The SAP application server cannot write data from attachments or special tables such as cluster and pool tables, directly to an external drive. For this reason, you must provide a connection between the SAP application server and the Data Archive staging area.
You can connect the SAP application server and the Data Archive staging area in one of the following ways:
Use FTP
Use NFS
Informatica recommends the FTP option.
FTP Option
To use the FTP option, install the FTP server on the same location as the Data Archive staging area. Specify the SAPFTP properties. Provide the FTP connection details such as location and log-in credentials when you configure the source connection.
When you retire an SAP application, Data Archive first moves the attachments and the data from the special tables to the file system on the SAP application server. Then, Data Archive pushes the files to the FTP folder in the staging area.
The following image shows the SAP application retirement architecture with the FTP option:
NFS Option
To use the NFS option, create a mount point on the file system of the SAP application server. Specify the mount point location when you configure the source and target connections.
When you retire an SAP application, Data Archive loads the attachments and the data from the special tables to the Data Archive staging area through the shared file system.
The following image shows the SAP application retirement architecture with the FTP option: