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 Archive 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 Optim™ Server option is not installed (as for this scenario), you must use your local workstation to process the Archive Request. If the Optim Server option is installed on one or more machines, you can select a server on which to process the Archive 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 Archive File created by running this Archive Request. Each time you run the Archive Process, Archive resolves any macros and generates the file name.

Note: You can use macros to name any file that is generated by Optim, including Archive Index or 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 Optim generates a file name. The generated number causes the file name for each run to be unique.

Optim adds the default .af extension for Archive Files. 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

You can expedite the process of searching for Archive Files to be browsed or restored by creating an Archive Index File. The Archive Index File contains index information for data in the Archive File. By default, Archive populates the Archive Index File box with the name of the Archive File, giving it the default extension .afx. For this scenario, use the default file name.

Note: If you do not index the archived data, an Archive Index File is not created, even if a name is specified.

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 Archive 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

A Storage Profile allows you to define parameters for creating the Archive File on secondary media and automatically creating a duplicate Archive 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 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, enter the name of a new or existing File Access Definition. For this scenario, do not enter a File Access Definition.

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 Archive 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.

Database Connections

You can increase the number of concurrent database connections for the Archive Process. Increasing database connections improves performance by allowing multiple threads to archive rows concurrently. This option is only 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 data at any time after the Archive Process completes. Archive lets you delete archived data from the database as part of the Archive Process or defer the deletion of data.

  • You can select the Defer Delete after Archive check box to defer the Delete Process. Use this option if you prefer to review the archived data prior to deleting data from all or selected tables. For example, after the Archive Process is complete, you can browse the Archive File to verify the data is as expected. Then, you can use the Delete Process to delete the archived data from the database.
  • You can clear the Defer Delete after Archive check box to delete archived data from the database as part of the Archive Process. If you clear this check box, the Review Archive Delete List check box is enabled.

For this scenario, clear the Defer Delete after Archive check box.

Review Archive Delete List

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

Create Report

Selecting this check box enables the Report Options. You can use Report Options to name a Report Request, and enable access to the Report Request Editor, where reporting parameters can be defined. For this scenario, leave the Create Report check box 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 file attachments identified in the Access Definition.

Compression Options
Select this button to compress the Archive File. Optim can perform compression 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 specify the type of Access Definition to be used in the Archive Request. For this scenario, select Local.

Delete Parameters

Because you have cleared the Defer Delete after Archive check box, 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 the Browse button.
  • Type the file name in the Control File box. Archive adds the default extension .cf. 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

If you click the Delete Control File button , Archive automatically deletes the Control File at the end of the process if all rows are successfully deleted from the database.

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 that exactly match rows in the Archive File, and 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.

Note: If the process ends abnormally, you can use the Restart/Retry Utility to restart the Delete Process from the last commit point. See the Common Elements Manual .
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.

Note: 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.