Configuration of the Outboard DataTiering ERP is logically divided into configuration steps required on the Outboard service side and Archiving Client side.

Outboard Service
1. Set up and activate Outboard HTTP service in ICF
2. Set up Storage connection in Storage Management
3. Define Source ID as archiving client identifier
4. Assign Storage to the Source ID
Archiving Client
1. Define Content Repository
2. Send system security certificate to the Outboard Service
3. Verify and allow the security certificate by the Outboard Service

Outboard Service

ICF HTTP Service

Transaction code: SICF

→ MANUAL STEP – Requires separate setup on each system (no transports)

The Outboard is deployed as an ICF (Internet Communication Framework) HTTP service running locally on the system. The service definition is delivered out of the box. Parameters requiring attention are listed and described in the table below. Once it is configured, activate the service.

Parameter	Value	Description
Server Path	/default_host/dvd_crp_http	Host URL of the ICF service. This path is part of the host script identification in the Content Repository definition.
Logon Group	<optional>	The logon group delimits application servers that are used to execute incoming HTTP requests from an archiving client.
Service User	<mandatory>	Service user which executes incoming HTTP requests from an archiving client.
Handler	/DVD/CRP_HAL_CL_REQ_HANDLER	Request handler class of the Outboard^TM DataTiering solution.
SSL	Not required – running within an internal network	Requirement to use secured communication
Authentication	Standard SAP User	Only SAP users may request service

Cockpit

Transaction: /DVD/CRP

Service side provides a single point of access that you can use to complete the necessary setup steps.

Menu bar contains the following information:

Service status
- if the service is inactive please follow the previous section ICF HTTP Service
Application logs of service
- each time service is used new application logs are written

Main area contains links to setup steps.

Particular setup steps are described in more in subsequent sections.

License

To be able to use the Outboard service you need to request and install the license first.

How to install license

When you access cockpit transaction /DVD/CRP without a valid license you will be reminded to install the license, just click yes.

When you click yes, the license form will appear

Now click on the button Ask for license, this will automatically collect all necessary information required for license generation and send it to our support team.

When you get a reply from our support team please copy the license key and validity date back to the license for and confirm.

How to check/change license details

Use the cockpit transaction and click on the Datavard button and chose License.

Storage definition

Follow setup of a Storage ID as described in the chapter Storage Management.

If you want to use data validation functionality, please turn on the hash calculation for the created storage ID.

Source definition

Transaction code: /DVD/CRP_SRC

→ Changes are written to the workbench transport request

Archiving client represented by a system and a content repository is recognized by the Outboard as a Source. The Source definition in Outboard customizing refers to the content repository D1 and is shown in the table below:

Property	Description	Value Example
Source ID	Unique source identifier. Recommended naming convention: <system line or ID>_<content repository defined in source>	E1_D1 … System line E1 with systems E1D, E1Q, E1P
Source Description	Short description of the source.	System Line E1, Content Rep. D1
Source SID	[Optional] SID of the source system. <initial> = empty	n/a
Source Client	[Optional] Client of the source system. <initial> = 0 (zero)	n/a
Content Repository ID	Content repository defined in the source that is being identified by the source ID. (1:1 mapping)	D1
Folder Full Path	[internal use only] Virtual folder path used for the categorization of documents. Follows the name of the Source ID.	/E1_D1
No Signature (checkbox)	The property indicates whether the operations must be secured with a signature or not. <not checked> = signature must be present	<not checked>

Example Values of the properties Source SID and Source Client in the table above are <initial>. The reason for this is to have an unified customizing utilizable by all system levels which simplifies transportability as well as future maintenance.

Initial values of the properties do not influence the functionality of the solution - these properties have informative character.

When the “No Signature“ option is On and then switched Off, all documents that have been stored in the meantime can not be accessed without the signature.

Source to storage mapping

Transaction code: /DVD/CRP_SRC_SM

→ Changes are written to the workbench transport request

Each individual Source must be mapped to a target Storage ID which identifies the storage connector and its corresponding customizing. This enables the distribution of different data categories into dedicated storage locations – different storages or just different containers (folders). Mapping of the Source D1 to a Storage ID is shown in the table below:

Property	Description	Value Example
Source ID	Unique source identifier. Defined in the Outboard DataTiering’s Source customizing.	E1_D1
Storage ID	Unique storage identifier. It is defined in the Storage Management customizing.	ARCH_STOR
Storage Type	Type of storage connector.	<storage type>
Binary Container ID	Prefix for a container name. The container is equivalent to a folder in file-system-like storage.	E1-d1-

The Binary Container ID (container name prefix) must conform to naming rules of the Binary Storage platform.

