The approach to writing BDC program is to
To use parameter IDs, you need to “set” values in the global memory area and then “get” values from this parameter ID memory area. In the case of the online program, you have to “Set” values from screen fields, and you will “get” these values for screen fields.
Variables are parameters of a query that are set in the parameter query definition and are not filled with values until the queries are entered into the workbooks.
It is the standard data type object; it exists only during the run time of the program.
Check the table will be at field level checking
Value table will be at domain level checking
Transparent table will exist with the same structure both in the dictionary as well as in the database exactly with the same data and fields.
SAP ABAP is the programming language used within SAP to customize, generate forms, generate reports, etc. While SAP basis is, the administration module of SAP used to control code changes, upgrades, database admin, network setup, etc.
In the SAP source system, extractors are a data retrieval mechanism. It can fill the extract structure of a data source with the data from the SAP source system datasets.
BDC stand for Batch Data Communication. The methods of BDC are:
ALE: Application Linking enabling
IDOC: Intermediatary documents
EDI: Electronic data interchange
RFC: Remote function call
To create a table in the data dictionary, you have to follow these steps:
Pooled tables are used to store control data. Several pooled tables can be united to form a table pool. Table tool is a physical table on the database in which all the records of the allocated pooled tables are stored.
SAP Master Data Governance (MDG) is a state-of-the-art master data management solution, providing out-of-the-box, domain-specific master data governance to centrally create, change, and distribute, or to consolidate master data across your complete enterprise system landscape.
Bex means Business Explorer. It allows end user to locate reports, analyze information, view reports and can execute queries. The queries in workbook can be saved to their respective roles in the Bex browser. It has following components Bex analyzer, Bex Map and Bex web.
“Reason Codes” are tags that can be allocated to describe under/overpayments during the allocation of incoming customer payments. They should not be mixed up with “void reason codes” used when outgoing cheques are produced.
Netweaver is an integrated technology platform such that all the products in the mySAP suite can run on a single instance of netweaver known as SAP Web Application Server (SAP WEBAs).
The advantage of using Netweaver is you can access SAP data using the web (http protocol) or even mobile. Thus you can save on costs involved in training users on SAP Client side GUI.
There are many industry specific solutions that SAP provides apart from the list of modules above which is ever growing.
OLAP: OLAP stands for Online Analytical Processing it is a reporting tool configured to understand your database schema, dimensions and composition facts
Data Mining: It is an analytic process to explore data in search of consistent patterns or systematic relationship between variables.
SAP R/3 – It succeds SAP R/2 and is market leader in ERP. R/3 stands for three tier architecture i.e. Presentation, Logic and Data tier. It has many modules like SD , FI , HR etc which encompass almost all enterprise departments.
mySAP – It is a suite of SAP products which apart from SAP R/3 also includes SRM, PLM, CRM, SCM.
Business Warehouse uses a data warehouse and OLAP concepts for analyzing and storing data While the R/3 was intended for transaction processing. You can get the same analysis out of R/3, but it would be easier from a BW.
Variables are used in different application:
The different types of source system in SAP are:
The application layer of a R/3 system is made up of the application server and the message server. Application programs in an R/3 system run on application servers. Using the message server, the application servers communicate with presentation components, the database and also with each other. All the data are stored in a centralized server, which is known as a database server.
Company in SAP is the highest organizational unit for which financial statements like profit and loss statements, balance sheets can be drawn according to the requirement of organizations. A single company contains one or many company codes. All the company codes in SAP must use same COA (chart of accounts) and fiscal year.
An ODS object serves to store debugged and consolidated transaction data on a document level. It defines a consolidated dataset from one or more info-sources. This data-set can be evaluated with a Bex query or Infoset query. The data of an ODS object can be updated with a delta update into InfoCubes or other ODS object in the same system or across systems. In contrast to multi-dimensional data storage with InfoCubes, the data in ODS object is stored in transparent, flat database tables.
AWB stands for Administrator Workbench. It is a tool for monitoring, controlling and maintaining all the processes connected with data staging and processing in the business information warehousing.
ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning Software and is a integrated computer based system used to manage a company’s resources effectively. It ensures smooth information amongst various departments in an enterprise or a company and manages workflows.
If the data in one of the base tables of a matchcode ID changes, the matchcode data has to be updated. The update type stipulates when the match-code has to be updated and how it has to be done. The update type also defines which method is to be used for building match-codes.
The star schema consists of the fact tables and the dimension tables. The master data related tables are kept in separate a table, which has reference to the characteristics in the dimension tables. These separate tables for master data are termed as the Extended Star Schema.
In certain industries, it is not possible to create new master records for every vendor trading partner. One-time vendor enables for a dummy vendor code to be used on invoice entry and the information that is normally stored in the vendor master, is keyed on the invoice itself.
Three stages of data-mining includes:
Meta Data: Meta Data is data about Data. It tells you about the structure of data or MetaObjects.
Master Data: This Data is key business information like Customer information , Employee , Materials etc. This is more like a reference data. For Ex. If a customer orders 10 units of your product instead of asking customer for his shipping address 10 times , the same can be referenced from the Customer Master Data.
Transaction Data: This is data related to day to day transactions.
While executing the SAP Payment Run the standard stages of SAP includes:
Entering of parameters: It includes entering company codes, vendor accounts, payment methods, etc.
Proposal Scheduling: The system proposes list of invoices to be paid
Payment booking: Booking of the actual payments into the ledger
Printing of Payment forms: Printing of payment forms.
Yes, you can run business warehouse without R/3 implementation. You have to simply transfer structures associated with business warehouse data sources (ODS table, Infocube) to the inbound data files or use third party tools to connect your flat files and other data sources.
Different layers in R/3 system includes: