1 of 27 DA1241 Archive Companies Last updated: March-2004 DA1241 Archive Companies.

1 of 27

DA1241 Archive Companies

Last updated: March-2004

DA1241Archive Companies

DA1241Archive Companies


Last updated: March-2004 2 of 27

Overview

Overview of Archive Companies

With your system set up to use Archive Companies functionality is provided that automatically archives the files necessary to enable particular reports / enquiries to be produced in later years – the ability to allow auditors access to key financial data for previous years is critical to a successful audit

This functionality meets the German requirement that every finance transaction should be kept in the system for 10 years with on-line read-only access provided to auditors upon request – we expect other EU countries to introduce similar laws

A new archiving mechanism has been introduced and, specifically, the audit trail records that are currently deleted at period end are included in the archive

Note that this functionality is provided as module ‘re’ and can ONLY be enabled on DATABASE platforms

Overview of Archive Companies

With your system set up to use Archive Companies functionality is provided that automatically archives the files necessary to enable particular reports / enquiries to be produced in later years – the ability to allow auditors access to key financial data for previous years is critical to a successful audit

This functionality meets the German requirement that every finance transaction should be kept in the system for 10 years with on-line read-only access provided to auditors upon request – we expect other EU countries to introduce similar laws

A new archiving mechanism has been introduced and, specifically, the audit trail records that are currently deleted at period end are included in the archive

Note that this functionality is provided as module ‘re’ and can ONLY be enabled on DATABASE platforms



Data Archived



Data Archived

The Archive Companies module enables the creation and maintenance of a yearly ‘Archive’ company

A fully built Archive Company provides read-only access to selected data tables via the standard Sage reports and enquiries to enable historical analysis of data – however, some sub-ledger reports and enquiries can be run before this point, providing the relevant data has already been archived

Only a pre-defined subset of tables, defined by the system, can be archived from the Live Company to the Archive Company

These tables are grouped by module, e.g. General Ledger (gl), and by application option, e.g. NL Year End, and are used by the user controlled (manual or automatic) and system archiving activities

Two different table types are archived:

Static Data Tables

Transaction Data Tables



Data Archived – Static Data Tables

Static Data Tables store data that is always ‘open’, i.e. the data contained within these tables is always valid and can be copied at any point into the Archive Company as part of the user controlled (manual or automatic) archiving

As static data is a snapshot at any one point in time, the time the data was copied is very important to the validity of the data

To ensure integrity of the completed Archiving Company, all static data is updated at the end of the table’s financial year (as defined by that table’s module) in order to keep the Archive static data consistent with the transactional data – this is controlled by the system archiving functionality



Data Archived – Transaction Data Tables

Transaction Data Tables store application transactions, i.e. the data has a lifecycle from initial entry to closure – transactional data is only archived when it is complete

Transaction Data Tables are usually copied on an incremental basis

Due to technical reasons, certain tables on the database cannot be handled as would be expected and cannot be archived during the financial year – system archiving, however, ensures that these tables are copied as a whole as part of the relevant year-end



Archiving Process – Diagrammatic View



Archive Companies



Directory GroupsBefore you can set up your Archive Company you must first create a directory group for the archive files – this option allows you to create the archive directory group

Before you can set up your Archive Company you must first create a directory group for the archive files – this option allows you to create the archive directory group

You must add the Directory Group Name ‘archive’ to the list of directory groups available

You must add the Directory Group Name ‘archive’ to the list of directory groups available



Working Directories

Having created the directory group you must now assign the working directory – this option allows you to create the working directory

Having created the directory group you must now assign the working directory – this option allows you to create the working directory

You must assign the working directory for each archive company required to the Directory Group ‘archive’ – you need to create an archive company for each financial year

You must assign the working directory for each archive company required to the Directory Group ‘archive’ – you need to create an archive company for each financial year

Note that the working directory is a company directory

Note that the working directory is a company directory



Working Directories

Having assigned the new working directories you must now:

