Archiving Workbench (CA-GTF-TS-GMA) 

Purpose

The Archiving Workbench is a standard tool-based working environment that supports you when you create archiving objects. The creation of archiving objects is a prerequisite for archiving the data at a later time. An archiving object consists of a number of programs, data elements and Customizing entries. It ensures that application data that is no longer required in the operational system is archived and removed from the operational system.

The archiving objects generated using the Archiving Workbench are intended for use in the mass data environment. You can find more information on the differences between data archiving based on the Archiving Workbench and conventional data archiving in the SAP environment in the Special Features of Data Archiving (Archiving Workbench) section of the SAP Library.

For general information on data archiving, refer to the Data Archiving (CA-ARC) section of the SAP Library.

Implementation Considerations

You are advised to use the Archiving Workbench if you want to save time when developing archiving objects for implementation in the mass data environment. The Archiving Workbench provides you with a standard procedure for creating archiving objects and relieves you of a large amount of conventional programming. All archiving objects generated with the Workbench are comparable with one another and characterize an architecture proven through multiple usage. This decreases the potential for errors when developing archiving objects and improves the maintenance potential.

Integration

Using Other SAP Components

Archiving objects generated with the Archiving Workbench use the following components:

 

Function	Required Components
Archiving data	Archive Development Kit (BC-CCM-ADK)
Processing mass data	Parallel Processing of Mass Data (CA-GTF-TS-PPM)
Reading data in the archive	Archive Information System (BC-CCM-ADK-AS)
Logging errors and statistical information	Application Log (BC-SRV-BAL, CA-GTF-TS-BRHF)

 

Scope of Functions

The Archiving Workbench enables you to create archiving objects for the data archiving of mass data in a standard tool-based environment. For more information, refer to the Creating an Archiving Object (Archiving Workbench) section of the SAP Library.

Project

The project is the central criterion used to determine the order in which the Archiving Workbench is implemented. It includes a series of activities that you must process sequentially to generate an archiving object with system support.

Activity Tree

A project consists of approximately 60 activities that are based on one another and that are listed hierarchically in an activity tree in an order determined by their position in the creation process of an archiving object. The highest level of this activity tree is divided into the following three categories to which the individual activities belong:

q       Preparatory Steps

q       Program Generation

q       Postprocessing Steps

Preparatory Steps

This category groups together all the activities that you must perform before creating an archiving object. They form the basis for the subsequent generation steps. These activities include creating transport requests, defining the archiving object structure, making the basic settings for parallel processing and creating global and object-specific Customizing settings.

The Preparatory Steps consist of a general part, a parallel processing part and a Customizing part.

Program Generation

This category groups together all the activities that are performed mainly by the system. These include the automatic generation of the analysis, write and delete programs for the archiving object. The preparations from the Preparatory Steps are used here.

The Program Generation consists of a general part, a parallel processing part, a Customizing part and a process part.

Postprocessing Steps

This category groups together all the activities that you must perform after creating an archiving object. These include adjusting the global data declarations, enhancements and initializations, as well as making Customizing entries.

The Postprocessing Steps consist of a general part, a parallel processing part, a Customizing part and a process part.

Activities

Each activity is identified by symbols for Display Progress, Execute Task, Display Log and Display Documentation. These are explained below.

Display Progress

The system uses the progress display symbols below to show the status of the activity processing in the activity tree. This is important since the individual activities are based on one another. Statuses:

·        Task Not Yet Executed

·        Task E xecuted Successfully

·        Task Partially Executed

·        Error when Executing Task

·        Task Skipped

 

Execute Task

If you choose  (Execute Task), you start one of the following actions, depending on the type of activity:

·        Interactive data entry:

If an assistant (wizard) exists for the activity in question, the Workbench starts it, enabling you to make an interactive data entry. The wizard guides you through the individual substeps of the activity.

