for those archive files for which the SAP infostructure was built

See also:
Example: Partitioning an Infostructure

1.6.1.8.2 Example: Partitioning an Infostructure

Use
You have an infostructure that already contains a large number of entries. The related ZARIX table is becoming to large. Since the infostructure has not been
partitioned yet, you want to do so now.
You want to change the infostructure so that no more data can be written to the existing table. You also want to set up the partitioning so that the data for the
current year, the last two years, and the next three years are written to a separate table.
To do this, proceed as follows:
1. Configure partitioning in the development or Customizing system (the system in which development and changes that are not permitted in the live
system take place) as follows:

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From Date

Table Name

01.01.0001
01.01.2003
01.01.2004
01.01.2005
01.01.2006
01.01.2007
01.01.2008

1. You transport these settings to the live system. It does not matter whether you enter the changes to the partitioning configuration in a transport
oder or whether you transport the infostructure from somewhere else. A complete definition of the infostructure is always sent to the target system.
2. Continue archiving in the live system as usual.
After you have transported the configuration to the live system, the partitioning of the infostructure looks like this:
From Date

To Date

Table Name

01.01.0001

31.12.9999

ZARIXBC62

Change Date

The infostructure is not partitioned yet. Table ZARIXBC62 is already a very large database table for the existing infostructure. As long as you do not
make any new entries in the infostructure, read access is from this table only. Not until further set up of the infostructure does the system generate a
new table, which it then fills. It is ensured that the system does not add any additional data to the old table since the configuration of the partitioning
covers the entire period for which data can be entered. After an additional archiving session, partitioning could look like this:
From Date

To Date

Table Name

Change Date

01.01.2005

31.12.2005

ZARIXBC64

28.06.2005

01.01.0001

31.12.9999

ZARIXBC62

The system has now generated database table ZARIXBC64 for the period from 01/01/2005 to 12/31/2005 that is specified in the configuration. In 2006
the system will create the next table. Read access is possible from both tables.
You have two options for how to proceed: Either you use partitioning only for new entries to the infostructure or you ensure that old entries are entered
according to partitioning.
Partitioning for new entries only
In this case you do not need anything. New entries are written automatically to the infostructure according to partitioning. When you delete the
infostructure for older files, the system recognizes that these entries are still in the old table ZARIXBC62. Once the infostructure is no longer set
up for old files, then table ZARIXBC62 is empty and the actual partitioning corresponds completely to the configuration.
Information from the configuration relating to the period prior to 2005 is not required for this scenario.
Partitioning for all entries
If you also want the partitioning to correspond to the configuration for the older files, you need to delete the infostructure for all old sessions and
then recreate it. In this case, the system uses the configuration entries for the periods prior to 2005 and generates the relevant tables.
However, this procedure is usually not necessary and therefore we do not recommend it. It is necessary only if the old table cannot be handled,
even if no more new entries are made to it.
It is possible to combine both methods or to do a partial implementation.
After a conversion, you can remove empty tables that are no longer needed by deactivating the infostructure and then immediately reactivating it.
The system deletes tables that have been created unnecessarily.

1.6.2 Archive Retrieval Configurator

Use
The ARC allows you to create and configure information structures that are required by the Archive Information System (AS) to execute archive searches.

Features
Creating Archive Infostructures
You use this function to create a new information structure based on application-specific field catalogs.
More information: Creating an Information Structure
Activating an Information Structure
With this, you can activate an available information structure so that during a subsequent archiving program delete phase of the archiving object it
automatically fills with data from the archive.
More information: Activating and Deactivating Information Structures
Filling Information Structures
This function allows you to fill an information structure with data from the available archives if the delete program has already processed those archives.
Normally this is not necessary because activated information structures are filled automatically during the archiving program delete run.
More information: Filling and Emptying Information Structures
Field Catalogs
This function enables you to create new field catalogs or change customer-specific field catalogs.
More information: Field Catalogs
Other Functions
Additional ARC functions allow you to empty, deactivate, change, display, and delete archive information structures.

1.6.2.1

Field Catalogs

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1.6.2.1

Field Catalogs

Use
With this function, you can create new field catalogs and work with existing field catalogs.Archiving information structures are defined on the basis of Field
Catalogs .

Note
Standard field catalogs, which are designed to cover most application requirements, are supplied with the Archive Information System. You should
therefore only create your own field catalogs if the fields contained in the standard field catalogs do not meet your requirements.

Caution
If a standard transaction of an application only allows for standard field catalogs, customer specific field catalogs are not recognized by the system.

Prerequisites
You need to have some expert knowledge to use this function. For example, you should be familiar with the data model of the archiving object up to table
level.

Features
Working With Existing Field Catalogs
You can change the definition of the existing field catalogs, for example, by adding further source fields or changing the allocation of data- and key fields.
When working with existing field catalogs, you basically use the same procedures you would use for creating field catalogs (see below).

Note
You must copy a standard field catalog from the SAP namespace into your own namespace-that is, make it a customer-specific field catalog-before you
make any changes to it. All entries that begin with "SAP" belong to the SAP namespace and may no be changed.
Creating New Field Catalogs
When you create a new field catalog, you have the options of using fields from:
one source table
more than one source table
For information on procedures, see Creating Field Catalogs (One Source Table) .
To create field catalogs from more than one source table, refer to the additional Notes , which you must observe.
Deleting Field Catalogs
Before you delete a field catalog, you must first delete all of the archive information structures that use this field catalog. The deletion of catalogs that are still
being used is prevented by a deletability check. If you try to delete an SAP standard field catalog, the system issues a warning message to this effect.

1.6.2.1.1 Creating Field Catalogs (One Source Table)

Procedure
1.
2.

In the initial screen of the Archive Retrieval Configurator (ARC), choose

Environment
Field Catalogs
and then New Entries .
Enter the name of the field catalog (it cannot begin with SAP), a description, and the archiving object for which the field catalog is intended.
In the fields File in Index and Offset in Index , you can specify how the name of the archiving file and the offset of the data object are included in the information
structure. You can use the following values:
Values for file names
Value for file names

Description

Includes the file name as a data field. This is the minimum value. It causes the
archive file name to be entered in the data area of the structure table.

Includes the file name as a key field. Select this value if the entries in the table
would otherwise not be unique.

Values for the offset

Value for offset

Description

Includes the offset name as a data field. This value is sufficient for a direct access to
archived data.

Includes the offset name as a key field. Select this value if the entries in the table
would otherwise not be unique.

No value

The offset is not included in the structure table. Choose this setting if you do not
want direct access. This allows you to reduce the size of the structure table.

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Note
If you include the offset as a key field, you must also include the archive file as a key field, otherwise a clear distinction between archived objects by the offset
cannot be guaranteed. If an archived object, such as a sales document, has already been clearly identified by the document number in the field catalog key, then
you do not need to include the offset in the key.
3. To perform the field assignment, first select the catalog and then the Field Selection node in the navigation area. Choose New Entries and enter the required data.
You can choose the field number and target field yourself. The name of the target field appears in the generated table and should have a definition that makes
sense for reporting. The field number describes its position in the information structure and serves as a sort criterion.
However, the source field must correspond with the actual field name from the source table.
The source field entered directly in the field selection is also the reference field. The data type of the relevant field in the information structure is derived from
this reference field.
The source table must be a table for which the archiving object in the information structure writes data to the archive. These tables are maintained in the
transaction AOBJ for the archiving objects.
If you mark a Key field, that field is included in the key to the structure table. A table's key fields must come at the beginning, that is, the field numbers of
the key fields must be smaller than the field numbers of the data fields. Furthermore, the key fields must be connected, that is, no non-key fields are allowed
to come between key fields.
The Mandatory Key Field checkbox is valid only for key fields. If you select this checkbox, the data record will be included only if the relevant field in the
source table is not empty.

Note
Tables that are processed by archiving classes can also be used as source tables. However, to do so, you must create a normed read function module for each
archiving class used.
4.

Save your entries.

1.6.2.1.2 Creating Field Catalogs (More than One Source Table)

Prerequisites
You have created a field catalog with at least one field.
You are at the field selection for the field catalog.

Context
You can add additional source fields to field catalogs. This means:
For key fields, the system establishes field similarities between the join conditions of the different source tables.
The system can fill data fields with data from different source tables in an archive information structure.
Note the following special features:
For each source table, there must be a unique combination of fields in the key of the information structure. This means that there can never be two data
records with the same value combination within one data object.
For each key field, the system establishes the field similarity between the reference field and the additional source fields.
The system fills the information structure with archive data using an outer join based on the field combination. The system writes a record for the data
object if at least one of the source tables contains data.
When the system is filling an information structure, an incorrectly defined field catalog can cause a program termination. Read the long text in the error
message Q6234. Here you can also find a detailed example of how to create field catalogs.
The source field entered directly in the field selection is also the reference field. The data type of the relevant field in the information structure is derived
from this reference field. The fields entered in Additional Source Fields must be compatible reference field type.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.

Choose the field to which you want to add source fields.

In the navigation frame, choose the Additional Source Fields node.
Choose New Entries and enter the source table and the source field that are to be joined with the target field.
Save your entries.

Results
There is now a logical link (join) for key fields between the target field and the additional source field. When the system fills the information structure, it moves
the contents of the source fields assigned to the target field to the data fields.

1.6.3 Archive Explorer

Use
The Archive Explorer enables you to search for archived data and allows individual objects to be displayed from the archive.

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Integration
You can go to the Archive Explorer from either the initial screen of the archive information system or from the Archive Retrieval Configurator (choose
Environment
Archive Explorer ).

Prerequisites
To use Archive Explorer, you need to perform the following activities:
Create a suitable archive information structure
Activate the information structure
Fill the information structure

Features
On the Archive Explorer selection screen, the fields appear as in the archive information structure.
In the selection screen, you can define which archived data should be read by the Archive Explorer reporting program. An object list from the set information
structure is displayed as a result of this selection, from which you can access single data objects in the archive.
A standard viewer is available to display the data objects. Independent of the underlying archiving object, there are also application-specific viewers. The
interface used can also be used for customer-specific extensions.

Activities
Report information structure

More Information
Creating an Information Structure
Activating and Deactivating Information Structures
Filling and Emptying Information Structures

1.6.3.1 Reporting
Use
You can use this function to report from the archive information structure that was created for the selected archiving object.

Prerequisites
The archive information structure to be reported has been
1) Created
2) Built

Features
Depending on the selection criteria entered in the selection screen, an object is displayed for the set archive information structure. You use the standard
functions of the SAP List Viewer ( ALV , formerly ABAP List Viewer) to do this.
To display a data object, the system accesses the archive directly. If an application-specific view is implemented for the archiving object used, a dialog box
appears in which you can choose between the technical or the application-specific presentation of the data object.

Activities
Ad Hoc Reporting

Related Information
Ad Hoc Reporting

1.6.3.2 Ad Hoc Reporting

Use
You can use this function to report from the archive information structure that was created for the selected archiving object, without this structure having to be
filled first .

Prerequisites
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The archive information structure to be reported has been created and activated.

Features
Depending on the selection criteria entered in the selection screen, an object is displayed for the set archive information structure.
To display a data object, the system accesses the archive directly. If an application-specific view is realized for the archiving object used, a dialog box
appears in which you can choose between the technical or the application-specific presentation of the data object.
Unlike the standard reporting function, which requires that the archive information structure is filled with data from the archive, the ad hoc reporting function
reads directly from the archive. This enables you test archiving and report archived data that has not yet been deleted from the database.

