3506658 - How to accelerate logical deletion when clearing the giant backlog of messages that have piled up over years

The database of Integration Server (Process Integration ABAP stack) or local Integration Engine (e.g. ECC or S/4HANA systems) is growing and messages need to be removed from DB. In general all the messages can be divided into the following three types:

Type 1 - messages are not in retention period and with final status so that they can be deleted.
Type 2 - messages are not in retention period but do not have final status so that they cannot be deleted.
Type 3 - messages are in retention period so that they cannot be deleted.

Report RSXMB_SHOW_REORG_STATUS and RSXMB_SHOW_STATUS in t-code SE38 can give an overview. When there are a very large number of messages in DB tables, most of them can be deleted and only a small part of messages cannot be deleted, switch deletion procedure can be considered. It can be activated via transaction SXMB_ADM > Configure delete procedure > Switch Procedure Activated (Selected) and save change as below:

Deletion job SAP_BC_XMB_DELETE_<client> is scheduled. If the switch procedure is chosen and a specific fill grade of the table is reached as explained in SAP Note 872388, the switch procedure starts automatically in deletion job SAP_BC_XMB_DELETE_<client>. There are three steps to deal with these messages:

Step 1 - Messages of Type 1 are deleted logically. The table entries are not physically deleted from the database tables. Instead, logically deleted flag is set.
Step 2 - Messages of Type 2 and 3 will be copied to new container.
Step 3 - The original container in the database is dropped and messages of Type 1 with logically deleted flags are removed from DB.

However sometimes it was grossly neglected the reorganization of the data over an extended period of time, clearing the giant backlog of messages that have piled up over years obviously will take quite some time. For example, check the job logs of deletion job SAP_BC_XMB_DELETE_<client> in t-code SM37 or run report RSXMB_TABLE_SWITCH_CONTROL in t-code SE38, it is observed that step 1 - add logically deleted flags might take several days.

Here how to accelerate logically deletion will be introduced.

Image/data in this KBA is from SAP internal systems, sample data, or demo systems. Any resemblance to real data is purely coincidental.

• Process Integration (ABAP stack)
• Local Integration Engine

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