Specify the archive process parameters

The first step when creating a new archive request is to specify the parameters for the archive process.

Description

A description indicates the type of information in the archive file or provides other useful information. Developing a convention for descriptions can help you categorize archive files, and when browsing or restoring data, you can reference the description to focus the search on specific files. For this scenario, type Archive Orders for Order-Entry Appl v1.0.

Server Name

Directing resource-intensive processing to a server potentially minimizes network traffic and maximizes efficiency. Server Name indicates the server or workstation used to run the archive process. If the server option is not installed (as for this scenario), you must use your local workstation to run the archive request. If the server option is configured on one or more machines, you can select a server on which to run the request.

Archive File

The archive file contains the archived data. You can use one or more macros to dynamically create a unique name for each file created by running this archive request. Each time you run the archive process, any macros are resolved and the file name generated. You can use macros to name any file that is generated by your Optim™ solution, including index and control files. Macros in file names may be especially useful in a process that is scheduled to run automatically at specified intervals, so that a new name is generated each time the process is executed.

For this scenario, type scenario<$SEQ>. Using the macro, the sequence number is increased by a single digit each time the solution generates a file name. The generated number causes the file name for each run to be unique. The default .af extension is added automatically. If you do not include a path with the file name, the default archive directory specified in personal options is used. If a default archive directory is not specified, the default data directory specified in personal options is used.

Archive Index File

When browsing or restoring archived data, you can expedite the process of searching for archive files by creating an archive index file. The index file contains index information about data in the archive file. By default, Archive Index File is populated with the name of the archive file and the default extension .afx. If you do not index the archived data, an index file is not created, even if a name is specified. For this scenario, use the default file name.

Group

A group is a name or tag that you can associate with the archive file and corresponding archived data. Developing a convention for groups can help you categorize files. For example, you might use the group “HumResrc” for data you archive from payroll and benefits applications. Before browsing or restoring data, you can reference the group to filter the list of potential archive files before you search them. For this scenario, type ORDERS.

Storage Profile

Use a storage profile to define parameters for creating the archive file on secondary media and automatically creating a duplicate file. Examples of secondary media include zip disks and backup devices. For this scenario, do not specify a storage profile.

File Access Definition

A file access definition (FAD) allows you to secure an archive file by controlling access to the tables and columns in the file. You can define access permissions for a table, column, or the default setting by associating it with an access control list. To create a secured archive file, you must enter the name of a new or existing FAD. For this scenario, do not enter the name of an FAD.

Process options

Process options allow you to establish safeguards for the archive process. You can ensure the process does not archive an unexpectedly large number of rows and can defer, review, or change a decision to delete archived data from the database.

Row Limit

A row limit is the maximum number of rows to archive. For example, if you expect to archive fewer than 10 million rows, you can use a row limit to cause the process to fail if the number of archived rows exceeds 10 million. A row limit can be any value between 1 and the maximum limit specified in product options.

Note: For Teradata, the number specified here for the start table is used with the Teradata SQL extension keyword SAMPLE in any SQL SELECT statement. That information is used by the Teradata optimizer to identify the maximum number of rows to be retrieved. For example, SAMPLE 100 in a SELECT statement means you want up to 100 rows retrieved.
Database Connections

You can increase the number of concurrent database connections for the process. Increasing database connections improves performance by allowing multiple threads to archive rows concurrently. This option is available if Maximum Database Connections on the Database tab of product options is 2 or greater. For this scenario, Database Connections is unavailable.

Defer Delete After Archive

You can delete the archived data at any time after the archive process completes, deleting archived data as part of the archive process or deferring the deletion of data. For example, you might defer the deletion to a time when database contention is at a minimum or to provide time to verify the data before deletion.

You can select Defer Delete after Archive to defer the delete process or clear Defer Delete after Archive to delete archived data from the database as part of the archive process. If you clear the check box, the Review Archive Delete List check box is enabled.

For this scenario, clear Defer Delete after Archive .