Activities
Report information structure

More Information
Report

1.6.3.3 Using List Variants

Use
In the Archive Explorer , you can save list variants with which you specify, for example, a selection of fields to be displayed.

Integration
You can operate the variant functions using the menu entries and function buttons of the SAP List Viewer.

Features
You can create both user-specific and cross-list variants to display the data for an archive information structure as well as the table contents (as part of the
technical view).
List Variants for Archive Information Structures
In the display of information structure data (the first list in the Archive Explorer), list variants are stored per archive information structure. A list variant is only
valid for the archive information structure for which it was created and cannot be used for other archive information structures.
Once an archive information structure has been changed (but has kept the same name), the related list variants can still be used. However, a list variant can
be invalidated by the change, for example, where the field displayed in the list variant has been deleted from the archive information structure. You should
therefore modify the list variants accordingly.

Example
Example: When you display the archive information structure CO_ORDER_001 , use the list variant MY_VARIANT to specify that the fields AUFNR
(Order Number) and KTEXT (Short Text) are to be displayed. You cannot use these variants for the archive information structure CO_ORDER_002 ,
even if both archive information structures have identical structures.
If the archive information structure CO_ORDER_001 is changed so that the fields AUFK and KTEXT no longer appear, then the list variant
MY_VARIANT can still be used. However, is pointless as no fields are displayed. You can therefore modify these variants using the relevant function of
the ALV to fit the changed archive information structure.
For the archive information structure CO_ORDER_002 , you can also create a list variant called MY_VARIANT . However, this is not identical to the list
variant of the same name for CO_ORDER_001 .
List Variants for Tables
The technical view for single document display is used to display the table contents for the selected data objects. You can save list variants per table here,
which are independent of the archive information structure used. A list variant created for a specific table is only valid for this table and cannot be used for
other tables. However, a list variant for a specific table is always independent of the archive information structure used. This is also valid where the archive
information structure belongs to different archiving objects. Therefore, it does not matter which archiving object was used to archive the table entries.

Example
Example: You are using the archiving objects SD_VBAK and PP_ORDER and the related archive information structures SD_VBAK_001 or
PP_ORDER_001 . Both archiving objects contain the table COEP . To display the table COEP , save the list variant MY_VARIANT in the Archive
Explorer. In contrast to the above list variants, this variant is only assigned to the COEP table.
You can then use MY_VARIANT to display the COEP table, and it does not matter whether you enter the Archive Explorer via the archive information
structure SD_VBAK_001 or PP_ORDER_001 .
Activities
In the Archive Explorer list display, you can access the list variant functions. Choose

Settings

Display Variants

More information: Documentation about the SAP List Viewer

1.7 Archive File Browser

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1.7 Archive File Browser

Use
Archive File Browser (AFB) provides functions for displaying the contents of archive files. It offers a technical view of the archived tables in much the same
way as the Data Browser does for data from the database.

Implementation Considerations
The AFB is a technical tool for data archiving administrators and anyone who needs to investigate problems with data archiving and in archived data.
The data is only displayed in technical form, there is no business view formatting. The system structures the data from a technical point of view according to
session, file and data object. AFB ignores application-specific connections (such as logical data objects that are composed from several technical data
objects). Some archived structures (for instance COVP11) do contain the actual data for particular database tables (for example, COEP and COBK).

Integration
You do not need to make any system settings in Customizing to be able to use the AFB.
Make sure that the user has the necessary authorizations, and that it is possible to access the archive files.
For more information, see Archive Files.
To accelerate the start of the AFB, you can set the selection of archive files for the start of the transaction.
More information: Speeding up the Start of the AFB.

Features
Displaying the Contents of Archive Files and Archiving Sessions
The AFB displays archived files. The way the data is structured corresponds to the structure in the archive. Evaluations of archived tables together with
data in the database are not offered.
More information:
Archive Files.
Displaying Data Object.
Searing for archived data
In addition to a search for archive files, a technical search for field contents is also possible in which the AFB searches for the contents of fields in a
table (similar to transaction SE16).
When making the search, the AFB always reads through the files and focuses on finding missing data. The focus on completeness, even at the cost of
poor performance.
More information:
Searching for Table Contents
Searching Efficiently for Table Entries

Constraints
The search for data in the AFB is not intended for the retrieval by end users, but for finding missing data.
When searching for data in the AFB, no index of the archived data is constructed. To do so, use the Archive Information System.
Comparison with the Archive Information System
Archive Information System (AS)

Archive File Browser (AFB)

The main focus is on creating an index for archive files. This index can be used
to find archived data quickly.

When searching for the contents of archive files, the AFB reads through the area
to be searched sequentially.

Search is only possible using specific criteria (fields in info structures)

Search is possible using any fields

The index can be used by applications such as the Document Relationship

Browser or line item reports for cost accounting to access archived data quickly.

No comparable interface

To access archived data, you have to first create and activate an info structure. In Access to archived data is possible immediately.
the production system this usually involves time and effort.
Business views, consequently also of interest to end users

Technical representation of data, only of interest to administrators

1.7.1 Archive Files

Definition
The AFB operates using data objects. An archive file is divided into a header and several data objects. A data object is often an instance of the business
object that corresponds to the archiving object.

Example
For archiving object SD_VBAK the data for an individual sales order is saved in one data object. However, this type of correspondence does not have to
apply to every archiving object.

Structure
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A data object always consists of exactly the data that is written to the archive by the write program between calling up the function modules
ARCHIVE_NEW_OBJECT and ARCHIVE_SAVE_OBJECT. Consequently, everything that can be read between the first and second call up of function module
ARCHIVE_GET_NEXT_OBJECT belongs to the same data object.
The AFB operates using these data objects. Except for the hex display, the AFB always displays exactly one object. During the search, the system looks for
data objects that correspond to particular criteria.
You can specify a data object by entering the archive file and the offset, or by entering the archive file and the number of the data object. In the AFB there is
always a current data object that is represented at least by the entry of archive file and offset. The system often displays the number of the data object in
addition. All displaying functions and functions for relative navigation ( Next File , Previous File , Continue ) relate to the current object.
Sequence of archive files
The AFB always arranges archive files and data objects according to the same pattern. The data is sorted according to archiving object, session and archive
file key. The runs are always displayed in descending order, so that the most recent runs are at the top.
The AFB sorting rules:
Files are arranged alphabetically in ascending order according to their archiving objects.
More recent archiving runs come before older ones
Within the sessions the files are in ascending order
Use of this sort order:
In the archive file overview
When searching in the list of the files to be searched
During the search the files are dealt with in this order
For the functions for relative navigation ( Next File , Previous File , ) this sequence is used as the basis.
Authorization checks
In addition to checking the authorization to access the archive (authorization object S_ARCHIVE), checks have been implemented in the AFB that allow or
forbid the display of archived data in a similar way as for the Data Browser (transaction SE16). This involves the display authorization for authorization object
S_TABU_DIS. The authorization to display data from a table should not change due to it being archived. The same should apply for archived data as for data
from the database.
Required authorizations for different areas
Area

Prerequisite

Data Object

User requires display authorization for the table to be displayed. This means not all
data is necessarily displayed for a data object (you receive corresponding
messages in the log).
If the user does not have authorization for any of the tables of the data object, then
nothing is displayed for the current data object.

Table

User requires display authorization for the table. Only those tables for which the
user has authorization can be displayed.

Hex display

User requires display authorization for all tables that relate to the archiving object of
the file to be displayed.
If the user lacks authorization for one or more tables then nothing is displayed for
the archive file.

Search

A user can only search for the content of tables for which he or she has
authorization.

1.7.2 Displaying Data Objects

Context
You want to display a data object with AFB.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.

Expand the navigation tree in the archive files overview until you can see the key for the archive file you want.
By double-clicking the key of the archive file call up the first data object of this file. On the Data Object tab page, you will see the data object with an overview of
the table entries it contains.
Use the scroll keys to navigate to other data objects.

1.7.3 User Interface for the Archive File Browser

Use
The user interface is made up of the following areas:
Interface Area

Description

Archive files overview

Overview divided according to archiving object, session, and file.

More information: Archive Files Overview

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Header information

This area shows you which archive file and which data object are displayed.
More information: Header Information

Scroll keys

For navigating in the data objects and files.

More information: Navigation

Display area

To display data. Here you see the content of the archive file in the desired view. In
this area you can define and execute a search.
More information: Display Area

Messages

Collection of notifications and error messages that are generated.

More information: Messages

1.7.3.1 Archive Files Overview

Use
On the left side of the screen, the system displays an overview of the archive files in the form of a tree structure. The files are grouped according to archiving
object and archiving session. The files themselves are the end nodes of the tree structure.
You can set the fields displayed and also influence the quantity of archive files displayed using a filter function. You can also determine an initial layout
(including filter criteria).
For an overview of the screen areas in AFB, see User Interface.

Features
Double-click on an archive file in the overview to open a file. The first data object in this file for the current data object appears in the display area. In the case
of functions that select a data object (relative navigation, find), the system expands the archive file for the current data object in the overview and selects it.
You can show the following fields in the archive files overview using the layout editing:
Fields in the archive file overview
Field
Number

Description
Number of data objects in the archive file The system automatically totals this
number at the archiving sessions level. The total refers only to the files in the
overview; not to all of the files in the system.
If, for example, you have set the filter so that only archiving sessions from a certain
creation data are displayed, then the total at archiving object level contains only the
data objects of the files for these sessions, and not for every file of the archiving
object.
The AFB obtains the number of objects from archive administration. When certain
errors occur, you may find that these differ from the actual number of objects in an
archive file

User

Name of user who started the archiving. This field remains blank on archiving object
level.

Size (MB)

File size in MB, shown to three decimal places. This number is determined from
archiving administration, and may (like the number of data objects) differ from the
actual size in certain circumstances.
The file size is totaled at the level of the sessions and archiving objects, using the
same mechanism as for the number of data objects.

Description

The texts for the relevant object are displayed depending on the level in the tree
structure:
Level
Displayed Text
Archiving Objects
Description of the Archiving Object
Archiving Sessions
Comments about the archiving session that can be entered for some archiving
objects when scheduling the write program.
Archive Files
Comments on the file that can be changed in archive administration.

Date

Creation date of the archive session or archive file.

This field remains blank on archiving object level.

Time

Creation time of the archive session or archive file.

This field remains blank on archiving object level.

Activities
Layout of the Archive Files Overview
The layout of the archive files overview contains the selection of the tree structure columns (except the hierarchy column), and also the sequence and width of
the columns. In addition you can also save the current filter criteria with the layout.
The layout editing contains the following functions:
Layout

Function

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Select

Choose a layout already saved, with filter criteria if appropriate, and use on the
overview.

Change

Change the current field selection and field sequence.

Save

Save the current layout. You can choose whether you want to save the layout userspecific or cross-user, and whether the system should save the filter conditions with
the layout.

Manage

Manage the saved layouts. In particular, you can delete a layout and select a layout
as a default. The effect of the default is that when you next start the AFB, this layout
is used automatically, together with any filter conditions.

Filter in the archive file overview

The AFB loads certain data to the main memory for each file that is displayed in the overview. Consequently, the time taken to start the transaction and also
the memory usage depend very much on how many archive files are being processed. You can use filters to influence this quantity.
To change the current filter criteria, choose Set Filter... . You can choose any field that is displayed in the overview as a filter criterion, this includes the
archiving object, session, or file key. The system always uses all criteria directly for the selection of the archive files. This means that both the creation date
and time relate only to the archive files. The Name field refers only to the comments for the archive file. File size and number of objects refers to the number
of archive files, and not to the totals at higher levels.
It is possible to save the filter criteria when you save a layout. When you choose a layout or start a transaction with a predefined layout, the system uses the
related filter.
For more information, see Speeding up the Start of the AFB.

1.7.3.2 Header Information

Use
The header information contains the current data object. For an overview of the screen areas in AFB, see User Interface.

Features
In the header information, you can place the cursor directly on a particular data object within an archive file.
Header Information Fields
Field

Description and Notes

Archive File

Archive file for the current data object

This archive file is also expanded and selected in the archive file overview unless
this selection has been changed manually or you are currently evaluating a
background search and the hit is not located within an archive file from the
overview.

Data Object

The number of the current data object within its archive file
This field usually displays a value between one and the number of data objects in
the archive file. In the Hex Display , you may also find data object number 0 (zero).
Then the beginning of the archive file is displayed. If you enter the offset of a data
object directly in the field Offset , then Unknown appears in the Data Object field.
The field is ready for input as soon as a data object has been selected for the first
time.

Note
You should note that direct entry can entail a long runtime, as the archive file
may be read sequentially.
From

Number of data objects in the archive file

Offset

Offset of the current data object

To find a data object as quickly as possible, enter a value in the Offset field.

Note
Note that if you enter the offset direct, the functions Previous Data Object and
Next Data Object can no longer be used.

1.7.3.3 Display Area

Use
The AFB offers three different views in the display area of the current data object or the archive file currently being displayed.
The Data Object view represents all of the tables entries for the data object.
The Table view represents an individual table of the archiving object.
The Hex Display represents the content of the archive file in a highly technical form without additional formatting.
For an overview of the screen areas in AFB, see User Interface.

Features
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Data Object
In the Data Object view, the system formats the archive file content in such a way that the content of all table entries for the current data object is visible.
The table entries are displayed in the same form as they are found in the archive. You receive a list where the table name is in the first field, followed by the
content of the relevant entry formatted as a character string.
The list is displayed using the SAP List Viewer and offers its standard functions.

Note
Note that the standard functions of the SAP List Viewer refer only to the current data object. A search is then made using only the data of the current data
object.
For the display, the system formats every table entry as an individual character string. This means special attributes for the individual fields are lost. You may
find that a table is too wide to be displayed in its entirety. By double-clicking you can obtain field-by-field formatting of the corresponding record.

Note
If you want a different format for a particular table, select an entry for the required table and switch to the Table view. The system then automatically
displays all entries for this table from the current data object.
The table entries are displayed in this view in the same order as they were written to the archive, unless the data was saved using archiving classes. Data for
archiving classes is displayed with the other data for the current data object in accordance with the entries that were not saved using archiving classes.
Table
The Table view displays the entries for the current data object that relate to a particular table. The data is formatted field-by-field. The view of the table is
similar to that of the Data Browser (transaction SE16).
The list is displayed using the SAP List Viewer and offers its standard functions.

Note
Note that the standard functions of the SAP List Viewer refer only to the current data object. A search is then made using only the data of the current data
object.
In the Table Name field, you enter the name of the table for which you want to see the entries. You will usually find this field has already been defined if you
have already selected a data object.
You can use the input help to receive a selection of all tables that are archived with the archiving object for the current file. In the event that no data object has
been selected, you receive all tables for all archiving objects in the archive file overview. If you enter the table directly, you have to choose data release to
refresh to list.

Note
Choose
Settings
Technical Field Names
or Field Labels to switch between the display of technical names and field labels, as required. This
affects all parts of the AFB in which field labels occur, for example, in a search.
Depending on the view with which you previously looked at the current data object, the table name is predefined as follows:
In the Data Object view, one entry is usually selected. The table for this entry is displayed with the Table view.
The search switches automatically to the Table view at the first hit. The table, which is also used in the search criteria, is displayed.
In all other cases, the table name is predefined in such a way that the table is suitable for the archiving object of the current data object. If the table no longer
matches the archiving object through navigation to a data object for a different archiving object, then the system selects a new table.
If you branch from the Table view to the search but have not yet selected a table for the search criteria, the system automatically transfers the table being
displayed.
Hex Display
The system presents the content of the archive file in raw format in the hex display,

Note
This view is particularly useful if you want to look at the archive file header, or if the file is defective and this is the only way you are able to display it.
The data in the file is represented in hex format (00 to FF for every byte). In the first column you see the offset in the archive file for the first byte in each line.
32 bytes then follow in every line, in eight groups each having four bytes. In the area on the right, you can see the equivalents in plain text. The respective
character coding is taken into account (including unicode). This means it is possible that only 16 characters (for example) relate to the 32 bytes As the data in
the archive file is present in compressed form, the header can only be recognized from the plain text representation at the beginning of the archive file. It is not
possible to recognize the data itself this way.
The part of the archive file that is displayed is determined by the offset and the number of displayed bytes. The system uses the offset displayed in the header
information. In this way, all navigation functions can also be used for the hex display.

Note
The hex display recognizes the data object with the number 0 that represents the beginning of the file.
You can enter the number of bytes displayed in the Area Displayed field on the Hex Display tab page.
Analysis of Defective Files
You can use the hex display to analyze defective files that you are not able to display with the other views. To do this, you have to have detailed and
extensive knowledge of the structure of the archive files. The hex display bypasses the usual mechanism for accessing files (meaning the function modules
for the ADK). However, no files can be analyzed this way that are found in the archive store ( SAP ArchiveLink).

1.7.3.4 Messages

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1.7.3.4 Messages
Use
Each message or error message that is generated during a session with the Archive File Browser is collected in a log in the lower area of the AFB. For an
overview of the screen areas in AFB, see User Interface.

Example
Examples of errors include error messages when accessing archive files or the message at the end of the search.

Features
The messages are displayed in the log as a list, with the latest message at the top.
Log Line Fields
Field

Meaning

Type

Severity of the Message

Message Context

Information about the archive file relating to the message

If the message cannot be assigned directly to an archive file, then the action which
triggered the message is displayed.

Message Text

Message short text

Long Text

Icon indicating whether or not there is a long text for the message

Note
You can read the long text of a message by double-clicking the message.

Note
Use Delete Messages to delete all of the messages collected up to that point from the list (and from the memory).

1.7.4 Navigation in the Archive File Browser

Use
The Archive File Browser offer an overview of archive files and data objects. More information: User interface

Features
The the fields in the Header Information, the Archive File Overview and the scroll keys give you various options for navigating in archive files and outside of
archive files. You can combine some of these options.
Opening Archive Files
Double-click on an archive file in the overview to open a file. The first data object in this file for the current data object appears in the display area.
Various methods for selecting a file:
By double-clicking on an archive file key, this file is selected
By double-clicking on a session, the first file in the session is selected
By double-clicking on an archiving object, the first file of the latest session that appears in the overview is selected
System actions depending on the view selected
Tab page before double-click

Result

Documentation or search

The system selects the first data object in the Data Object view.

Data object or table

The system selects the first data object , no change to the view.

Hex display

The display starts with the beginning (data object 0, offset 0) of the selected archive
file, no change to the view.

Scroll keys
You will find the scroll keys for the relative navigation between the archive file overview and the display area.

Note
The first data object of an archive file means in the case of the hex display the data object number 0 (zero), that is, the start of the archive file. With every
other view the first data object literally means the very first data object in the archive file.
Navigation using Scroll Keys
Scroll Keys

Features

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First File

The system highlights the first data object of the first file.

Previous File

The system highlights the first data object of the file that is in the overview in front of
the file for the current data object.

Previous Data Object

The system highlights the data object that is in front of the current data object.
In the event the current data object is the first data object in the archive file, the
system highlights the last data object of the previous archive file.

Caution
Note that this procedure can be time-consuming, as it may be necessary to read
the entire archive file in sequence.

Recommendation
This function is not recommended if you are entering an offset direct.
Next Data Object

The system highlights the data object that is in front of the current data object.
If the current data object is already the last data object of the archive file or the
archive file cannot be accessed, the system highlights the first data object in the
following archive file.

Recommendation
This function is not recommended if you are entering an offset direct.
Next File

The system highlights the first data object of the next archive file in the overview.

Last File

The system highlights the first data object of the last archive file in the overview.

Continue Search

The system determines the next hit in the search.

Note
This button is only active if you have started either a search or the background
search report.

1.7.5 Searching for Table Contents

Use
You can use the search for table contents to search archive files. You search for data objects that meet specific criteria. These are selection criteria for a
specific table.
The system searches the files sequentially and displays the data objects. If you want to search larger archive files or a large number of files, you can execute
the search in the background.

Features
You have the option of performing the search online or scheduling the search query as a background job and evaluating the result at a subsequent stage.
For more information, see Searching for Table Contents Online and Searching for Table Contents in the Background.

Activities
If you search using Search or Start Search , the system searches for the selected files in the order in which they are displayed in the archive files overview.
The system only searches through files that could actually contain the table from the selection criteria. The system obtains this information from the definition
of the archiving objects, and not direct from the archive files.
Once the system has found a matching data object, it switches to the view Table and displays the table entries from the search criteria, meaning it displays
all entries for the data object, and not just those that match the selection.
At this point you can switch to the other views, and use all of the other navigation options.
By choosing Continue Search , you can continue the search. Using this function you can do a complete search through each of the files you want to search,
in succession.

Note
When the system finds a matching data object, it only switches to the view Talle if you are not already in one of the other views Data Object , Table or
Hex Display .
Search Procedure
The system checks whether the file for the current data object is in the search area. If this is the case, the system continues the search with the next data
object. If the current data object is the last in its file, the system continues with the first data object of the next file in the search area.
If the current file is not in the search area, the system continues with the next file that is found in the search area. The next file in this case is determined by
the sequence in the archive file overview.
When carrying on with a search, the current search criteria are always used, and these may differ from the search criteria at the start of the search.

Note
You can navigate freely between two search steps as necessary, and also change the search area and search criteria.
If the system has reached the end of the search area, it generates a corresponding message and deactivates the Continue Search function. It makes no
difference whether the end of the search area was actually reached by the search or by any of the other navigation functions.

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1.7.5.1 Searching Online for Table Contents

Procedure
1.

In the Archive File Browser, you find the area Files to be Searched on the tab page Search on the top left of the screen. Drag the files to be searched from the
archive files overview to this area by drag and drop.

Note
Check that the Search Mode defined is Online Search .
For more information about the area Files to be Searched , see Areas Covered by the Search.
2.
3.
4.
5.

In the Search Criteria area, select the table whose fields you want to use for the search. You can enter the table directly or use Other Table .
For more information about the area Search Criteria , see Areas Covered by the Search.
Choose Field Selection to define the fields for the search.
Enter the values that you want to use for the search.
Choose Start Search to start the search.
The system starts searching through the selected files. The search stops with the first hit. The system automatically switches to the Table tab page and displays
the contents of the table that you specified in the search criteria.

Note
The Find Next button is activated.
6.

Choose Find Next .

The system now resumes the search with the current data object. You can repeat this process until the search reaches the end of the search area. The system then
displays a corresponding message.

1.7.5.2 Searching for Table Contents in the Background

Context
You may find the online search is often unsuitable for searching through several or large archive files, and it is better to run time-intensive processes in the
background. The Archive File Browser gives you the option of saving your search requests, processing them in the background, and evaluating the results
later.

Recommendation
Finding table contents in the background should only be used for ad hoc search requests. If you regularly need to access archived data quickly, you are
recommended to use the Archive Information System.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.
6.