Archiving Client

Content repository Definition

Transaction code: OAC0

→ Can be assigned to a transport request

The archiving client connects with the archiving service using Content Repository definition. Once setup ends, perform a connection test.

Content Repository connecting to the Outboard service: D1

Property	Description	Value Example
Content Rep.	Content Repository name.	D1
Description		Datavard Outboard – <storage type> Content Repository
Document Area	Communication interface.	<depends on data to be stored>
Storage Type	Repository type.	HTTP content server
Protocol	Protocol is required in case there is a need for a specific application to be used to display ArchiveLink document attachments.	n/a
Version no.	ArchiveLink protocol version.	0047
HTTP Server	Host name of target storage service. The Outboard service runs locally on the same SAP system, therefore it must be the system hostname.	<system host name>
Port Number	HTTP port number of the system.	8000
HTTP Script	Content Server path on the Web server with Outboard’s Source ID.	dvd_crp_http/E1_D1
SSL	Requirement to use secured communication	Not required – running within an internal network
Basic Path	File path for asynchronous storing of archived data.	<ideally the same as the phys. path in the logical file path used as staging folder for archiving>
Archive Path	File path for archive file retrieval.	<ideally the same as the phys. path in the logical file path used as staging folder for archiving>
No signature	Forging communication without signature verification. Accepted if the Outboard Service is in the “No signature” mode too.	<empty>

Security Certificate for Outboard Service

Transaction code: OAC0

The system’s public security certificate MUST be sent to the Outboard Service to ensure it can validate security signatures of incoming data.

Verification and Approval of Client Security Certificate

Transaction code: /DVD/CRP_HAL_CERT

Each archiving client trying to communicate and manage data in Outboard Service must be verified and approved by an administrator. Without an approved certificate signature verification fails and consequently, the requested operation is aborted.

Verification

Verification, whether the communication from an Archiving client to an External Storage has been correctly set, is performed

Running the connection test for the Content Repository definition
Running Storage Check-in Storage Management configuration cockpit

The additional check can be performed using the SAP program RSCMST, see more details provided in the SAP Note 1482012 - Check the connection to the content server.

Retention management

Retention management enables content repository to delete stored document when its retention period is over. The functionality itself is provided by integration with the product Datavard DataFridge. There are a few steps that you need to accomplish before you can start using retention management.

Please note that retention management can be currently used only for archiving files created and stored using transaction SARA.

Prerequisites

Datavard DataFridge transports imported the system. License for product Datavard DataFridge and Datavard Glue is required.

Extended cockpit

If you chose to use our service also with Retention management and you imported all relevant transports to the system your product cockpit will be automatically extended with Retention management setup steps.

Please read the complete section to do the proper configuration of retention management.

Archiving object customization

To register archived file into retention management we need to identify two values:

Retention date
Legal entity

To be able to get these values you need to specify which table and field contain this information for all archiving objects you want to use retention management.

How to identify retention date and legal entity

Archiving object file contains data of multiple tables, you have to choose one table which field will be used to identify retention date and legal entity.

Firstly you have to identify the tables used in the archived object:

Open DB15 transaction
Fill desired archiving object

Now you know how to identify tables that could be used for the specified archiving object. Based on your retention management policy chose a table that contains the required information.

For example, if you choose archiving object BC_SBAL, you would probably use header table BALHDR and legal entity field OBJECT and retention date ALDATE

Retention date field needs to contain date information (at least year is required) otherwise registration of file could fail with parsing error.

How to fill customizing

Transaction: /DVD/CRP_RM_SETUP

If you already identified the retention date and legal entity field, you can now fill in the customizing using the mentioned /DVD/CRP_RM_SETUP transaction.

Click on the New entry button
Fill required fields
Click on the Execute button

Example for BC_SBAL

Logical system setup

In order to use retention management, you need to set up a logical system in Datavard DataFridge and pair it with the required sources created for the Outboard service. Each source in which files should be subject to retention management needs to have a defined logical system. This can give you the possibility of multiple scenarios.

One logical system for one source
One logical system for multiple sources

You can choose based on your use case preferences. However we recommend having a second option, so you have multiple sources mapped to one logical system.

