Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Getting Started:
Database Essentials

Moving archival data off the production machine

It is important to fully understand how archived data will be used, if at all, before making any plans to move it off of the production system. Some users might want to purge the data, but you should first archive the data so if at a later date it can be easily recovered, if necessary. Your archive method can be as simple as a tape; however, it is important to remember that you might need to read this tape in the future. It will do you no good if it contains data in a format you can no longer use. For your database, it is always advisable to archive the data in a standard OpenEdge format. For your application, you should archive the information to a format that will not depend on third-party software.