Determine which files you want to search and the search criteria. For more information, see Searching for Table Contents Online.
On the Search tab page, you choose Save for Background Search .
In the following dialog box, enter a unique text as the search description. You will later need to use this text to identify your search.
The system saves your search request. The selection of files to be searched and the search criteria all belong to the search request. In addition, a new entry
appears in the Search Mode area bearing the description you entered.
Schedule program ASAFBSEARCH in the background using transaction SA38.
Program ASAFBSEARCH processes all pending search requests. All files are always read through completely. The program determines all hits.
Once the program has finished, start the AFB using transaction AS_AFB.
Select a search request and choose Load Search Results .

Results
The system loads the search area, the search criteria and the results of your search. The result covers both the hit list and any messages that are generated.

Note
Both the search area and the search criteria can no longer be changed or are no longer ready for input. The Search Mode switches from Online Search to
Background Search Report .
As with the online search, you can navigate in the search result using Start Search and Continue Search . The system functions in the same way as with
the search in dialog mode, except that you are unable to change the search.

Note

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If you want to exit the results of the background search report in order to enter a new search, switch to the Search tab page and choose Online Search
in the Search Mode area.
Messages when searching in the background
The system saves any messages that are generated along with the search results. Error messages may occur during the search. For example, if archive files
cannot be accessed or are corrupted. These messages are displayed in the course of the background search report, just as for the online search.

1.7.5.3 Search Areas

Use
Files to be Searched
In this search area, you define which files are to be searched. The files are represented as a list of archive file keys. The sequence of the files corresponds to
the display in the archive files overview. The search is made in the archive files overview from top to bottom. Only those files that are located in the search
area are searched.

Caution
You should note that if you remove files from this area before you choose Cont. Search , these files are no longer included in the new search.
You can transfer additional files from the archive files overview using drag and drop. If you use an archiving session or archiving object in the search area
instead of individual files, then all archive files that are in the overview under this session or object are included in the area to be searched.
Search Criteria
In this search area, you define which table contents you want to search for in the archive files. It is only ever possible to search for the contents of an
individual table. You either enter this table direct or select it using Another Table . Only those tables matching the archiving objects of the files to be searched
are offered. If you have not yet defined any files to be searched, then all tables for all archiving objects from the archive file overview are used. When you
choose a new table, the system automatically proposes the first ten fields of this table as the selection criteria. You can change this selection using Field
Selection . You can select a maximum of 75 fields.
More Information
Search Mode

1.7.5.4 Search Mode

Use
In the search mode area, you determine using the Online Search and Background Search Report functions which database the system chooses for the
Start Search and Cont. Search (Continue Search) functions.
Online Search: the system searches through the archive files direct.
Background Search Report : the system evaluates the results of a background search previously carried out.
To switch between the two options, choose Load Search Results .
Load Search Results: You want to choose the results of a background search and make them available for the evaluation. To do this, the list of the
files to be searched and the search criteria stored with the search request are downloaded and displayed.

Note
If results for the search request downloaded are already available, the system changes the search mode to Background Search Report , and
changes are not possible. If no results are available, the system changes the mode to Online Search and changes to both the search area and
search criteria are possible.
To start the search report, choose Start Search .
Change of Search Mode to Online Search
When you change the search mode from Background Search Report to Online Search the search results are discarded for the time being, and you can
change the search area and criteria.

Note
If you have already started the background search report, the function Cont. Search continues to be active. You can use this function to find the next hit
online. However, the files are searched and not the result of the background search.
Change of Search Mode to
Background Search Report For a manual change from Online Search to Background Search Report you must have at least one search request with
results. Only in this case can you switch to Background Search Report .
If a previously completed search request has already been downloaded, the system uses this. Otherwise the system selects the completed search request
that is uppermost in the list.
List of Search Requests
The list of search requests contains the possible search requests and informs you which of these requests has already been processed by search program
ASAFBSEARCH.
List of Functions for Search Requests
Function

Description

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Save for Background Search

For more information, see Searching for Table Contents in the Background.

Load Search Results

For more information, see Searching for Table Contents in the Background.

Refresh

To download the search requests again. The selection representing the processing
status is updated.

Delete Entry

To delete search requests You can delete completed requests and requests not yet
processed.

1.7.5.5 Searching Efficiently for Table Entries

Context
You can use the Archive File Browser to always include all files that exist in the system in the search area, define the search criteria and then choose Start
Search . Using this procedure it can be a long time before you get a result. As a rule, the maximum runtime of a dialog step is limited, meaning that in many
cases you may not actually get a result.
The following options are available depending on the situation:
Use the Archive Information System
User entries prior to archiving
Restrict search area
Search in the background

Procedure
Use the Archive Information System
In many systems in which archiving takes place, the Archive Information System is also active. Any info structures that have been created should also be used
here. In this situation, the Archive Information System essentially offers more efficient access to archived data than the Archive File Browser. The prerequisite for
this is that the appropriate archive information structures are available and have been constructed.
User Entries Prior to Archiving
In archive administration (transaction SARA) you can see which selection criteria were used at the start of an archive session. To see how the archiving was started,
choose the context menu (right mouse button) for the user entries made for an archiving session. You can often use this information to identify which table entries
could be contained in the files for the session. You should then only search through files that could also contain the data.
Restrict Search Area
You do not have to make the system search through all of the available archive files. You can for example only select archive files for sessions that match the user
entries. If a time restriction is possible, you should set an appropriate filter in the overview of the archive files before including the archive files in the search area.
Search in the Background
Perform the search in the background, particularly if you are interested in more than the first hit.

Example
For more information, see Examples of Efficient Working with the AFB.

1.7.6 Using Archive File Browser Efficiently

Use
The following examples and explanations should assist you in using the Archive File Browser efficiently.
You want to find a data object in an archive file.
More information: Finding Data Object in Archive File (Example)
You want to find a data object with a specific offset in an archive file.
More information: Finding Data Object with Offset in Archive File (Example)
During the search you want to skip several data objects or an archive file.
More information: Skipping Data Objects or an Archive File (Example)
You want to speed up the start of the Archive File Browser.
More information: Accelerate Start of Archive File Browser
You want to analyze corrupted files.
More information: Analyze Corrupted Files
You want to view the header data of the archive file.
More information: Displaying Header Data of the Archive File

1.7.6.1 Finding Data Object in Archive File (Example)

Use
You want to find data object 17 in archive file 003755-001BC_SFLIGHT as quickly as possible.

Procedure
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1. Choose Find above the archive files overview.

2. In the following dialog box, enter the file key 003755-001BC_SFLIGHT. If the system does not find the file, check the filter settings in the archive files
overview.
3. Double-click the file key 003755-001BC_SFLIGHT.
4. Enter the number of the data object, in this case 17, in the Data Object field and choose data release.

Result
The system reads archive file 003755-001BC_SFLIGHT up to the 17th data object, and displays this in the Data Object view. From there you can then
navigate to other views or to other data objects.

1.7.6.2 Finding Data Object with Offset in Archive File (Example)

Use
This example shows you the fastest way to find the data object with offset 301451 in Archive File 003755-001BC_SFLIGHT in the Archive File Browser.

Procedure
1. In the archive file overview, choose Find .
2. In the dialog box, enter the file key 003755-001BC_SFLIGHT.
If the system does not find the file, check the filter settings in the archive files overview.
3. Double-click file key 003755-001BC_SFLIGHT.
4. In the Offset field, enter 301451 and confirm your entry.

Result
The system displays the data object with this offset, or you receive an error message if no data object begins with this offset.

1.7.6.3 Skipping Data Objects or an Archive File (Example)

Use
You establish that during the search, meaning you have chosen Start Search or Continue Search , that although hits may occur in the next 10 data objects
or within the current file, they are of no interest to you, so you want use the normal navigation to skip them.

Procedure
Area that you want to skip

Procedure

10 data objects

Add 10 to the current data object number and enter the result in the Data Object
field.

An archive file

Choose Next File

You can also choose the next file in the overview by double-clicking, or if you are in the online search, delete the current file from the search area.

Note
Make sure that the current data object is not included in the search with the Continue Search . If the current data object has not been selected through the
search, you have to check yourself whether it meets your selection criteria, or you must go back one data object before you choose Continue Search .

1.7.6.4 Accelerate Start of Archive File Browser

Context
When you start the Archive File Browser, loading the archive file overview in particular can be very time-consuming. We therefore recommend creating a filter
for the overview and defining this as a default setting.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.

Having started the AFB, select the filter function over the archive files overview. Choose fields that significantly restrict the search, such as the number of the
archiving session or the creation date.
Choose Save Layout... in the drop-down menu for editing the layout of the archive files overview. Check that Filter Conditions is selected.
Enter a name and a description for the layout. Save the layout.
Choose Manage Layout... and select your layout as a default setting.

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Results
When you next start the Archive File Browser,only those archive files that match the filter will be included in the overview.

Note
While you are working with the AFB, you can change the filter criteria at any time if you want to work with other archive files.

1.7.6.5 Analyze Corrupted Files

Use
In the Archive File Browser, you can use the Hex display to analyze corrupted archive files.

Procedure
In the archive file overview, select the corrupted file by double clicking it. The AFB attempts to read the first data object from the file and display this in the
Data Object view.
This is either successful or the system displays the corresponding error messages in the log according to the type of error involved. You can toggle to the
Hex display and analyze the file in all cases. To analyze the file, you require a good understanding of the structure of archive files.

Note
You cannot make corrections to the archive file using the Archive File Browser.

1.7.6.6 Displaying Header Data of the Archive File

Use
You want to display the header data of an archive file in the Archive File Browser.

Procedure
Switch to the hex display. In the archive file overview, select the the required archive file.

Result
The system displays the header data of the archive file on the right-hand side of the screen.

1.8 Table Analysis

Use
You use the table analysis to distribute the table entries to the selected fields. A table analysis counts the table entries and assigns the number of entries
found to the selected field values (for example, organizational units or periods) You use Analysis Variants to determine the fields for the table analysis.

Integration
The analysis of the contents of a table is often necessary in the data archiving environment.

Features
You can use the table analysis to analyze the distribution of table entries to the selected fields. For more information, see Performing Table Analysis.
To perform a table analysis, you always need an analysis variant. For more information, see Analysis Variant.
You can supplement a table you would like to include in an analysis with virtual fields. For more information, see Virtual Fields.
You have multiple options for monitoring the space table analyses use on the database. For more information, see Reorganizing Table Analysis.
In addition you can display or delete analysis variants, and display analyses performed in the background.
Activities
Transactions used within table analysis
Function

Transaction Code

Table Analysis

TAANA

Analysis Variant

TAANA_AV

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Virtual Fields

TAANA_VF

Example
Table BKPF contains document headers for financial accounting. Each document is assigned to a company code. By using table analysis you can identify
how many entries relate to a particular company code.

1.8.1 Performing Table Analysis

Procedure
Analyzing Individual Tables
1. Using transaction TAANA you can access the screen Table Analysis: Administration .
2. Choose
Table Analysis
Execute . A dialog box appears.
3. Enter the table name. Depending on this table, the system offers the analysis variants available for selection in the input help for the Analysis Variant
field.
4. Select at least one analysis variant, or else create one.

