Archiving campaigns and flowcharts

The Unica Campaign application does not provide an automated way to archive retired marketing campaigns or flowcharts. However, you can back up the required files, then use the Unica Campaign user interface to delete unneeded campaigns and flowcharts.

About this task

There are several tables in the Unica Campaign system database that contain data about the status of flowcharts. However, those tables do not provide complete information to determine if Unica Campaign projects or flowcharts can be archived and purged.

To develop an archiving solution that is tailored to your needs, consult with Professional Services. If that is not possible, you can perform the steps below.

The following procedure is a manual process, but it will keep the system clean and will remove all associated components in the file system and the system tables.

Procedure

  1. Use the following information to determine if the flowchart can be archived:
    • Examine the log files for each flowchart and flowchart session to determine the last run/modified date and time stamp.
    • Check to see whether there are any triggers related to the campaign that will execute the campaign depending on some activity.
    • Check to see whether there are any schedules related to the campaign flowchart. In the case of a response flowchart, confirm that the time for taking responders into account has passed.
  2. When a determination is made to archive certain campaigns and flowcharts, take a snapshot of the database and the Unica Campaign file directory structure at Campaign/partitions/partition[n]. You do not need to back up the tmp folder within Campaign/partitions/partition[n].

    If you have clustered listeners, also back up all of the files and folders in the location specified by Campaign|campaignClustering|campaignSharedHome.

    Important: It is extremely important that you complete BOTH a file directory backup AND a database snapshot at the exact same time. Unica Campaign renders the GUI based on the database, but there must also be an OS object for the associated database object. For best results, contact Professional Services before attempting a backup.
  3. Use the Unica Campaign user interface to manage campaigns and flowcharts in folders. The guidelines below use six months and twelve months as an example. Depending on your business rules and legal requirements, your timelines may vary:
    1. Create an archive folder, then create month subfolders within it.
    2. At six months, move the campaigns and flowcharts to a month subfolder in the archive directory.
    3. At twelve months, delete the month folder and all campaigns in it.
    Important: To maintain the integrity of the file system, and because tables have entity relationships, we recommend that you use the Unica Campaign user interface to delete campaigns and flowcharts.

What to do next

The key to restoring objects (as is the key to archiving) is that Unica Campaign needs both a database entry and a file on the OS to create valid objects in Unica Campaign. Professional Services can assist with a backup and recovery strategy.