Step 1 - Create Primary Archive Root Objects

When you submit the first step in an archive or purge procedure, the program attempts to build and store archive root objects. Archive root objects drive the subsequent steps in an archive or purge procedure. Archive root objects represent the subset of production data to be archived or purged. Archive root objects are transient, as they only exist during an archive or purge procedure. Archive root objects reference the primary key value of the Primary table of the maintenance object specified on a DB process instruction.

This step creates archive root objects for the maintenance object specified on the DB process' Primary DB process instruction. We'll call these Primary archive root objects.

Remember:

A DB process specifies the batch control used to submit the "first step" in an archive or purge procedure.
A DB process' Primary DB process instruction specifies a maintenance object
A maintenance object specifies its Primary table.
A table specifies its Primary key constraint.

Note: Test Mode. You can specify a parameter on the batch control that prevents this background process from actually creating archive root objects. When executed in test mode, this step writes information about the archive root objects to a trace file.

Apply Table Rules

The program applies table rules related to the Primary DB process instruction (table rules related to Child DB process instructions are applied later). A table rule's override instruction (WHERE clause) prevents archive root objects from being created unless the data meets the condition.

Fastpath: Refer to Table Rules Also Exclude Records for more information on setting up table rules.

Execute Criteria Algorithms

As Primary archive root objects are being created, the program executes criteria algorithms specified on the Primary DB process instruction. The program passes the primary key values of the Primary table data of potential Primary archive root objects to the criteria algorithms. If a criteria algorithm returns a false (do not archive/purge), the program does not create an archive root object for the data.

Fastpath: Refer to Criteria Algorithms Exclude Records for more information on setting up criteria algorithms.

Create Archive Root Instructions For Archive Root Objects

For each archive root object stored by this step, the program stores an archive root instruction that links the archive root object and its DB process instruction. An archive root instruction references the archive root object that caused it to be stored and that archive root object's Primary archive root object. At this time, the program is creating root instructions for the Primary DB process instruction; so a root instruction's Primary root object reference and Child root object reference are the same archive root object. When we examine how the program creates Child archive root objects, it becomes clear that archive root instructions provide a cross-reference of Primary and Child archive root objects that are processed together as a group.