Note
The system offers analysis variant DEFAULT for every table. This variant contains no fields. Therefore it determines the total number of entries in
the client in which it is performed.
If an adequate analysis variant does not exist, the following options are available for creating analysis variants:
To create an ad hoc analysis variant specifically for a current table analyses, use Ad Hoc Variant . This variant is not saved on the database, and
is available only for the table analysis that you are currently scheduling. For more information, see Creating an Ad Hoc Analysis Variant.
Use the transaction TAANA_AV to create an analysis variant. It is saved to the database and you can use it multiple times. For more information,
see Creating Analysis Variant.
5. Select the desired type of process control and choose Continue .

Recommendation
To improve performance, we suggest analyzing large tables in the background, not online.
6. Specify a start time for background processing. Save your entries. When you perform the analysis online, it is started immediately.
The table and analysis variant you selected for analysis are displayed on the left side of the screen.

Note
While the table analysis is being performed, you can Refresh the current data.
7. Double-click the table analysis on the left side of the screen to display it.
The table analyses on the left side of the screen are sorted by table name, name, analysis variant, and time of analysis.
Analyzing Multiple Table in One Step
If you want to analyze multiple tables in one step, proceed as follows:
1. Use transaction SA38 to start program TAAN_PROCESS_MULTIPLE. This takes you to a selection screen.

Recommendation
To improve performance, we suggest analyzing large tables in the background, not online (transaction SA38,
Background ).

Program

Execute in

2. Enter the table you want to analyze.

3. Enter the relevant analysis variant and start the program.
Use transaction TAANA to view the results of the table analysis (see above).

Result
The various field values with the number of related table entries in the evaluation are displayed in accordance with the analysis variant you selected. The list is
sorted in descending order by number of table entries.

1.8.2 Reorganizing Table Analysis

Procedure
You have several options for monitoring and regulating the space table analyses use on the database.
Reorganizing Table Analyses
Reorganization Options

Description

Retain most recent table analysis for each table and analysis variant

The system only retains the latest analysis with the status Completed for each
table and analysis variant and deletes all other table analyses.
Exception:
Analyses with the status Scheduled as Background Job and In Process are
retained.

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Delete table analyses that were performed before a certain date.

All of the analyses performed before a specified date are deleted. The reference
date is the start date of the analysis.

Refresh table analyses that were performed before a certain date.

All of the analyses performed before a specified date are deleted. A new analysis
for the relevant table is performed using the same analysis variant.

We recommend reorganizing table analyses regularly (choose

Utilities
Reorganize Analyses...
database tables (TAAN*), and may use up a considerable amount of space .

), since the results of all table analyses are saved in the

Analysis variants have been provided to enable you to determine the space used by the analyses. The usage of space is specified as the number of table
rows in table TAAN_DATA. You can find most of the information about analyses you have performed in this table.
Analysis variants for determining space usage
Analysis Variant

Meaning

TAANA_ANALYSE_BY_OBJECT

Space usage for each table and analysis variant

TAANA_ANALYSE_BY_DATE

Space usage for each month and year in which you have performed analyses

1.8.3 Analysis Variant

Use
To perform a table analysis, you always need an analysis variant. This relates to only one table and describes which fields are to be analyzed.
Depending on the usage type there are two kinds of analysis variant available:
To create an analysis variant for future table analyses, use transaction TAANA_AV. The definition of this variant is saved on the database, and can be
used for future table analyses.
To create an ad hoc analysis variant for currently scheduled table analyses, use transaction TAANA. The definition of this variant is not saved on the
database, and as a result is only available for the table analysis that you are currently scheduling.

Features
Creating an analysis variant
For information on analysis variants that you can also use for future table analyses, see Creating an Analysis Variant.
For information on analysis variants that you can only use for currently scheduled table analyses, see Creating an Ad hoc Analysis Variant.
Displaying an Analysis Variant
In transaction TAANA_AV, you can find on the left hand side of the screen a list of all the analysis variants created, sorted by table names. To display
an analysis variant, double-click on it. The analysis variant is then displayed on the right side of the screen.
Deleting an Analysis Variant
To delete an analysis variant, display the variant you want to delete on the right side of the screen. Choose
Edit
Delete .

1.8.3.1 Creating Analysis Variants

Context
To perform a table analysis, you always need an analysis variant. This relates to only one table and describes which fields are to be analyzed.
The system saves the analysis variant to the database; it can then be used for future table analyses.

Procedure
1.

2.
3.
4.

Choose

With the transaction:

TAANA_AV or alternatively
Starting from the table analysis (transaction TAANA), choose
Environment
Analysis Variant
to go to the change mode for analysis variants for the table analysis.
Edit
New Entries
and enter the name of the table for which you want to create an analysis variant.
Enter the name of the analysis variant that is in your namespace.
Choose Fields . The system offers you all table fields for selection.

Note
The system first displays the fields contained in the ABAP Dictionary (DDIC). Then it displays the virtual fields defined in the table analysis.

Note
An analysis variant should contain as few field as possible (three to four fields). You should only choose fields with a low selectivity, meaning with few
characteristic values. Fields having high selectivity, for example document numbers, mean that the results list for a table analysis is unduly long, which both
reduces its usefulness and also takes up too much space in the database.
5.
6.

Select the relevant fields or create virtual fields if necessary. For more information, see Virtual Fields.
Save the analysis variant.

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Results
The new analysis variant is displayed on the left-hand side of the screen.

1.8.3.2 Creating an Ad Hoc Analysis Variant

Context
An ad hoc analysis variant is only available for the currently scheduled table analyses. The definition of this variant is not saved on the database, and as a
result is only available for the table analysis that you are currently scheduling.

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Using transaction TAANA you can access the screen Table Analysis: Administration .
Choose
Table Analysis
Execute . A dialog box appears.
Enter the table name.
Choose the input help for the Analysis Variant .
In the dialog box, under Analysis Variants: Selection , choose the Ad Hoc Variant pushbutton.
Select the fields for the analysis variant, and choose Continue .
Transfer the analysis variant.

Note
You do not need a transport request for the ad hoc variant.

1.8.3.3 Virtual Fields

Use
Virtual fields enable you to perform the following analyses within table analysis:
Analyze one part of a table field

Example
The table contains a date field, and you would like to examine the distribution of the data across the year.
Analysis with a field that is not contained in the table to be analyzed but whose value can be determined from either the available table fields or, if
necessary, from other tables.

Example
The table does not contain a field naming the archiving object that can be used for archiving a data record.
Within table analysis you can create as many virtual fields as you require for each table. Such fields are treated in the same way as all other table fields.
Virtual fields are not shown with separate IDs in transactions TAANA and TAANA_AV.
All of the virtual fields you have already created for the relevant table are available for analysis variants or ad hoc variants.
For more information, see Analysis Variant and Performing Table Analysis.

Features
Create virtual field
For more information, see Creating Virtual Fields.
Displaying Virtual Field: All virtual fields you have created are listed in the left screen area, sorted according to table name. To display a field in the right
screen area, double-click on it.
Deleting a Virtual Field: Proceed as detailed under "Displaying a virtual field" and choose
Edit
Delete .

1.8.3.3.1 Creating Virtual Fields

Procedure
1.

The following alternative access options are available:

Enter the transaction TAANA_VF.
Enter transaction TAANA and choose
Environment
Virtual Fields .
Enter transaction TAANA_AV and choose
Environment
Virtual Fields .

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2.
3.
4.
5.

Choose

Edit

New Entries
and enter the name of the table for which you want to create virtual fields.
Enter a name for the new field. Make sure it is within your namespace.
Enter the data for the value determination, and technical attributes of the field.
Save your entries.

Data Archiving in SAP NetWeaver AS

The following table shows the archiving objects provided:
Objects in SAP NetWeaver Application Server

Archiving Object

User changes

US_USER

Authorization changes

US_AUTH

Profile changes

US_PROF

Work items

WORKITEM

IDocs

IDOC

Table changes

BC_DBLOGS

Link Entries ArchiveLink

ARCHIVELNK

Archive administration data

BC_ARCHIVE

Change documents

CHANGEDOCU

SAP product

PRODUCT_MD

1.9.1 Archiving User and Authorization Changes (BC-ADM-SEC)

Archiving User and Authorization Changes (BC-ADM-SEC)
You can archive change documents of the following types that are generated in the course of user and authorization maintenance:
Users: Changes in assigned authorizations and other characteristics; changes in passwords
In transaction SU01 (user maintenance), choose the menu entry Environment Archive and Read.
Profile: All changes
In transaction SU02 (profile maintenance), choose the menu entry Environment Archive and Read.
Authorizations: All changes
In transaction SU03 (authorization maintenance), choose the menu entry Environment Archive and Read.

1.9.1.1

Archiving User Change Records (BC-ADM-SEC)

You can archive change records for the following changes to user master records:
Authorization changes and changes to other user characteristics
Changes to user passwords

Object Definition
The archiving object US_USER is used to archive password change records from table USH04. The object US_PASS archives records of changes to user
master records other than password changes. In this way, for example, changes in the authorizations in a user master record are recorded. These recordings
are stored in the USH02 table.

Technical Information
Unless you are archiving a large number of change records, an archiving run should have no significant effect on the performance of your system. The user
change records require the following memory space (uncompressed):
US_PASS password change records: 300 bytes
US_USER user change records: 100 bytes

Dependencies
When you archive user change records, it does not have any effect on other archivable data. There are no particular dependencies or relationships between
user change records and other archivable data.
You can use the archiving objects US_PASS and US_USER within the framework of Information Lifecycle Management. To be able to do this, you must
activate the related business functions. The system then shows the ILM Actions group box. Using these actions, you can, for example, run archiving during
which the system evaluates the retention periods entered in Information Retention Manager. You can also create snapshots (copies) of data, and you can
delete data that does not meet your criteria.

Space Criteria and Storage Duration

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We recommend a storage duration of 10 years for all user and authorization change records.
Change records are archived according to the date that you specify. All records older than the date specified are archived. Old archives are not automatically
deleted.

Log
The log files generated by archiving and deleting records are stored in the SAP spool system. The archiving log records the number of change records
archived. The delete log lists the change records that were deleted after the archiving session.

Creating an Archive File

Choose Tools Administration User Maintenance.Then choose Users,followed byEnvironment Archive and Read, and then the required archiving
function.
The archiving function calls the standard archiving interface, where the correct archiving object is already specified.
You need only specify (or create) an appropriate report variant, specify the start time and printing specifications for the background processing of the report,
and schedule the report with Create job.
See also the documentation on the archiving procedure in general. You will find this documentation in the first section of this document.

Executing the Deletion Program

You must explicitly delete archived records after an archiving session has been successfully completed. Be sure to check the archiving log to be sure that the
archiving session has been completed successfully. Also, be sure that you specify the same date for the deletion program. Otherwise, too many or too few
change records will be deleted.

1.9.1.2

Archiving Authorization Change Records (BC-ADM-SEC)

You can archive change records for all changes to authorizations.

Object Definition
The archiving object US_AUTH is used to archive change records for changes to authorizations from table USH12.

Technical Information
Unless you are archiving a large number of change records, an archiving run should have no significant effect on the performance of your system. An
authorization change record requires about 100 bytes (uncompressed).

Dependencies
Archiving authorization change records does not have any effect on other archivable data. There are no particular dependencies or relationships between
authorization change records and other archivable data.
You can use the archiving object US_AUTH within the framework of Information Lifecycle Management. To be able to do this, you must activate the related
business functions. The system then shows the ILM Actions group box. Using these actions, you can, for example, run archiving during which the system
evaluates the retention periods entered in Information Retention Manager. You can also create snapshots (copies) of data, and you can delete data that does
not meet your criteria.

Space Criteria and Storage Duration

We recommend a storage duration of 10 years for all user and authorization change records.
Change records are archived according to the date that you specify. All records older than the date specified are archived. Old archives are not automatically
deleted.