License the new Archive Company(s)

Manually copy the system key table (sk_sysdir, sysdirm) from the Live Company to the Archive Company

Set the system keys in the Archive Company as follows:

set the XXFILESDD system keys to the Archive Company directory

set the XXYEAR system keys to the Archive Company year

set the XXPERIOD system keys to the first period of the Archive Company year and update subsequently as required

In the Live Company:

copy the ‘archive’ security group (via the option Security Group Maintenance) to the new Archive Company

set up users (via the option User Profiles) with read only access to an Archive Company – assign the ‘archive’ security group to them and ensure they have a start menu of main_2



Archive Companies

This option allows you to link the live company to an archive company for a specific financial year

This option allows you to link the live company to an archive company for a specific financial year

This example shows ‘Company 3’ being linked to the ‘Archive Company’ for the year 2004

This example shows ‘Company 3’ being linked to the ‘Archive Company’ for the year 2004

The archive process, whether user-controlled or system initiated, uses the xxYEAR system key value (where xx is the module) to determine which Archive company the data will be copied to

The archive process, whether user-controlled or system initiated, uses the xxYEAR system key value (where xx is the module) to determine which Archive company the data will be copied to



User ControlledArchiving



Archive Companies consists of two major activities:

1. User controlled (manual or automatic) archiving

2. System archiving

User controlled manual archiving can take place at any time

User controlled automatic archiving:

occurs when an Archive schedule is set-up and initiated

runs continually and enables a trickle feed of data of completed transactions, and if required static data changes, to the Archive Company

System archiving is the automatic archiving of certain tables at the relevant period and year-ends, a sub-set of which are ONLY archived at these times to ensure the data integrity of the Archive Company

Note that the archiving process does NOT archive system keys

Overview



Manual Archive by Option

This option allows you to archive the data tables affected by a particular option into the Archive Company

This option allows you to archive the data tables affected by a particular option into the Archive Company

To view the tables that will be archived for a particular option, highlight the option then select F4-Expand

To view the tables that will be archived for a particular option, highlight the option then select F4-Expand



Manual Archive by Option

Note that data will be removed from the transaction data tables as a result of running the option on the Live Company

Note that data will be removed from the transaction data tables as a result of running the option on the Live Company

For this example, these tables will be copied – both transaction data and static data tables are listed


Select Esc-Cancel to return to the previous form then select Enter-Archive to archive the data tables




Manual Archive by Module

This option allows you to archive the data tables relating to a particular module into the Archive Company

This option allows you to archive the data tables relating to a particular module into the Archive Company

To view the tables that will be archived for a particular module, highlight the module then select F4-Expand

To view the tables that will be archived for a particular module, highlight the module then select F4-Expand



Manual Archive by Module

Note that tables relating to other modules might be listed, e.g. general configuration tables – this is to ensure the integrity of the data copied in the module is maintained

Note that tables relating to other modules might be listed, e.g. general configuration tables – this is to ensure the integrity of the data copied in the module is maintained







There are 2 elements to automatic archiving:

what is to be archived

when it has to be archived

User Controlled Automatic Archiving



Archive Schedule Maintenance

This option allows you to define when an archiving process runs, on which days and for how long

This option allows you to define when an archiving process runs, on which days and for how long

To run a continuous archive, i.e. for 24 hours per day, every day, you must set the end time to 24 and the start time the following day to 0

To run a continuous archive, i.e. for 24 hours per day, every day, you must set the end time to 24 and the start time the following day to 0

Alternatively, you can define up to three sets of times for each day of the week

Alternatively, you can define up to three sets of times for each day of the week1 2 3



Archive Parameter Maintenance

This option allows you to define an automatic archive process linking the data to be archived to a specific schedule

This option allows you to define an automatic archive process linking the data to be archived to a specific schedule

This optional field allows you to define a separate archiving process for an individual module – you might use it if transaction volumes for the module are particularly high, for example

