Archived data can be read for display and analysis by sequential or direct access method. For the direct access as the faster method Archive Indexes called Archive Information Structures are used. Archive Information Structures are created by the Archive Information System (AS). SAP AS is a generic tool for indexing data archives and is fully integrated into the SAP Data Archiving environment and uses selectable data fields to find and display archived data.
Archive Retrieval Configurator (ARC) enables the administrator to create archive information structures with the help of field catalogs, and to fill the structures, which are used as a kind of archive index, with data from the archive..
The Archive Explorer enables fast searches of archived data. It does this by accessing the archive
information structures that have been created and stored in transparent database tables using the Archive Retrieval Configurator. Furthermore, the Archive Explorer allows direct accesses of individual data objects in the archive, which can then be displayed in both technical and application-specific views.
To use an information structure it must be activated before. The system generates a transparent database table ZARIX* and the reporting program. The name of the ZARIX* table is generated by the system dynamically. The naming convention of the ZARIX* table is ZARIX<ap-id><no>.
• ‘ZARIX’ is the defined prefix.
• <ap-id> is the application where an archive object is assigned to, e.g. BC for IDOC or SD for SD_VBRK (SD billings) and
• <no> is a consecutive number.
So it is not possible to conclude from the ZARIX* table name directly to the archiving object. Also the consecutive number assigned may differ between e.g. QA and DEV system if the archive information
structures have been activated in a different sequence. Table AIND_STR2 shows the link between an archive information structure and the related ZARIX* table name.
5.2.52.1 Avoidance
The growing of the archive information structure could be avoided by deactivating them. So you have to define a concept regarding the usage of the archive information structures. You have to decide for each archiving object and the related archive information structures, if they must be filled directly by the archiving
runs or they could be created later on demand. This is dependent on the business requirements regarding display and analysis.
Clarify how often an access to archived data is necessary and if an automatically creation is necessary.
The growing of the archive information structure could also be avoided by development. This means · Use slim archive information structures e.g. only key fields;
· If additional fields are necessary, verify meticulous their necessity and the frequency of usage of this archive information structure for display and analysis.
· If several archive information structures should be necessary, verify, if it makes sense to combine them. This depends on how many common fields are used.
Think carefully about the archive selection criteria that are used in the archive write job. In case you decide that you need the archive information structure only populated for certain part of the data, you should archive this data in separate archiving sessions.
Example:
Change documents for various business objects should be archived separated from the related business object with archiving object CHANGEDOCU. Only for change documents for a specific business object, e.g. IMRG (Measurement documents) a fast access supported by an archive information structure is needed. Other change documents, e.g. for material master (MATERIAL) are not needed to be included in the archive information structure.
For activated infostructures, in a first step all data of all archiving sessions will be inserted (e.g. for IMRG and MATERIAL), but later on you can decide to remove and delete selectively the non-required data (MATERIAL) from the archive information structure based on the archiving session.
If this deletion step should be avoided the archive information structure can be deactivated during the time the delete jobs of the data non-required data runs (i.e. data that should not be filled into the archive information structure (e.g. for MATERIAL). Later on the archive information structure needs to be activated again (manual step) so that the archive information structure is available for reporting purposes and IMRG data will be filled automatically
5.2.52.2 Summarization Cannot be used.
5.2.52.3 Deletion
The content of archive information structures could be deleted on demand. There is no mass deletion report available. SAP AS (transaction SARI) offers the possibility to verify the status of the archive information structures for an archive objects applied to the different archive infostructures or the different archive
sessions (runs) of the related archive object. On this level, it is possible to fill or to delete the infostructure (on demand).
Business-process-related information
To avoid an uncontrolled growing of the infostructures a data management concept for these data is absolute necessary. This concept should describe e.g. how long the data of which infostructures must be online available and after which residence time the deletion is possible.
Prerequisites for Deletion
There are no prerequisites. For activated archive information structures the whole content or parts of it can be deleted.
5.2.52.4 Archiving Cannot be used.
Please see SAP note 696641 for table analysis for archive information structures.
Please see SAP note 1495178 if you want to fill and empty archive information structures according to the archiving date.