Log
The log files generated by archiving and deleting records are stored in the SAP spool system. The archiving log records the number of change records
archived. The delete log lists the change records that were deleted after the archiving session.

Creating an Archive File

Choose Tools Administration User Maintenance.Then choose Manual Maintenance Edit Authorizations Manually (transaction SU03), followed by
Utilities Archive and Read, and choose the archiving function.
The archiving function calls the standard archiving interface, where the correct archiving object is already specified.
You need only specify (or create) an appropriate report variant, specify the start time and printing specifications for the background processing of the report,
and schedule the report with Create job.

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See also the documentation on the archiving procedure in general. You will find this documentation in the first section of this document.

Executing the Deletion Program

You must explicitly delete archived records after an archiving session has been successfully completed. Be sure to check the archiving log to be sure that the
archiving session has been completed successfully. Also, be sure that you specify the same date for the deletion program. Otherwise, too many or too few
change records will be deleted.

1.9.1.3

Archiving Profile Change Records (BC-ADM-SEC)

You can archive change records for all changes to profiles.

Object Definition
The archiving object US_PROF is used to archive change records for changes to authorization profiles from table USH10.

Technical Information
Unless you are archiving a large number of change records, an archiving run should have no significant effect on the performance of your system. A profile
change record requires between 0.5 and 1 KB (uncompressed).

Dependencies
Archiving profile change records does not have any effect on other archivable data. There are no particular dependencies or relationships between profile
change records and other archivable data.
You can use the archiving object US_PROF within the framework of Information Lifecycle Management. To be able to do this, you must activate the related
business functions. The system then shows the ILM Actions group box. Using these actions, you can, for example, run archiving during which the system
evaluates the retention periods entered in Information Retention Manager. You can also create snapshots (copies) of data, and you can delete data that does
not meet your criteria.

Space Criteria and Storage Duration

We recommend a storage duration of 10 years for all user and authorization change records.
Change records are archived according to the date that you specify. All records older than the date specified are archived. Old archives are not automatically
deleted.

Log
The log files generated by archiving and deleting records are stored in the SAP spool system. The archiving log records the number of change records
archived. The delete log lists the change records that were deleted after the archiving session.

Creating an Archive File

Choose Tools Administration User Maintenance.Then choose Manual Maintenance Edit Authorizations Manually(transaction code SU03), followed
by Utilities Archive and Read, and choose the archiving function.
The archiving function calls the standard archiving interface, where the correct archiving object is already specified.
You need only specify (or create) an appropriate report variant, specify the start time and printing specifications for the background processing of the report,
and schedule the report with Create job.
See also the documentation on the archiving procedure in general. You will find this documentation in the first section of this document.

Executing the Deletion Program

You must explicitly delete archived records after an archiving session has been successfully completed. Be sure to check the archiving log to be sure that the
archiving session has been completed successfully. Also, be sure that you specify the same date for the deletion program. Otherwise, too many or too few
change records will be deleted.

1.9.2

Archiving Work Items (BC-BMT-WFM)

Definition
Archiving object WORKITEM for archiving and deleting work items .

Use
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Use
Archiving Work Items
The system archives all data (not including runtime data) that belongs to a work item. You can display archived work items, but you cannot reload them into a
system.
You can only archive completed workflow work items. This involves archiving all work items that are dependent on this workflow work item as well. A work
item that depends on superordinate work items cannot be archived on its own.
You archive log data, workflow manager data, dependent work items and work item attachments (for example, graphics files).
The other objects in the container of a work item are archived only as references. They are not deleted.
Criteria for Archiving
You can only archive those work items that have one of the following statuses:
Completed
The execution of the work item is completed.
Logically deleted (CANCELLED)
Execution of the work item is no longer useful or required for the workflow logic.

Structure
Archiving Work Items
Choose Tools Business Workflow or Development Workflow and then Administration Workflow Runtime Reorganization Archive Work Item. For
more information on archiving, see The Archiving Procedure .
To define the required variants, use the following selection criteria. This determines which work items to archive:
Work item ID (work item number)
Task ID
Actual agent of the work item
Creation date of the work item
Completion date of the work item
Deleting Archived Work Items
Choose Tools Business Workflow or Development Workflow and then Administration Workflow Runtime Reorganization Archive Work Item. For
more information on archiving, see The Archiving Procedure .
You can set the delete program that is started after archiving to run in test mode. To determine whether the delete program is run at all, make settings in
general Customizing .
To directly Delete Work Items that have not been archived, choose Tools Business Workflow or Development Workflow and then Administration
Workflow Runtime Reorganization Delete Work Item. For performance reasons, use the report RSWWCIDE for container anchors (Type C work items).

Note
If you want to delete work items that meet the archiving criteria but that you do not want to archive, you should nevertheless archive them, as it is better
performance-wise to use the delete program of the archiving object WORKITEM than to delete the work items directly. Carry out the archiving procedure
and then delete the archive file containing the archived work items manually in the file system.
Displaying Archived Work Items
Choose Tools Business Workflow or Development Workflow and then Administration Workflow Runtime Reorganization Archive Work Item. For
more information on archiving, see The Archiving Procedure .
If you choose Evaluate, the report RSWWARCR is used to read and display the archived work items.

Note
This report is only intended to be a template for your own customer-specific report, since the data selection from the archive and the subsequent data
formatting is generally customer-specific. The customer-specific adaptations are made after the function module SWW_WI_LIST_ARCHIVED_READ is
called.
Displaying Archived Work Items for an Object
The display of an archived work item is useful, for example, if you want to use the archive to determine the workflow followed to release a specific document.
To display archived work items specific to an object, use the Archive Information System . The system automatically determines the archive that contains
the archived data. Otherwise you need to know the archive.
To use the archive information system, activate the archive information structure SAP_O_2_WI_001. For more information, see Using the Archive Information
System .
To display archived work items for an object, choose Tools Business Workflow or Development Workflow and then Administration Workflow Runtime
Reorganization Display Workflows from Archive. You can determine the archived workflows for a given object.
The display is in the form of a restricted workflow log, without detailed data.
Note on the archive information structure
SAP recommends that you use archive information structure SAP_O_2_WI_001, which is necessary if you are using ABAP classes or XML objects. If you are
using only BOR objects, and are already using archive information structure SAP_BO_2_WI_001, you can continue to use it, but SAP recommends that you
switch to the extended archive information structure SAP_O_2_WI_001.
To make the switch, follow these steps:
1. In transaction SARI activate archive information structure SAP_O_2_WI_001.
As a result both archive information structures are available at the same time.
2. Fill the new structure for the available archive files in the Status Management of transaction SARI.
3. In transaction SARI deactivate the archive information structure SAP_BO_2_WI_001.

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4. In Customizing of transaction SARI delete the archive information structure SAP_BO_2_WI_001.

Integration
Specify technical values for the archiving session, such as name, path and maximum archive file size, as well as the settings for the delete program, in
Customizing .

1.9.3 Archiving IDocs

Use
IDocs are stored in several database tables. To keep these tables (and the access times) small (to reduce the database load) without losing any IDocs, you
can archive the IDocs at the operating system level. These archives can then be moved to external storage media, such as disks (using ArchiveLink) or
magnetic tape.

Prerequisites
In Customizing, you specify where the archive files are located physically (that is, which storage media are used). For more information, see Cross-Application
Components (CA) -> Archiving Application Data -> Introduction to Data Archiving -> Customizing.

Activities
Displaying or changing the archivable status
When can I archive IDocs?
Archiving functions for IDocs
How are IDocs written to and read from archive files?

Caution
Make sure that you do not archive IDocs that may still be needed by the application.
Deleting Links with IDocs
When do I delete IDoc links (for example, with application documents?
Archiving: Technical Realization
How does archiving work from a technical perspective?

More Information
Archiving Application Data
General archiving information

1.9.3.1 Displaying or Changing the Archivable Status

Context
Certain IDoc statuses are classified as archivable in the standard system, whilst others are not. You can display or change this classification.

Note
The current status of an IDoc must be archivable before the IDoc can be archived.

Procedure
1. Choose the ALE Customizing transaction

2. To change entries, choose

SALE

Set Up System Monitoring

IDoc Status Display

Edit IDoc Status Values (WE47)

3. Select the required status. By double-clicking you can call a detail screen, in which you can display or change the archivability.

4. By using

or

you can display or change all statuses one after another.

1.9.3.2 Archiving Functions for IDocs

Use
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Data is usually archived via the central transaction SARA. In the case of IDocs, the corresponding tables are addressed via the archiving object IDOC.

Integration
Various processing methods are assigned to the IDOC archiving class : In the standard system, therefore, IDocs can be:
Archived
Deleted from the database
Reloaded from an archive : On the initial screen, choose

Goto

Reload

Example
All of the IDocs generated by sales orders (message type ORDERS, IDoc inbound processing) in the month of January are to be archived and
subsequently deleted from the database tables. To do this, choose the "Archive" processing method in the standard system and enter a time period
and message type as report variants.
In addition, you can display the following:
Archive
Several IDocs are usually archived in one archive or archiving session, that is, the IDocs are grouped together in one session. An archiving session is
complete when the IDocs have been deleted from the database tables and exist only as archive files.
The IDoc numbers of one or several archives or archive files
The IDocs (that is, control record, data- and status records) of one or several archives
IDocs from archives, that contain certain character strings (IDoc search)
This function is not a method of the IDOC archiving object, but rather an IDoc interface monitoring tool and hence only available from the initial node.

Activities
You can also access the central transaction SARA by choosing
Tools
Administration
Administration
archiving object IDOC. When you select 'enter' the methods entered above are displayed for selection.

Data Archiving

. Here you enter the

In object-specific Customizing , you can define the maximum size of the archive files and that the table entries are to be be deleted from the database
immediately after the archive files have been generated. With large datasets this can improve the performance.
In the standard system, the IDocs are selected for archiving according to certain criteria, for example the time at which the IDocs were last changed (new
status record). You can also define your own selection criteria. For more information, see subsection Archiving:Technical Implementation

1.9.3.2.1 Archiving and Deleting IDocs

Prerequisites
The IDocs to be archived have an archivable status.

Procedure
1. Go to the central archiving transaction with
SAP Menu
Administration
System Administration
Administration
Data Archiving (transaction
code SARA) . If necessary, check the object-specific Customizing:
Here, for example, you can set the indicator "detailed statement" in the variant to the deletion program: If required, this can be entered in the archiving
log of each individual IDoc which is archived. However, this can lead to very large logs which do not necessarily contain useful information.
2. Enter the archiving object IDOC and choose the required action, here

A warning will be displayed if some of the archiving sessions for the archiving object IDoc are still incomplete. You can ignore the warning but you then
run the risk of possibly archiving some IDocs twice.
3. Define the
start date of the archiving session and the
spool parameters (print output).
The traffic lights should now be green, indicating that these parameters have been maintained. Please note that you can set the archiving mode for the
print output to Store Only and therefore avoid printing every individual archiving log. Enter the object type IDOC as the attachment parameter and use
the F4 Help to select a suitable document type for the object type. Also enter a free text as additional information for the archiving report.
4. Choose
to create a report variant. As selection parameters, enter the message type and a time period within which the IDocs received their last,
current status.

Note
You can specify whether you want to perform this variant as a Test run or Production run , in the Process Flow segment on the selection
parameter screen. If you choose Test, you get statistics of the processed IDocs. For a detailed log, select Detailed Log .
Choose

and save your variant.

