Re: Cutting down GL records -archiving/purging

A technique I have used a number of times with BPCS (and other ERP 
conversions) works perfectly for all history-based files. It would not 
work for master files. It goes something like this:

1) Run a full conversion of all files from Live to a test system.
2) Identify a number of key history file that are huge and make a safe 
copy of these, away from the test system before users get their hands on 
it.
3) For each file, work out a safe 'cut-off' point where data is 
effectively obsolete but nobody has the confidence to agree to get rid of 
it. For example, all records on GHH and GLH may be completely closed for 
2005 and earlier but no one would want to remove these. If you have been 
running V6 of BPCS for a number of years, you may easily have 10m records 
+ prior to 2005.
4) For next test conversion (or Live conversion if you're brave), prior to 
beginning the exercise (but once all users are off the system), take a 
copy of the files involved, then simply truncate these files so that they 
only contain records from 2005 onwards. 
5) Run the conversion - it should run much more quickly as many records 
have been taken out of the process.
6) Copy the records from the ALREADY-CONVERTED files (see step 1)  which 
contain records prior to 2005 back into the truncated file. However, bear 
in  mind this bit may take some time.

This process will save a huge amount of time and is very simple so offers 
the benefit of clarity. When I have used this before, I have identified 
the largest BPCS files and concentrated on those (history) files. 
Obviously the more files you do this with, the more time you save at the 
crucial go-live conversion time. 

If you have any queries please feel free to contact me off-line.

Vince Hindson



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