Key Terminology 

 

Package:

This specifies a quantity of data records from the archiving object master table that is clearly defined by package limits. A package is an indivisible unit (in terms of the distribution between parallel jobs) used for the parallel processing of mass data, meaning that it is processed by precisely one job.

 

Package limits:

These specify the quantity of data contained in a package. Package limits consist of one upper and one lower restrictive value for the package formation attributes. They are used as selection criteria for the data retrieval of the process phases that have run in parallel.

 

Package size:

This specifies the number of data records in a package.

 

Package formation attributes:

These specify one or more fields from the archiving object master table, used by the system to define package limits. Check which fields you select as package formation attributes in the Archiving Workbench step Create External Parallel Processing Key. For more information, refer to the documentation on this activity.

Package profile:

This specifies a quantity of package limits formed by the system during the pre-step process. The package profile is used to divide up the whole value range of package formation attributes. Package limits must never overlap.

 

Package formation strategy:

This is the algorithm used to form package profiles. The aim of this algorithm is to form a package profile in such a way that the parallel processing tool can form packages of an approximately equal size. The Archiving Workbench does not set the characteristic values of this algorithm; you or your customer must do this. The decision as to which algorithm is the most suitable depends on the conditions of the archiving object in question. The algorithm must be implemented by a function module registered by a corresponding Customizing entry for the archiving object in IMG activity Maintain Global Control of Archiving.

 

Residence time

 

Subpackage:

This describes a section of a package. Packages are divided into subpackages and processed by the processing job. Each subpackage contains approximately the same amount of data as the value specified by the user for the Commit counter in the archiving object basic settings (transaction AOBJ). The number may be slightly different if the subpackage processing requires logically related data records to be grouped together, such as all the positions of a payment item.