Archiving Data to Flat Files

The AR-DCDTF background process calls an algorithm that copies the data to a flat file then deletes it from the product environment. This background process selects the archive root instructions related to approved archive root objects (they were set to approved in Step 3: Recursive Integrity Check), groups them by their Primary root object, and calls the Archive Copy Data algorithm specified on the DB process instruction.

The algorithm copies the records to the path and file specified as parameters to the algorithm. We have provided sample algorithms for archiving meter read data to a file. If you want to use AR-DCDTF for other archive jobs, you must develop your own algorithms using ARCD-MR as an example. If a validation or other error occurs while writing to the flat file, the program stops execution. You must manually delete the flat files and restart the background process.

This background process processes archive root objects related to the specified Archive & Copy to File DB process. You specify the DB process as a parameter on the batch control.

Execute Processing Algorithms and Delete Production Data and Root Objects

After the flat files are written, the background process performs the following steps:

• For each table in the archive root object's maintenance object hierarchy that has a key table, the program updates the key value record related to the archived record with the universal environment identifier of the supporting archive environment. This is the archive environment into which you should subsequently load the flat files. Refer to Inter-Database Foreign Key References.
• If there are processing algorithms associated with the archive root instruction being processed, both programs execute them before the data is deleted. These algorithms resolve foreign key references on production data that reference the subset of data to be archived. They may also resolve aggregate summaries (e.g. updating a summary adjustment to maintain a service agreement balance).
• The program deletes the archive root objects and archive root instructions for the DB process.