The Archive Information System (SAP AS) is an archiving environment-integrated generic tool for implementing searches in R/3 data archives. The search for and display of data follows rules set in the Archive Information Structures, which the user can define and fill with data from the archive.

The SAP AS includes the following components:

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.

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.