BIT660 Data Archiving: A Comprehensive Guide for SAP Administrators
- Overview of the BIT660 course and its objectives- Benefits of data archiving for performance, compliance, and cost reduction H2: Basic Principles of Data Archiving - The archiving object and its customizing- Data assignment to archiving objects- Data archiving transaction SARA- Archive management data H2: Read Access to Archived Data - Options for accessing archived data- Displaying archived documents directly from standard transactions- Accessing archived documents using special read programs- Archive Information System (AIS) H2: Long-Term Archiving Plan - Meaning and requirements of a long-term archiving plan- Factors to consider when planning a long-term archiving strategy- Best practices and recommendations for long-term archiving H2: Conclusion - Summary of the main points of the article- Call to action for the readers Table 2: Article with HTML formatting What is BIT660 Data Archiving?
Data archiving is the process of moving data that is no longer actively used from the database to an external storage system. Data archiving helps to reduce the size of the database tables, improve the system performance, and comply with legal and business requirements. Data archiving is an essential part of SAP system administration and maintenance.
bit660 data archiving pdf download
BIT660 is a three-day course that teaches you how to archive data in SAP systems using the standard tools and methods. The course covers the basic principles of data archiving, the data archiving transaction SARA, the read access to archived data, and the long-term archiving plan. By completing this course, you will be able to understand and implement a data archiving project in your SAP system.
Data archiving has many benefits for your SAP system and your business. By archiving data, you can:
Improve the system performance by reducing the load on the database and the network
Save disk space and reduce storage costs by moving data to cheaper storage media
Comply with legal and business regulations by retaining data for a specified period of time
Enhance data security by protecting archived data from unauthorized access or modification
Facilitate system upgrades and migrations by reducing the amount of data to be transferred
Basic Principles of Data Archiving
In this section, we will explain the basic principles of data archiving in SAP systems. We will cover the following topics:
The archiving object and its customizing
Data assignment to archiving objects
Data archiving transaction SARA
Archive management data
The Archiving Object and Its Customizing
An archiving object is a logical unit that defines which data can be archived and how. An archiving object consists of several components, such as:
The tables that contain the data to be archived
The programs that perform the archiving process
The variants that specify the selection criteria for the data to be archived
The customizing settings that determine the file names, paths, and storage folders for the archive files
The user exits that allow you to modify the standard behavior of the archiving process
To perform data archiving, you need to use transaction SARA (SAP Archive Administration). In this transaction, you can select an archiving object from a list of predefined objects or create your own custom object. You can also maintain the customizing settings for each archiving object using transaction AOBJ (Archiving Object Definition).
Data Assignment to Archiving Objects
Data assignment to archiving objects is the process of determining which tables belong to which archiving object. This is important because different tables may have different retention periods, dependencies, and archiving sequences. To assign data to archiving objects, you need to consider the following factors:
The size and growth of the tables
The business, technical, and legal requirements for the data
The availability of suitable archiving objects for the tables
To help you with data assignment, you can use transaction TAANA (Table Analysis). In this transaction, you can analyze the structure and content of a table and find out which archiving objects can be used for it. You can also use the network graphic to display the archiving sequences and dependencies between archiving objects.
Data Archiving Transaction SARA
Data archiving transaction SARA is the main transaction for performing data archiving in SAP systems. In this transaction, you can carry out the following functions:
Schedule archiving jobs using the variants and the customizing settings of the archiving object
Monitor the status and progress of the archiving jobs using the logs and statistics
Store the archive files in the storage system or delete them from the file system
Manage the archive files using the archive administration functions
Handle errors and restart scenarios using the restart functions
Data archiving transaction SARA follows a four-step process:
Write: The data to be archived is selected from the database and written to archive files.
Delete: The data that has been written to archive files is deleted from the database.
Store: The archive files are stored in the storage system or deleted from the file system.
Reload: The archive files are reloaded to the database if needed.
