Settings for the Delete Program

You define the control parameters for running the delete program here.

• You can set up a Test Mode Variant by modifying the parameters accordingly. A test mode variant does not delete data from the database.

• You can set up a Production Run Variant by modifying the parameters accordingly. A production run variant deletes the archived data from the database.

  Caution

  Delete program variants are client-specific. You must therefore make the variant settings in all the clients for which you want to carry out archiving sessions.

  When archiving for the first time using a selected archiving object, the relevant test mode and production mode variants for the delete program must be fully maintained. Check whether both variants exist. Note especially, that if a production mode variant is not available, data is not deleted form the database when the delete program is run.

During a delete job, you specify when the delete program is to be run in the background:

• If you select the Not Scheduled, the delete program is not run automatically but can be run at any time following archiving.

  Note

  Delete jobs can also be scheduled without using Archive Administration (transaction SARA). You so so using an external job scheduler or the program RSARCHD. For more information, see Scheduling Delete Jobs Outside of Archive Administration.

• If you have selected the Start Automatically button, the delete program is run automatically immediately after an archive file is generated. See also the note under Archive File Size here. If it was specified in Customizing that the file storage is to take place before the delete phase, the delete program is not started until the file has been stored.

  This radio button is of interest primarily if you want to save the archive files before the delete phase. If there is a long time period between the write phase and the delete phase, there is a danger that the data could be changed before it is deleted, which means that the data in the archive and in the database are no longer the same. The delete phase should therefore be carried out as soon as possible after the write phase.

  Note

  Since Before Images has been deactivated for the rollback segments, there should be enough space available (Oracle's Rollback Tablespace).

• If you have selected the After Event radio button, the delete program is run automatically once a specific event has occurred. You select the relevant event by using the F4 input help for the Event field. an event requires that a parameter be set (an argument), enter the required parameter in this field. A parameter qualifies an event. See also Background Event.

  Once all delete jobs for an archiving session are complete, the ADK issues the event SAP_ARCHIVING_DELETE_FINISHED. The event parameter is the number of the archiving session. You can use this event for event-driven scheduling of accumulated archiving jobs, succh as the automatic backup of archive files using external tools.

  Note

  You can use transaction SM62 to display and maintain events.

• You can use the Build Index indicator to specify whether an index is to be constructed for a particular archiving object. You can use this index to access specific data objects from the archive file (single document access).

  Recommendation

  Instead of using this function for single document access, we recommend that you use the Archive Information System (AS).