Introduction to Data Archiving (CA-ARC) (SAP Library

Introduction to Data Archiving (CA-ARC)

Data Archiving removes mass data from the database that the R/3 System no longer needs online, but which must still be accessible at a later date if required. The following graphic illustrates the archiving process: Archiving objects are used to write documents to archive files, which can be stored on other media.

Data in the R/3 Database can only be archived using archiving objects, which describe the data structure and context.

Financial Accounting documents are, for example, archived using the archiving object FI_DOCUMNT. It includes the document header, company code-dependent postings, change documents, SAPscript texts, and other elements.

Integration

The SAP Data Archiving concept is based on the Archive Development Kit (ADK). The ADK provides the technical basis for the archiving transaction (SARA). To call the archiving transaction, choose Tools ® Administration ® Management ® Data Archiving, or directly from the application component. If archive management is called from the application component, application-specific settings (such as programs and archiving objects) are activated automatically.

Archiving objects for each application component are predefined in the system. Their structures are described in the application-specific sections.

Features

The archiving procedure is divided into three main steps:

Create archive files: The data to be archived is written sequentially to a newly created archive file.

Store archive files: The newly created archive files can then be moved to a storage system or copied to a tape. The removal to an external storage system can be triggered manually or automatically.

Run delete program: The delete program reads the data from the archive files and then deletes it from the database.

You can schedule archiving programs as background tasks or run them during normal online operations.