Content Repository Migration in mind ? Part III

Dear Reader,

I believe you have already gone through my earlier blog posts where I have explained the different ways in which you can perform the migration of your Content Repositories and what are differences in them. In case you have not done that, I highly recommend you to have a look here Part I and here Part II.

In this part, I would explain to you what follow up- activities you should consider after your content repository migration project is underway or it is already finished.

Before we go there I think it is necessary to take a step back and try to understand why should you really perform any follow-up activities. and to answer that question we have to go in the past where this journey began.

When you configured your SAP system to use documents/attachments related functionality, you would have been presented with different options about the storage. You can save your content in storage systems like SAP Database, RFC store, External HTTP Content Server etc. I am sure, You would have made the best choice that was available to you. You have now come to a stage where your current settings need a review and thus you started on the migration journey.

I cannot give you a perfect solution but here below is I am just trying to outline a few rules that should help you in sailing further with your attachment functionality.

You were using SAP Database as a content repository for storing attachments

You have been using SAP database for storing the attachments. As the usage of the repository increased, the content table size went on increasing. You had decided to move the documents outside the SAP system. You installed a new HTTP content server / used an existing one and performed the migration of the attachments.

Going forward, depending on your incoming data volume you can decide to continue using existing configurations and in that case, you do not need to make any changes.

If you decide to change the configurations as you have high incoming volume and you do not want to load your SAP system with the same. You can do it by following the steps mentioned below for changing the Storage category

You can also consider a Hybrid set-up where you periodically move the documents outside your SAP database using SAP Standard Report RSIRPIRL (As explained in Part I).

You were using External content repository for storing attachments.

You have been using an external content repository for storing the attachments.  Overtime for reasons like hardware change/vendor change/changing the way attachments are stored, You had decided to move the documents. You installed a new storage repository and you are performing the repository migration.

If you like to change the configurations you can follow the steps mentioned above and decide to store the new attachments in the new storage location.

Changing the storage category for Document PHIO class.

1. Execute Transaction DMWB
2. Open the PHIO class that you have used for Migration
3. Change Standard Attribute “STORAGE_CATEGORY”  and point it to the new storage category which you have created for migration.
4. Activate the PHIO class.

If you are using Archiveink application

1. Execute Transaction OAC3
2. Navigate to Object Type and Document Type combination and change the Content Repository ID to a new content repository.
3. Save the setting

FAQs

Question: But Sagar, Is there any side effect of such migration? 

Response: In an ideal world, there is no side effect in functional terms. If you were able to access the document before migration, You will be able to access the documents after migration.  Technically, there may be a small delay that can occur in case you move the documents from SAP Database to an external content server and access it from your external content server. Of course, this also depends on how you are accessing the documents, i.e. If you are accessing the documents, and How good your HTTP content server is.

Question What if I decide to move the documents using report Z_DOC_COPY? 

Response: If you have used report Z_DOC_COPY for copying the documents, Applications would still refer to the old storage category and old content repository. New documents would also be created in the old repository. If you want to save the new documents in the new repository, I would recommend the following

1. Copy the documents using report Z_DOC_COPY
2. Once the copy is complete, you can change the repository configuration and point New repository to the storage category that is being used by the application.
3. You may have some documents created in the old repository while we changed the configuration and those can be migrated by executing the report Z_DOC_COPY  again. it will pick the delta and copy the documents.

Question What if I decide to move the documents using ArchiveLink report? 

Response:  The documents are copied with a new document ID and if you have other applications that are referring to the document ID then the access would fail.

Conclusion:-

I hope the information provided above in this series should help you with making an informed decision about how you should perform the migration, what are possible ways available in ABAP for such migration, and the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.  In case if you feel that there is some information you need to make a better decision please let me know in the comments and I would try to respond to you / add those details in the Blog. Many thanks for your time and patience. Feel free to provide your feedback.

That’s all folks Bye for now till the next time.