Archive Management Data
Archive management data is the data that is generated during the data archiving process. It includes information such as:
The number and size of the archive files
The number and size of the archived records
The number and size of the deleted records
The start and end time of each archiving step
The status and errors of each archiving step
Archive management data is stored in special tables in the database. You can use transaction SARA to display and analyze this data. You can also archive this data using a special archiving object called BC_ARCHIVE.
Read Access to Archived Data
In this section, we will explain how to access archived data in SAP systems. We will cover the following topics:
Options for accessing archived data
Displaying archived documents directly from standard transactions
Accessing archived documents using special read programs
Archive Information System (AIS)
Options for Accessing Archived Data
Accessing archived data means reading the data from the archive files and displaying it to the user. There are different options for accessing archived data in SAP systems, such as:
Direct access: The archived data is accessed directly from the standard display transactions without any additional steps.
Indirect access: The archived data is accessed using special read programs that are provided by the archiving object or created by the user.
Archive Information System (AIS): The archived data is accessed using a special tool that allows you to search and display archived data using various criteria.
The option for accessing archived data depends on the archiving object and the customizing settings. Some archiving objects support direct access, some support indirect access, and some support both. Some archiving objects also support AIS or require AIS for accessing archived data.
Displaying Archived Documents Directly from Standard Transactions
Displaying archived documents directly from standard transactions means that you can use the same transactions that you use to display online documents to display archived documents. For example, you can use transaction FB03 (Display Document) to display both online and archived financial documents.
To enable direct access to archived data, you need to activate the ArchiveLink functionality in your SAP system. ArchiveLink is a standard SAP interface that connects SAP applications with external storage systems. ArchiveLink allows you to store and retrieve archive files using logical document types and content repositories.
To activate ArchiveLink, you need to perform the following steps:
Define a logical document type for each archiving object using transaction OAC2 (Customizing Document Types).
Define a content repository for storing archive files using transaction OAC0 (Content Repositories).
Assign a logical document type and a content repository to each archiving object using transaction AOBJ (Archiving Object Definition).
Accessing Archived Documents Using Special Read Programs
Accessing archived documents using special read programs means that you need to use specific transactions or programs that are designed to read and display archived data. For example, you can use transaction SARI (Archive Explorer) to access archived data using various criteria.
Special read programs are either provided by the archiving object or created by the user. You can find out which read programs are available for each archiving object using transaction AOBJ (Archiving Object Definition). You can also create your own read programs using the Archive Development Kit (ADK). ADK is a set of tools and interfaces that allow you to develop custom applications for data archiving.
To access archived data using special read programs, you need to perform the following steps:
Select an archiving object and a read program from the list of available options.
Enter the selection criteria for the archived data, such as archive file name, date range, document number, etc.
Execute the read program and display the list of matching archive files or documents.
Select an archive file or a document from the list and display its details.
Archive Information System (AIS)
Archive Information System (AIS) is a special tool that allows you to search and display archived data using various criteria. AIS is based on the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW) technology and uses InfoCubes and queries to store and analyze archived data.
To use AIS, you need to perform the following steps:
Create or adapt an archive information structure for each archiving object using transaction SARI (Archive Explorer).
Fill the archive information structure with data from the archive files using transaction SARA (SAP Archive Administration).
Create or adapt an archive information query for each archive information structure using transaction SQ01 (SAP Query).
Execute the archive information query and display the list of matching archive files or documents.
Select an archive file or a document from the list and display its details.
Long-Term Archiving Plan
In this section, we will explain what is a long-term archiving plan and why it is important for your SAP system. We will cover the following topics:
Meaning and requirements of a long-term archiving plan
Factors to consider when planning a long-term archiving strategy
Best practices and recommendations for long-term archiving
Meaning and Requirements of a Long-Term Archiving Plan
A long-term archiving plan is a document that defines the goals, scope, and procedures for archiving data in your SAP system for a long period of time. A long-term archiving plan is important because it helps you to:
Ensure the availability and integrity of archived data for future use
Comply with legal and business regulations for data retention and deletion
Optimize the storage and management of archive files
Prepare for system upgrades and migrations
A long-term archiving plan should include the following information:
The objectives and scope of the data archiving project
The roles and responsibilities of the project team members
The list of archiving objects and their retention periods
The schedule and frequency of the archiving jobs
The storage system and media for the archive files
The access methods and tools for the archived data
The monitoring and reporting procedures for the data archiving process
The backup and recovery procedures for the archive files
The audit and compliance procedures for the archived data
Factors to Consider When Planning a Long-Term Archiving Strategy
When planning a long-term archiving strategy, you need to consider the following factors:
The business requirements for the data, such as how often it is accessed, how long it is needed, and how it is used.