5. Return to the archiving screen and choose

.
If you selected immediately as the start date in step 3, the message New archiving job was generated is displayed in the message bar at the bottom of
the screen.
6. You can check whether your archiving session is complete by selecting Job overview . If you choose Administration , an overview of the completed
and incomplete archiving runs is then displayed. If IDocs which match your selection parameters were found in the database tables, your archiving
session is displayed as a folder full of archive files.
7. If not defined differently in object-specific Customizing, your IDocs are still located in the database after archiving, that is, your archiving session is
incomplete. To delete the IDocs, you must schedule a deletion job with the appropriate variant. Choose the archive file from which the IDocs are to be
deleted from the database.

1.9.3.2.2 Listing IDoc Numbers in Archive

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Procedure
1.
2.
3.

Choose Evaluate in the initial screen of the central archiving transaction.

Choose Execute .
The system displays the complete archiving sessions.
Select one or several sessions or files contained within and confirm your selection.
A list of IDocs from the archive files selected is displayed. As well as the IDoc number, the "logical" message, for example, is output (output fields of report
RSXARCR).

1.9.3.2.3 IDoc Search

Use
Users should be able to find IDocs not only by means of the address information or control information in the control record but also according to the business
data they contain. Questions like the following example should also be able to be answered: "Which IDocs contain purchase orders for my material XY?"
The IDoc search function can be used to answer such questions. You can search for IDocs both in the database and in archive files.

Features
The function searches for character strings, that is, you must enter the value of a segment field as it appears in the field itself (avoiding full stops and commas
whenever possible).
You can enter a maximum of two values in two segment fields as selection criteria. If two values are entered, both must be present in the IDoc in the
corresponding segment fields for the IDoc to be included in the list of results (normal AND link in selection fields).
You can also choose to only give the value instead of the segment field. This means that all data records (more precisely: the field SDATA in the data
records) are searched for in a non-structured manner in the character string, that is to say, the character string which is found may span several segment
fields.

If you select Quick Search mode, the search can be limited to a maximum of one hit in each IDoc, that is, the system terminates the search in the current
IDoc after one hit.
The search can and should also be restricted by entering additional search criteria which require values from the control record (in the same way as the other
monitoring programs): creation time, partner and message, direction, and so on.

Activities
1. Choose transaction WE09 (
SAP Menu
Tools
IDoc Interface/ALE
Administration
Services
IDoc Search by Contents
2. Choose the Data Source button to specify whether you want to search for IDocs from the database or the archive (or both) .
3. If you have set the Archive flag, you can select files using the archive information system or manually.

WE09

).

Note
To be able to search in the archive information system, you must have
Deleted the IDocs from the database (complete archiving session)
Created an archive info structure in the central transaction SARA
4. Specify all available selection parameters, to restrict the IDoc search as far as possible.

1.9.3.3 Archiving: Technical Implementation

Use
The IDoc archiving tools were developed with the Archive Development Kit ( ADK ), which supports object-oriented programming methods. This has led to the
use of archiving object IDOC, which contains the necessary database tables and the archiving class IDOC, which has the function modules required for
processing.
The archiving object IDOC is accessed "from outside using reports which (indirectly) call the ADK function modules. The selection parameters for these
reports are configured in the variant maintenance function for the central archiving transaction. The ADK function modules, in turn, use the function modules
from archiving class IDOC to access the database tables. The figure below illustrates this object-oriented structure.

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All the function modules in the archiving class IDOC belong to the function group EDIA. This function group also includes the function modules which the
archiving programs use to call the ADK functions.

Caution
In computer literature, data and the corresponding functions are sometimes combined in classes (for example, in C++). As you can see, the term "class",
as used here, refers to the "archiving object" which contains the data (the lines in the database table), as well as the "archiving class" IDOC, which
contains the corresponding functions.
The reports supplied with the standard system can be used as sample reports to write your own reports with selection parameters which meet your
requirements. For more information about standard reports, see Archiving: Descriptions of Standard Reports .

1.9.3.3.1 Authorizations for IDoc Archiving

Use
Note
You need only the general archiving authorization.

1.9.3.3.2 Archiving: Descriptions of Standard Reports

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Use
The following section contains information about the initial reports and the function module which they call from the function group EDIA. This function module,
in turn, calls the ADK standard class function modules. The reports are addressed by the central archiving transaction SARA.
In order to address programs through the central archiving transaction SARA, you must replace the standard reports with the programs in transaction AOBJ.
Name

Description

RSEXARCA

Writes IDocs to the archive.

Calls EDI_ARCHIVE_IDOCS.
Uses the subroutine INITIALIZE_STATUS_QUALITY

Selection Parameters
Time at which the control record was last
changed
Time of IDoc creation
Current status
Logical message
Direction

(function group EDIA) to check whether the IDocs can

be archived.

IDoc number
Partner
RSEXARCD

Deletes archived IDocs from the database.

Calls EDI_DELETE_ARCHIVED_IDOCS.

Archive files from incomplete archiving sessions

RSEXARCR

Reads IDocs from an archive.

Calls EDI_READ_IDOC _ARCHIVE. Displays the
following control record fields for each IDoc:

Archive files from complete archiving sessions

Logical message
Status
Date and time at which the control record for the
IDoc was last changed
Direction
IDoc number
RSEXARCL

Retrieves IDocs from the archive into the database.

Calls EDI_RELOAD_IDOC _ARCHIVE. Checks for
client or IDoc number conflicts via
IS_RELOADING_POSSIBLE (subroutine for function
group EDIA). Writes the new status "35" for outbound
IDocs, "71" for inbound IDocs ("reloaded"). "Detailed

Archive files from complete archiving sessions

statement" indicator as for RSEXARCA.

RSEXARCI

Creates index in table EDIDOCINDX. Calls ADK

function module directly.

None: Reads the archive files of the IDOC object class.

RSEXARCJ

Removes index in table EDIDOCINDX. Calls ADK

function module directly.

Date up to which the indexes should be deleted.

Number of records after which a database COMMIT
should be transmitted.

1.9.3.3.3 Database Tables

Use
Definition
The IDOC archiving object for archiving IDocs consists of the following IDoc database tables:
Table

Description

EDIDC

Contains the IDoc control record

EDID4

Contains the IDoc data records

EDIDS

Contains the IDoc data records

1.9.3.4 Deleting Links with IDocs

Context
As the IDoc number increases, not only the data records table gets bigger. The tables which contain links with application documents, for example, also get
bigger and from time to time should be emptied of obsolete entries.

Note
IDocs links are always archived with them.

Procedure

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1.
2.

Start the program RSRLDREL.

Enter a suitable end date .
The end date is suitable if all links that were generated before are no longer needed. For example, if you have already archived and deleted all IDocs before this date
and the application documents are also archived, you no longer need the corresponding links (exception: Application documents and IDocs are to be retrieved from
the archive into the SAP System).
3.
Select Selection by link type and enter a link type. Also refer to the table below.
Alternatively, you can do the selection by object/role. If, for example, you want to delete all links with standard orders, then you should make your selections
according to object type BUS2032 (standard order) in the function APPLOBJ.
If you want to delete the following links...

Then select the link type...

Application document with outbound IDoc

IDC0

Inbound IDoc with application document

IDC1

Outbound IDoc with application document in the target system

IDC9

Inbound IDoc with application document from the upstream system

IDCB

Inbound IDoc with communication IDocs in distributed systems

IDC2

Copy of an IDoc with its original

IDC3 (inbound), IDC7 (outbound)

Inbound IDoc with outbound IDoc from the upstream system

IDC4

IDoc with TID ( port type tRFC, ALE audit). Does not work with deletion criterion. Both
objects not available.

IDC8 (inbound), IDCA (outbound)

Outbound IDoc with reference IDoc (type IDCREF01)

IDRF

You want to delete links last. Choose Both objects not available . If now, for example, only the application document is available, you can actually display the
numbers of the linked IDocs from the document, but no longer the IDocs themselves.

Note
This option does not work for links with TIDs (for ALE audit) although they appear to be there.
You want to delete the links if at least one of the two objects is no longer there (option One object not available ). Then, for example, you can no longer
display the numbers of IDocs that have already been deleted from an application document.
You generally want to delete all links that meet the other selection criteria. Select Without existence check .
You can perform a test run . Then the system only notifies you of the number of links that meet the selection criteria, but does not delete them.

1.9.4

Archiving Table Change Logs (BC-DWB-CUS)

Definition
The archiving object BC_DBLOGS is used for archiving Customizing table change logs. The SAP system logs Customizing table changes if:
1. The Log Data Changes checkbox has been selected in the technical settings for the table.
2. Logging is active.

Note
Logging can be activated and deactivated for a particular client using the profile parameter rec/client.
Use
We recommend that you archive the change logs periodically, for example, quarterly or annually.
Structure
The logs are saved in the table DBTABLOG. The archiving object archives this table only.
The following functions are available for BC_DBLOGS:
Function/Program Assignment
Function

Program

Write

BC_DBLOGS_WRI

Delete

RSLDARCH02

Read

RSLDARCH03 (for the entire archiving session)

BC_DBLOGS_READ_AR_BY_INDEX

Caution
Archiving automatically generates a comment in the archiving session
management entry. This comment contains the time period that was
archived. Do not delete this text.
Read
For a read by program RSLDARCH03, the archive contents are output in the form of
a print list. You can evaluate and print the table logs using the IMG Log (transaction
SCU3).
For a read by program BC_DBLOGS_READ_AR_BY_INDEX, the results are output
in the form of an ALV Grid. Under Extras, you can choose the data source from
which the data is read. The options that are available depend on whether you call
the program in archive management (transaction SARA) or in the ABAP Editor
(transaction SE38). Using the ABAP Editor, you can specify whether the data is read
from the database or from the archive. If you choose to access the archive, then you

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can either select the archived data manually, or you can read the data from the
Archive Information System based on an index. The prerequisite for reading the
data from the Archive Information System is that you have activated the info
structure SAP_BC_DBLOGS in transaction SARI. This info structure is filled
automatically after each archiving run. However, you can also generate it explicitly
in transaction SARI.
Integration
This archiving object does not depend on any other archiving objects.
Log entries are archived independently of the client.
You can use the archiving object BC_DBLOGS within the framework of Information
Lifecycle Management. To be able to do this, you must activate the related business
functions. The system then shows the ILM Actions group box. Using these actions,
you can, for example, run archiving during which the system evaluates the retention
periods entered in Information Retention Manager. You can also create snapshots
(copies) of data, and you can delete data that does not meet your criteria.

1.9.4.1 Technical Data (BC-BEW-CTL)

Technical Data (BC-BEW-CTL)
An internal run-time analysis run in a highly-loaded development system showed that ca 100.000 log entries are archived in an hour.

1.9.4.2

Variant Settings for Archiving (BC-DWB-CUS)

Use
Archiving checklist

Features
In the change logs, you specify which time interval is archived. You must specify the date and time of the beginning and end of the time interval.
The system shows the ILM Actions group box if you are using the archiving object in Information Lifecycle Management and have fulfilled the prerequisites for
this (for example, you have activated the corresponding business functions). You can use these actions to archive data during which, for example, the
retention periods entered in the Information Retention Manager can be evaluated. Additionally, you can create snapshots (copies) of data or destroy data that
matches the requirements.
Under Log Settings you can specify the type of log (a complete detailed log or a partial log) and the type of log output. You can also enter a comment for the
archiving session. For more information, see Logs.

1.9.4.3 Archiving Object-Specific Customizing (BC-DWB-CUS)

Archiving Object-Specific Customizing (BC-DWB-CUS)

Use
Archiving Object-Specific Customizing
Activities
A data object is defined as 1.000 table entries for the object BC_DBLOGS for the input field Maximum no. of data objects in the group box Archive file size.
By contrast, the Commit counter in the group box Deletion program settings refers to table entries not data objects.

1.9.5 Archiving Link Entries (BC-SRV-ARL)

Archiving Link Entries (BC-SRV-ARL)
Definition
The archiving object ARCHIVELNK is used to archive ArchiveLink link entries.
Use
A link entry is a unique reference from a document stored in an external storage system (using ArchiveLink) to a business object generated in the SAP
application component.
To create the link between the business objects in the SAP application and the documents in the external storage system, you must carry out the following
administrative tasks in the SAP System:
Definition of document types
Definition of storage systems

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Assignment of document types and object types to storage systems and link tables
The business object is assigned to the corresponding stored document in the link table in the database.
You can specify an expiry date for each link entry. When the expiry date is reached, you can archive the link entry/entries and delete them from the database
using the ADK archiving transaction.
Structure
When you implement the archiving object ARCHIVELNK , data from the various ArchiveLink link tables is archived. For information on table names and the
number and names of link entries, choose Tools Business Documents, Miscellaneous Stored Documents Stored documents Expiry date
Display or Analyze.
The following functions are available for ARCHIVELNK :
Action

Report

Archive

OAARCH04

Delete

OAARCH06

Reading

OAARCH05

To call the transaction for archiving link entries, choose Tools Administration Administration Archiving .

1.9.5.1

Application Customizing (BC-SRV-ARL)

Use
As well as basic Customizing for archiving, you must make settings in ArchiveLink basic Customizing for the generation of link entries:
Maintain document types and classes
Maintain storage systems
Maintain links and link tables
You must also define retention times for the link entries.

Features
ArchiveLink Basic Customizing
For information about ArchiveLink Customizing, see Basic Customizing. You can also find the IMG activities for ArchiveLink in the Implementation Guide
(IMG), under SAP Web Application Server Basis Services ArchiveLink Basic Customizing.
Retention Times for Link Entries
You should maintain retention times when you maintain the links. The retention period is the number of months after which a link entry for a stored document
can be removed from the link table.

Activities
For more information on setting or changing the retention period, see Setting Retention Periods (BC-SRV-ARL).

1.9.5.1.1 Setting Retention Periods (BC-SRV-ARL)

Setting Retention Periods (BC-SRV-ARL)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Choose Links, and enter the required retention period in months in the field Retention period.
Choose Tools Business Documents Miscellaneous Stored Documents Stored documents Expiry date Change
Enter the required business object.
Enter the corresponding document type.
Specify whether or not it is a test run.
If it is a test run, a list of all the link entries with the newly calculated expiry date is displayed.
To change the expiry date, you need administration authorization for ArchiveLink (see Authorizations).
7. Choose Program Execute.
A message confirming that the deletion date has been re-calculated is displayed.

1.9.6

Archiving Archive Administration Data (BC-CCM-ADK)

Definition
You can use archiving object BC_ARCHIVE to archive and delete archive administration data.

Use
You can use this archiving object to store information about archiving sessions that were selected for archiving in the management of archiving objects.

Structure
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Structure
Tables
The archiving object BC_ARCHIVE consists of the following tables, from which data is archived and deleted (valid for both ADK and XML archiving objects):
Table

Description

ADMI_RUN

Header data for archiving sessions

ADMI_FILES

Archive files for archiving sessions

ADMI_VARIA

Content of archiving program variant

ADMI_SKIP

Address of data objects that should be skipped

<Info-Tab>

Archive file info table for an archiving object

ADMI_XRUN

Archive files for archiving sessions of XML archiving objects

ADMI_XDOCS

Resources (XML Archiving)

In addition, the archiving object uses the archiving class TEXT, which covers the following tables:
Table

Table name

STXB

SAPscript: Texts in non-SAPscript format

STXH

STXD SAPscript text-file header

STXL

STXD SAPscript text-file lines

Programs
BC_ARCHIVEis shipped with the following programs:
Program

Function

BC_ARCHIVE_PRE

Preprocessing

RSAADMAR

Write

RSAADMLO

Delete

RSAADMRL

Reload

See also:
Archive Administration Data (BC-CCM-ADK)
Reloading Data

1.9.6.1

Variant Settings for Preprocessing (BC-CCM-ADK)

Use
You can use this program to set the To Be Archived indicator for several archiving sessions through mass processing. The program can process archiving
sessions for ADK and XML archiving objects.

Features
Selection Criteria
Under Archiving Sessions you can restrict the sessions to be marked using the following criteria:
Archiving Session
Number of the archiving session
Archiving Object
Archiving object to which the session belongs
Further Selection Criteria
Under Further Selection Criteria you can use additional criteria to further restrict your selection:
Date of Archiving Session
Creation date of the archiving session
Started by
User that started the archiving session
Additional Selection Criteria for ADK Archiving Objects
For ADK archiving objects you can enter the following additional selection criteria:

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Stored in Archive System

Of the selected sessions, the program only marks those sessions for archiving, for which all archive files have been stored in the storage system.
Sessions without Accessible Files
Of the selected sessions the program only marks those sessions for archiving for which no archive files are accessible in the file system and for which
no archive file has been stored in the storage system.
Additional Selection Criteria for XML Archiving Objects
For XML archiving objects you can enter the following additional selection criteria:
Sessions without Accessible Resources
Of the selected sessions the program only marks those sessions for archiving for which no accessible resources exist.
Additional Settings
The Processing Control, Log Options, and Archiving Session Note settings are standard settings that also apply to archiving objects. For more information see
the general archiving documentation under Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs.
See also:
Archiving Archive Administration Data (BC-CCM-ADK)

1.9.6.2

Variant Settings for Writing (BC-CCM-ADK)

Use
When you schedule the write program you must enter an already existing variant or create a new one. The variant contains selection criteria for the
administration data that you want to archive.

Features
Further Selection Criteria
Here you can enter criteria to select the data to be archived. The selection can take place using the client and the archiving object.
Additional Settings
The processing options, the log options, and the archiving session note are standard settings that also apply to other archiving objects. For more information
see the general archiving documentation under Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs.
See also:
Archiving Archive Administration Data (BC-CCM-ADK)

1.9.6.3

Variant Settings for Reloading (BC-CCM-ADK)

Use
You can use this function to reload archive administration data that was archived using archiving object BC_ARCHIVE back to the database.

Prerequisites
Archiving sessions must exist for which the delete program ran in production mode.

Features
Further Selection Criteria
Here you can select the data to be reloaded. You can make your selection based on Client or Archiving Object.
Additional Settings
The Processing Options, the Log Options, and the Log Output option are standard settings that are also valid for other archiving objects. For more information
see the general documentation under Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs.

Activities
After you have reloaded the data, the system removes the To Be Archived indicator, so that the reloaded information is displayed directly in Archive
Administration (Archive Administration, Management Action). The system does not create a new archiving session during reloading. Instead, the archiving
session for which the data was reloaded remains in Archive Administration under Completed Archiving Sessions and can still be evaluated there.

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After reloading has been completed, the system issues a list of reloaded administration data.
See also:
Archiving Archive Administration Data (BC-CCM-ADK)
Reloading Data

1.9.6.4

Archive Administration Data (BC-CCM-ADK)

Setting the To Be ArchivedIndicator

Before you can archive the administration data of archiving sessions, you must indicate that these sessions are ready to be archived. You have two options
for setting this indicator:
manually (for individual sessions)
automatically (for several sessions; mass processing)
Setting the To Be Archived Indicator Manually
1.
2.
3.
4.

Call Archive Administration (transaction SARA) and enter the archiving object for which you want to archive administration data.
Choose Management to display the relevant administration data.
Double click the desired archiving session and in the dialog box that appears choose the change mode.
Choose the To Be Archived indicator. Sessions for which you set the indicator in this manner appear subsequently as Archiving Sessions Marked for
Deletion in Archive Administration.

Setting the To Be Archived Indicator Automatically

If you want to archive the administration data of several archiving sessions, it is recommended that you set the To Be Archived indicator automatically through
the preprocessing program. The program can process archiving sessions of ADK and XML archiving objects. You can select the archiving sessions to be
archived in the selection screen of the preprocessing program, see Variant Settings for Preprocessing (BC-CCM-ADK).
Archiving the Administration Data
In Archive Administration enter the archiving object BC_ARCHIVE and schedule archiving as usual.

Caution
You can only archive administration data if no further jobs exist for the selected sessions. This means that there may not be any entries left in the job
overview of the archiving object.

Result
The archiving session you started writes the selected session information to one archive and deletes it from the database (whether or not the data is deleted
depends on the Customizing settings for the automatic start of the delete program, and the variant you chose). The new archiving session then appears in the
archive administration data of BC_ARCHIVE.

1.9.7 Archiving Change Documents (BC-SRV-ASF-CHD)

Use
Background
Application programs write change documents for statutory or technical reasons. They must sometimes be retained for a long time. Documents which no
longer require direct access can be archived, to reduce the database load. They are then saved in these archives for the statutory or technically-required
period.
Technical Implementation
The change document archiving tools were developed with the Archive Development Kit (ADK), which supports object-oriented programming. The archiving
object CHANGEDOCU contains the required database tables and the archiving class CHANGEDOCU with function modules to process them. Only programs
can access the archiving object CHANGEDOCU. All the function modules in the archiving class CHANGEDOCU belong to the function group SCD5. This
function group also includes the function modules which the archiving programs use to call the ADK functions.
Database tables
The change document archiving object CHANGEDOCU contains the following database tables:
Table

Description

CDKEYTAB

Virtual table with the object key (only in archive, not in database)

CDHDR

Change document header in the database

CDPOS

Change document items in the database

CDPOS_UID

Change document item key per table, if it is > 70 characters. CDPOS-TBAKEY then
contains the UID for this entry.

CDPOS_STR

Change document item for STRING fields. CDPOS-TBAKEY then contains the UID
for this entry

Authorizations
To archive, you need authorizatio for:

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Archiving in general
For more information, see User Authorization Checks
Integration
You can display archived change documents with the Archive Explorer (transaction SARE).
To display the tables in archiving object CHANGEDOCU in the Archive Information System, you need an information structure based on the standard field
catalog SAP_CHANGEDOCU1 delivered by SAP. The information structure must be set up and active.
For more information about information structures, see also Using the Archive Information System.

1.9.7.1

Variant Settings for Writing (BC-SRV-ASF-CHD)

Use
When you schedule the write program you must enter an already existing variant or create a new one. The variant contains selection criteria for the change
documents that you want to archive.

Features
Selecting Documents
In the Change Documents frame, you can select the documents you want to archive based on the following criteria:
Change doc. Object
Name of the change document whose entries are to be archived, such as ADRESSE
Object value
Value assigned to the change document object, such as BC010000002852
Further Selection Criteria
Here you can further restrict the set of documents to be archived:
From Date
Date as of which the change was executed
To Date
Date up to which the change was executed
From Time
Time as of which the change was executed
To Time
Time until the change was executed
Transaction code
Name of the transaction in which the change took place
Changed by (User Name)
Name of the user, who made the changes
Additional Settings
The processing options, the log options, and the archiving session note are standard settings that also apply to other archiving objects. For more information
see the general archiving documentation under Variant Maintenance for Archiving Jobs.
See also:
Creating Archive Files

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