Creation of logical system

Transaction: /DVD/RMX_SARA_SETUP

Before you create a logical system you need to know for which archiving object/s will be used. The setup report will generate so-called business objects (for each Archiving object) and assign it to a logical system.

Report parameters

Parameter	Description
Source System ID	Source System ID and Source sys. The client is used for the creation of a new logical system name. New name will be created as follows: <Source System ID>_<Source sys. Client> Created logical system will be automatically used for registration of archiving files from sources that have set identical System ID and Client on Source definition (transaction /DVD/CRP_SRC). Kindly find more information below in the section How to pair the logical system to the source. Note that System ID doesn't need to be the ID of a real system and also apply to Client, it is possible to choose it freely.
Source sys. Client
Archiving Object	List of archiving object that will be assigned as business objects to the system.
Storage ID for gen. objects	Transparent storage ID where required tables will be generated. Storage ID created for the primary database is used in most cases.
Package for generated objects	Name of development package where generated tables will be created. You can use also the local package $TMP.

How to pair a logical system to source

Outboard service can store files into multiple sources. If you want to register files from a particular source to retention management you need to map it to a logical system.

Source system definition contains the following two fields:

SID - Source System ID
Client - Source Client

These fields need to be set identically as Source System ID and Source sys. Client during the creation of a logical system.

Example of mapping

Logical system creation

Source definition

As a result, the logical system DV_111 will be created and linked from source DV_CR.

Retention definition

Another required step is to set a retention definition. There are two options on how to set retention for the archive file:

Generally for complete archiving object
Specifically for the legal entity of archiving object

This is possible only for sessions/files that contain only one legal entity

Specific retention for archiving objects and legal entities can be set in the transaction.

Set retention for complete archiving object

You are able to set default retention for archiving object, this retention will be applied when

No retention rules are defined for a specific legal entity
Archiving file contains more than one legal entity value

You can set default retention by following the step list:

Open transaction /DVD/RMX_EXPERT
Double click on tree node /DVD/RMX_OBJDIR: Object directory
- node location in tree: /OutBoard DataFridge/Metadata Management/General/Business Object Maintenance/
Fill Object Identifier with the name of <logical system>.<archiving object> and execute
- example DV_111.BC_SBAL
Click on the Edit entry button
Fill desired Retention period and Retention period unit and execute

Set retention for specific archiving object and legal entity

Transaction: /DVD/RMX_SARA_RET

If your use case requires a definition of specific retention for legal entity value, firstly you need to make sure that archiving files in fact sessions fulfill the following prerequisite.

All records in the archive file have the same legal entity value

Therefore you need to consider this before you start with the creation of archive variants in the SARA transaction.

Retention then can be set using the following step list:

Open transaction /DVD/CRP
Double click on the Retention definition tree node
- Click on the New entry button
- Fill in the following details
  - Object Identifier - <logical system>.<archiving object>
  - Legal entity - legal entity value relevant for arching object
  - Retention and Retention Period
- Execute

Automatic reg. document parameters

Registration of stored documents is a necessary step to be able to use retention management. This can be done manually or automatically when the document is successfully stored in the storage. Here you can find how to activate automatic registration.

Open transaction /DVD/CRP
Double click on Automatic reg. document parameters tree node
- Fill tool as CRP_RM
- Find parameter REG_RET_ENABLED
  - Click on the Edit button
  - Set value to X
  - Confirm

Automatic registration will be automatically executed after the next successful store task. Technically registration will be executed in a separate job with jobname: DVD_RM_REG_DOCUMENT

Manual registration of the document

There are scenarios when you would need to register documents manually. For example, you used our content repository without retention management and now you want to use it for already stored files. Also when an error occurs during automatic registration and you solved the reason why it is failed, you would like to catch up also this document to retention management. Here you can find the described report you can use.

Open transaction /DVD/CRP
Double click on Manual registration of the document

Report parameters

Parameter name	Description
Source ID	Source ID where documents are stored
Register only new documents	Register that was added after the last execution of this report with this option If you want to check the last execution timestamp please follow: Steplist Open transaction /DVD/RL_SETT_EXPERT Fill tool CRP_RM Check parameter value with name <Source ID>_LAST_TS
Re/Register selected documents	Register documents from source ID defined by select option Document ID
Document ID	Fill document IDs that should be registered, this is valid only for option Re/Register selected documents

Logs

For each execution of the report, an application log is created. This applies to manual as well as automatic registration. You can find detailed information about the registered documents.

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