Review Archive Delete List

If you select this check box, the Delete after Archive Specifications dialog is displays a list of tables to be archived prior to processing. You can review the list to confirm or change the tables from which rows are deleted. For this scenario, select Review Archive Delete List.

Create Report

Selecting this check box enables Report Options. You can use these options to name a report request, and enable access to the Report Request Editor, where you can define reporting parameters. For this scenario, leave Create Report cleared.

Generate Statistical Report

You can select this check box to include statistical information in the archive process report. (For details, see Statistical information.) For this scenario, leave the Generate Statistical Report check box cleared.

Process File Attachments

Select this check box to archive any file attachments identified in the access definition.

Compression Options
Select this button to compress the archive file. Compression can occur at a processing point that you specify or you can select individual tables to compress. See General tab, Archive Request Editor for the section on Compression Options.

Access Definition Options

An access definition describes the set of data to be archived, governing the overall archive process. You can create a local access definition, which is exclusive to the current archive request. Another option is to specify the name of a new or existing access definition, which can be used with other process requests. Access Definition Options let you indicate the type of access definition used in the archive process. For this scenario, select Local.

Delete Parameters

Because you have cleared Defer Delete after Archive, rows from selected tables are deleted as part of the archive process. You must provide processing parameters for the delete portion of the process. Click the Delete tab on the Archive Request Editor.

Archive Request Editor with Delete as the active tab

Complete the elements of the Delete tab as described as follows.

Control File

The control file records the success or failure of delete processing for each row. The process verifies that each archived row that is selected for deletion matches exactly the corresponding row to be deleted from the database. Any rows that do not match exactly are discarded—noted in the control file and not deleted from the database. After the process is completed, you can browse the control file to identify the rows that could not be deleted and to determine the cause.

You can use one of the following methods to specify a control file:

  • Select from a list of recently used files by clicking the down arrow.
  • Select from a directory by clicking Browse.
  • Type the file name in Control File. The default extension .cf is added automatically. If you do not specify a path with the file name, the default data directory specified in personal options is used.

For this scenario, type control as the name of the control file.

Delete Control File

Click the delete control file button to automatically delete the control file at the end of a successful process.

Delete Options

The following options help you manage the delete portion of the archive process:

Lock Tables

You can lock database tables during processing. A table is locked until all rows are processed. Locking ensures that other database activity does not interfere with the process, but prevents other users from accessing tables involved in the process. Since this behavior may be undesirable for some organizations, permission to lock tables can be denied. For this scenario, clear the check box.

Compare Row Contents

You can compare rows of data in the archive file with rows in the database prior to deletion. Rows are deleted from the database if they exactly match rows in the archive file. Rows that do not exactly match are discarded and noted in the control file. For this scenario, leave the check box selected (default).

Include LOB columns in row comparison

This option is available only if Compare Row Contents is selected. You can include LOB columns in the row comparison. For this scenario, leave the check box selected (default).

Generate Statistical Report

You can select this check box to include statistical information for the delete process in the archive process report. (For details, see Statistical information.) For this scenario, leave the Generate Statistical Report check box cleared.

Commit Frequency

You can specify the number of rows to process before committing changes to the database. Frequent commits keep locking and use of the database log files to a minimum, but may slow the process. For this scenario, clear the check box to use the maximum product options limit. If the process ends abnormally, you can use the restart/retry utility to restart the delete process from the last commit point.

Discard Row Limit

You can limit the number of rows that can be discarded while deleting rows during the archive process. The process stops after the specified number is reached and all rows in the array are processed. This limit is an approximate value due to array processing for the Delete Process. See Delete Options for details.

To process with no limit on the number of rows that can be discarded, specify 0 or leave blank. For this scenario, specify 0.

Database Connections

You can increase the number of concurrent database connections for the delete process. This improves performance by allowing multiple threads to process rows concurrently. (Available only if Maximum Database Connections on the Database tab of product options is 2 or greater.) For this scenario, Database Connections is unavailable.



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