The legal requirements for the data, such as how long it must be retained, how it must be protected, and how it can be deleted.
The technical requirements for the data, such as how much space it occupies, how fast it grows, and how it affects the system performance.
The storage requirements for the archive files, such as what type of storage media, what level of security, and what cost of maintenance.
The access requirements for the archived data, such as what type of access method, what level of performance, and what cost of retrieval.
Best Practices and Recommendations for Long-Term Archiving
Here are some best practices and recommendations for long-term archiving:
Analyze your data regularly and identify the candidates for archiving based on their size, growth, and usage.
Define clear retention policies and rules for each archiving object based on the business and legal requirements.
Use standard SAP tools and methods for data archiving, such as transaction SARA, ArchiveLink, ADK, and AIS.
Test your data archiving process thoroughly before going live and verify the results using the logs and statistics.
Monitor your data archiving process regularly and resolve any errors or issues promptly.
Store your archive files in a secure and reliable storage system that supports backup and recovery.
Provide easy and fast access to archived data using direct access, special read programs, or AIS.
Review your long-term archiving plan periodically and update it according to the changing requirements.
Conclusion
Data archiving is a vital process that helps you to manage your data efficiently and effectively in your SAP system. By taking this course, you have learned how to archive data using the standard SAP tools and methods. You have also learned how to access archived data using various options. Finally, you have learned how to plan a long-term archiving strategy that meets your business, legal, technical, storage, and access requirements.
We hope that you have enjoyed this course and found it useful. If you want to learn more about data archiving or other SAP topics, please visit our website at https://training.sap.com/. Thank you for your attention and good luck with your data archiving project!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about data archiving:
What is the difference between data archiving and document storage?Data archiving is the process of moving data that is no longer actively used from the database to an external storage system. Document storage is the process of storing documents that are still actively used in an external storage system. Data archiving reduces the size of the database tables, while document storage does not.
What are some examples of archiving objects in SAP systems?Some examples of archiving objects in SAP systems are: FI_DOCUMNT (Financial Accounting Documents), SD_VBAK (Sales Documents), MM_EKKO (Purchasing Documents), HR_PCL2 (HR Cluster Data), BC_ARCHIVE (Archive Management Data), etc.
How can I find out which archiving objects are available for a table?You can use transaction TAANA (Table Analysis) to analyze the structure and content of a table and find out which archiving objects can be used for it. You can also use the network graphic to display the archiving sequences and dependencies between archiving objects.
How can I access archived data using Archive Information System (AIS)?You can use transaction SARI (Archive Explorer) to access archived data using AIS. In this transaction, you can create or adapt an archive information structure for each archiving object, fill it with data from the archive files, create or adapt an archive information query for each archive information structure, and execute the query to display the list of matching archive files or documents.
What are the benefits of long-term archiving?Long-term archiving has many benefits for your SAP system and your business, such as: improving the system performance, saving disk space and reducing storage costs, complying with legal and business regulations, enhancing data security, and facilitating system upgrades and migrations.
What are the steps to create a long-term archiving plan?The steps to create a long-term archiving plan are: analyze your data and identify the candidates for archiving, define clear retention policies and rules for each archiving object, use standard SAP tools and methods for data archiving, test your data archiving process thoroughly before going live, monitor your data archiving process regularly and resolve any errors or issues, store your archive files in a secure and reliable storage system, provide easy and fast access to archived data, and review your long-term archiving plan periodically and update it according to the changing requirements.
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