Example: Partitioning an Infostructure

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:

   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	Change Date	G	N
   01.01.0001	31.12.9999	ZARIXBC62		X

   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	G	N
   01.01.2005	31.12.2005	ZARIXBC64	28.06.2005	X
   01.01.0001	31.12.9999	ZARIXBC62		X

   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.