This optional field allows you to define a separate archiving process for an individual module – you might use it if transaction volumes for the module are particularly high, for example

You can also elect to archive only the static data tables for the module, the transaction tables for the module or both sets of tables

You can also elect to archive only the static data tables for the module, the transaction tables for the module or both sets of tables

You can create any number of automatic archive processes and start and stop them when you like – you must take care however, that if you start too many processes at the same time this could impact on the system performance – to start the archive process for the selected archive schedule, select F4-Archive

You can create any number of automatic archive processes and start and stop them when you like – you must take care however, that if you start too many processes at the same time this could impact on the system performance – to start the archive process for the selected archive schedule, select F4-Archive




When you have confirmed your decision (by selecting CR when prompted), the following message is displayed

When you have confirmed your decision (by selecting CR when prompted), the following message is displayed

Note that the archive process runs in the foreground on the PC that starts it until the process is stopped, i.e. there is no ‘escape’ action available to return to the menu – you are therefore recommended to run archive processes on a server console or a dedicated archiving PC

Note that the archive process runs in the foreground on the PC that starts it until the process is stopped, i.e. there is no ‘escape’ action available to return to the menu – you are therefore recommended to run archive processes on a server console or a dedicated archiving PC




Then select F8-Stop – if the archive is actively running it completes the current record before stopping; if the archive is 'sleeping' it will not stop until the next schedule status check, the interval of which is controlled by the system key REINTCHECK

Then select F8-Stop – if the archive is actively running it completes the current record before stopping; if the archive is 'sleeping' it will not stop until the next schedule status check, the interval of which is controlled by the system key REINTCHECK

To stop an archive process (from a different PC) for a specific archive schedule, check the Running field is set to Y, the Status is blank unless the process has already been stopped, in which case it will be set to STOP and the Process id, which will display the process number – the Process id is a sequential archive process run number, it is not a server process id number

To stop an archive process (from a different PC) for a specific archive schedule, check the Running field is set to Y, the Status is blank unless the process has already been stopped, in which case it will be set to STOP and the Process id, which will display the process number – the Process id is a sequential archive process run number, it is not a server process id number



Recommendations &PerformanceImplications



Recommendations

You are recommended to run archive processes on a server console or a dedicated archiving PC

To improve the quality of data on Archive Company after the Year End is complete you are recommended to run an automatic archive process for a module for Static tables only just before running the Year End for that module – this ensures that the ‘nice to have’ Static data tables are available in an up to date form at the end of the year-end

It is recommended that NO Cleardown or Archiving options be run on the Live Company until after the G/L Year-end is complete, i.e. the Archive Company is complete for the previous Financial Year – in addition, any cut-off date should ONLY relate to a previous financial year



Recommendations

To facilitate reporting on the Archive Company you are recommended to licence Enhanced Transaction Tracking (DA1245) on the Archive Companies – this project introduces additional range selections, including period ranges, on a variety of reports, for example the module Audit Reports

When you are ready to run the last period end in the year for a module which does not have a ‘year end’ option (e.g. there is only a Period End option in Accounts Receivable and in Accounts Payable) do NOT run the option xx_period_end – you must instead run the option xx_year_end to ensure the data is archived



Performance Implications

The time taken to archive a table is dependent on its total size and not just the number of records to be copied – if the data tables are large you are recommended NOT to repeat the archive process (manual or automatic) too frequently

Certain tables, including the General Ledger transaction table can ONLY be archived as part of running the actual year end process – this has an obvious impact on the length of time taken to complete the Year-Ends affected

The REARCH_SQL system key allows the archiving process to use an additional "not exists" SQL clause to identify those rows that do not exist in the archive table, therefore potentially reducing the time taken when archiving – this additional SQL clause is applied only if REARCH_SQL is set to "DBFilter2” – however, it should be noted that, in some circumstances, the use of the additional "not exists" SQL clause might actually cause performance to degrade

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