Use an archive request in an Optim™ interoperability service to archive data. You can also export the request to an Optim directory.
The archive process selects data from a source (one or more tables in a database) and copies that data to a destination (an archive file).
To archive data, you must create an archive request in an Optim interoperability service that includes the specifications for the data to be archived, called the data access plan, and the parameters for the archive process.
Use the New Archive Service wizard to define parameters for processing the archive request. You must select a logical data model that includes the data to archive and a data access plan that defines the data to archive. You must also define parameters for processing such as the DB alias, archive index file name, and the metadata to extract. You can include a delete request in the archive request.
As a safeguard, you can limit the number of rows to be archived in a process. You can also choose to defer the deletion of rows from the database.
The archive file contains the selected, relationally intact data described in the data access plan and the object definitions needed to re-create the database, if necessary. Archive directory entries provide general information about each archive file and any archive indexes for the file.
After you have extracted data and created an archive file, you can browse the contents of the file to answer questions or satisfy a customer request. You can search archive directory entries, archive index files, and archive files, using criteria for the files and data of interest. If necessary, you can restore selected data from the archive file. Also, using your own application, you can copy an archive file to tape, delete it from your disk files, and retain the archive directory entries on the client system or shared file server. The retained archive directory entries and archive index files can be searched to determine the archive files to be returned to disk for browsing or restoring.
The archive index file facilitates searches for archived data to browse or restore. Parameters for indexing archived data are specified in the access definition.
A data access plan contains policies that determine which data to process or transform from a source logical data model in an Optim interoperability service. A data access plan is converted to a local access definition during the processing of an archive request.