cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

RAR: Background Spool log files (Do we need them???)

former_member184114
Active Contributor
0 Kudos

Hi All,

As all us know that the background jobs in RAR produce the log files which are placed on the local disk of the GRC server. I have such files generated by RAR background jobs and they are infact very large.

Therefore, may anyone please tell me do we really need them going forward? What happens if I delete them permanently? From past 12 months I have been observing that the data available in background spool log files has not been used by any body in RAR.

I have also checked by completely moving these files from the specified location to another server and found that RAR is working fine. This allows me to conclude that I can delete them permanently. However, I want to have a proper justification for the same.

Can any body please help me in this?

Regrds,

Faisal

Accepted Solutions (1)

Accepted Solutions (1)

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi Faisal,

We had a similar issue at a client, as we realised that due to constraint's in allocation space and the huge volume of data being analysed within the background risk reports for an initial load for remediation, GRC was running out of space to publish the results.

If you delete the files, you will not be able to open up the connected background job results from within RAR and view it in that graphical form.

The solution taken was to create a back up of the files by exporting the necessary risk analysis reports (Excel format) and storing them in a local sharepoint in zipped format. Since then, the basis team have been keeping an eye on the disk space usage and been doing a periodic clean up and archiving. To be honest, it is a case of deciding how important the specific background job results are/were. I would export these results from RAR and then just archive them somewhere, and then free up the space if an increase on space allocation to the file area where the job spools are is not feasible.

I don't think there is a specific audit requirement to have these files available via RAR directly or anything, so as long as for your own business purpose you have it archived (if needed, or you can run the same risk analysis again if the users and role assignments have not changed since), I don't see a huge problem.

former_member184114
Active Contributor
0 Kudos

Hi Kaushal,

Thanks for your reply.

May I know how far you keep them archived. What is the best way to handle this? Also, as you said, the data can not be viewed in RAR in graphical way as it makes use of this spool, so how to determine which one is important so that we can atleast delete them?

Regards,

Faisal

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi Faisal,

The client I was working on decided to keep these BG job spools for about 6 months, but the basis team expected that the GRC business user had already made an offline export of the results in an excel file etc. Then they would delete the spools for good.

As I pointed out, if the file is removed from the actual GRC spool folder, unless GRC is not looking in that folder, you can't see the reports via the tool. Personally speaking, in most cases these BG job reports are not really looked at again as the user would have taken an extract of the report and archived that file in their own ways.

my advice is to just export the risk analysis reports in excel format from the tool, if it requires to be kept for a long period of time, and archive that in a safe place. Clearing up any other risk analysis reports performed as background jobs within the spool which are older than a period of time (e.g. 6 months like a client I had) should help you retain disk space for future job spools.

Hope this helps you decide how to manage your job spool space.

former_member184114
Active Contributor
0 Kudos

Hi Kaushal,

Thanks for your reply.

These jobs are simply scheduled eother in the background/foreground.Where do I find this option to export the spool logs in excel file? Please show me how I can extract the file in exel file and then delet them from disk.

Regards,

Faisal

Former Member
0 Kudos

Within the Background Job results - click the "result" icon of the risk analysis, then once the results page is displayed, click the very last icon, which looks like a white and green page with a yellow arrow on it, at the end which allows you to export the results in the excel file format.

Hope that helps

Answers (2)

Answers (2)

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi Faisal,

I would advise not to delete any files directly. Instead, choos adhoc background Jobs preferably older than certain period(we use 3 months to keep), and delete them. The spool files will automatically be removed with the jobs.

Periodic jobs do overwrite the files hence no need to touch them at all.

Based upon client requirement, you may change the period they would like to keep the data.

Log files are stored in different locations, hence no need ot worry about them.

Regards,

Sabita

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi Sabita,

We were also deliberating on this point,

Your suggestions of periodic deletion seems good.

Any specific issues, if we decide to set the Adhoc Risk Analysis data in database instead of file system. Is the option of deleting from databse at periodiciy will be an issue or its a lengthy and cumbersome process.

Grateful if you could provide inputs.

Regards

Hemant

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi Hemant,

"if we decide to set the Adhoc Risk Analysis data in database instead of file system. Is the option of deleting from databse at periodiciy will be an issue or its a lengthy and cumbersome process."

I don't know the option to save the Adhoc Risk analysis data in database. If there is any, please share.

I know that there is offline risk analysis and we can get risk analysis faster if we set that. In offline analysis, the data is first stored in the database. But again, as per my understanding, when we run adhoc risk analysis in background, it would store in the file system itself to later review it.

If there is other way, let us also know.

Deleting any data from database is a risky process, not recommended by SAP.

Regards,

Sabita

Edited by: Sabita Das on Nov 7, 2011 7:01 AM

former_member771067
Active Participant
0 Kudos

Hi Faisal,

Log files would be used once you'll face any issue with the application or by any component of the application. The data would never be required by the GRC tool. But the GRC people or application expert may need the log file once you encounter any issue to analyze and understand what went wrong.

If you delete them permanently also nothing will happen to the application. It'll up and running fine. But they might be required by the some one (application expert/GRC Team) to analyze the issue if anytime something happens to RAR & Job scheduling doesn't work or it gets terminated unusually after scheduling or if the doesn't return the appropriate data etc. No one generally look at the log file if everything is going well. So do one thing leaving the lat month log you can delete the rest.

But before that don't forget to check with all the stakeholders (Your GRC team/customer people associated with) before deleting them

Thanks,

Guru