How to Safely Decommission a Custom Table With Active References?

[KrushnakumaT]

Hi Community,

I need to decommission a custom table that has around 2500 records. The challenge is that several existing RITMs reference this table. Actually we shouldn't delete the table directly because it will break those reference fields and cause data integrity issues.

What is the recommended best practice for retiring such a table?
Should we migrate the data, update references, mark records inactive, or follow a different approach?

Also, can ACLs be used as part of the decommissioning strategy—for example, to restrict access instead of fully deleting the table? If yes, what is the right way to use ACLs in this scenario?

Looking for guidance or best‑practice steps from others who have handled similar scenarios.

Thanks!

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @KrushnakumaT 

Deleting a custom table is not as straightforward as suggested, since you already have record references to the same data.

What I would suggest is this: first, create an ACL and use a function to allow read-only access (no write). Then identify records that have already been closed for 1–2 years, including cancelled ones. If those records are still required for reporting purposes, move them to a new module. If needed, ask the team to formally close them, and then proceed with deleting the data or the table.

As a safety measure, make sure to keep a backup of the data, as it may be needed in the future.

[Ankur Bawiskar]

@KrushnakumaT 

My thoughts:

-> don't delete as it might break the references

-> use ACL to lock those records

-> you can use archival if needed on those

💡 If my response helped, please mark it as correct ✅ and close the thread 🔒— this helps future readers find the solution faster! 🙏