Best Practices for SAP Data Archiving
SAP data archiving is a mission-critical function—not just for reducing database size, but for driving compliance, performance, and long-term sustainability in enterprise systems. When implemented effectively, archiving can transform how your organization manages data across its lifecycle. Below are key best practices every SAP architect, administrator, and data governance lead should follow.
1. Start with a Data Footprint Analysis
Before initiating any archiving activity, conduct a comprehensive analysis of your system’s data footprint. Identify large tables, transaction-heavy modules (such as FI, MM, SD), and aging data that is no longer needed in the live database. Tools like TAANA and DB02 can help in understanding volume patterns and setting priorities.
2. Define a Clear Archiving Strategy Aligned with Business Goals
Work with business process owners, compliance officers, and IT to define:
- Which modules and objects should be archived
- What the retention and access policies are
- When and how archived data will be accessed
- Which users need archive access post-deletion
3. Use the Right Archiving Objects and Tools
SAP provides archiving objects for every module (e.g., FI_DOCUMNT for financial documents, MM_MATBEL for material documents). These should be managed via Transaction SARA, supported by the Archive Development Kit (ADK). Don’t improvise—use SAP’s provided structures to ensure reliability and supportability.
4. Schedule Archiving Regularly
Archiving isn’t a one-time activity. Set up regular archiving jobs—monthly, quarterly, or based on transaction volume—to keep the system optimized. Automate job monitoring and incorporate archival into your standard operations calendar.
5. Test in a QA Environment First
Always validate archiving policies, jobs, and data retrieval processes in a sandbox or QA system before going live. This prevents unintentional data loss and ensures alignment with audit and reporting requirements.
6. Integrate with Certified Archive Storage
Archived data must be stored securely and remain accessible. Use ArchiveLink or WebDAV-compliant storage solutions to ensure tamper-proof long-term retention. This also ensures compatibility with SAP ILM and future system decommissioning needs.
7. Enable Legal Hold and Retention Rules via ILM
With SAP ILM, you can define retention periods, legal holds, and destruction rules. This not only supports compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR but also automates governance, ensuring no unauthorized deletions occur.
8. Maintain Full Auditability and Transparency
Ensure that every archiving process is auditable. Archive logs, metadata, and document relationships should be retrievable during audits. SAP’s Document Relationship Browser (DRB) and data extraction tools support this need.
9. Train Key Users and Monitor Access
Provide access to archived data for end users who require it. Train them on archive retrieval methods and ensure authorizations are role-based and logged. This improves adoption and reduces pressure on IT.
10. Revisit and Adjust Regularly
Your archiving strategy must evolve as your business and legal environment changes. Reassess object priorities, retention rules, and compliance risks at least annually. Update policies and job configurations accordingly.
Conclusion
Archiving in SAP is a proactive, strategic discipline—not a reactive fix. By applying these best practices, organizations can ensure that data remains a valuable asset, not a performance liability. The result: faster systems, lower costs, and bulletproof compliance across every business function.
Author: Kumar – SAP Data Archiving & ILM Consultant