SAP Basis

Unit 6: Archiving ADM100
Definition of Data Archiving
Data archiving means the consistent removal of data objects from database
tables of the SAP system database, where all table entries that characterize
adataobjectarewrittentoanarchivefileoutsidethedatabase.Business
consistency is ensured by SAP archiving programs that store all relevant
table entries together on the basis of archiving objects.
You should emphasize, especially if there are database administrators
among the participants, that the term archive file does not mean the
database backup files (such as Oracle Offline Redo Log files, which are
often called archive files).
The contents of business objects of the SAP system are distributed across
multiple tables in the database. Archiving objects bundle logically
connected tables of business objects. This ensures, in the context of data
archiving, that all information for a business object is stored outside the
database and therefore deleted.
The following figure clarifies the connection between database tables,
business objects, and archiving objects. The application data removed
from the SAP system database is compressed and stored in a different
location (such as a file system).
Hint: From a technical point of view, archived data could be loaded
back into the database. However, since it is historical data that
has not been affected by changes to the database and its content
since it was removed, there is a danger that reloading the data
could cause inconsistencies. Data must therefore only be reloaded
into production systems in exceptional circumstances. For more
information, see SAP Note 53064.
The data is archived in online mode; that is, you do not need to shutdown
the system during the archiving.
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