Business-critical ERP applications, such as Oracle E-Business Suite, represent an ongoing corporate investment, empowering new business initiatives, supporting daily operations and driving revenue generation. They also collect and accumulate a wealth of business information – a valuable asset that must be managed and preserved throughout its lifecycle. Companies worldwide are affirming the value of database archiving as a best practice for managing application data growth. The basic principles for managing an archiving project presented in this paper can help you initiate and plan an archiving strategy that meets your organization’s requirements.