·        Non-interactive generation:

The generation process is based on data collected beforehand and builds on other programs or data elements that have already been generated, if necessary. The system performs most of or the whole of the process automatically when you choose the Execute Task button.

·        Specific postprocessing in the Object Navigator:

The Workbench starts the Object Navigator (transaction SE80) and guides you directly to a particular place in the program so you can adjust it there.

 

For more information, refer to the Creating an Archiving Object (Archiving Workbench) section of the SAP Library.

Display Log

If you choose  (Display Log), you can view a log of the activities that have already been performed. This log contains all system messages for this activity. You are given an overview of all objects generated, the time of execution, the developer who executed them and any errors that occurred.

Display Documentation

If you choose  (Display Documentation), you can display the documentation individually for each activity. We advise you to read this before executing an activity.

Application Toolbar (Above Activity Tree)

The application toolbar contains the following symbols, in addition to the self-explanatory symbols for expanding and collapsing the complete activity tree or a subtree.

 

·             (Skip Task)

·             (Undo Task)

 

For more information, refer to the Creating an Archiving Object (Archiving Workbench) section of the SAP Library.

Branching from the Workbench

From the Workbench you can choose the menu option Goto to call up different information and to start programs to support you when developing the archiving object. These are described below:

Object Data

To see an overview of all the administrative data that the Archiving Workbench has generated for the current project so far, choose Goto -> Object Data. This data is of a technical nature and is used by the Workbench as a basis to generate the programs and data elements. The object data, however, can be used to give information on the progress of the archiving object generation and for help in case of errors.

This data becomes obsolete as soon as you finish creating the archiving object.

Logs

To view all the log data generated for the current project so far, choose Goto -> Logs. If you have executed an activity more than once, the system will display all the logs that have ever been generated for this activity.

Note that the system also logs errors that occurred in an activity performed earlier and which has now been successfully completed.

Object Navigator

The system encapsulates the archiving object you generate with the Workbench in a package (formerly called a development class). To display the package, choose Goto -> Object Navigator or the Object Navigator button in the upper application toolbar. This brings you to the Object Navigator (transaction SE80). The change lock that the Archiving Workbench sets for the project currently being processed is retained during the process.

Note that the system does not check for existing locks if you edit archiving object programs or data elements, not initiated by the Workbench (for example, by starting the Object Navigator directly).

Archive Administration

To test the completed archiving object, choose Goto -> Archive Administration. The Workbench then branches to the Archive Administration (transaction SARA). For more information, refer to the Procedure section of the Data Archiving document.

 

Note that if you make careless settings in archiving object Customizing or errors when adjusting data in the generated programs, you may be able to delete data from the operational system, even if it is required there.

Archiving Monitor

To monitor the current data archiving process, choose Goto ->Archiving Monitor. For more information on this, refer to the Archiving Monitor section of the SAP Library.

Code Scanner

If you want to use a supporting tool to adjust generated program coding, choose Goto -> Code Scanner. The Code Scanner shows you the search terms occurring in the archiving object package and gives you the option of navigating to them directly.

You would use the Code Scanner, for example, to add an extra database table to the structure definition of the archiving object at a later time.

If you have already executed the activities in which programs are generated, you have to decide whether to undo all the generation steps or to make manual changes. If the changes are manageable or if postprocessing has already been carried out, it often makes sense to use the Code Scanner to find all the relevant places in the programs and to make manual adjustments. To do this, you can use the names of other tables that have already been included in the generation.

You can also use the Code Scanner independently of the Archiving Workbench to support your daily work and start it directly using transaction CODE_SCANNER. For more information on this tool, refer to the related program documentation.

Restrictions

Along with the activities that you execute in the Postprocessing Steps category, there are other manual tasks that are not within the scope of the Archiving Workbench. However, you must perform these in order to deliver a completed archiving object to your customers. You can find more information on this in the Including an Archiving Object (Archiving Workbench) in the Application and Manual Postprocessing (Archiving Workbench) sections of the SAP Library.