SAP ALE / IDOC

ALE - IDOC
_______________________________________________________________

Question & Answer

 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 1 : What is ALE?

Answer : ALE stands for application link enabling , it is a

technology use for establishing a connection (link) between
2 or multiple systems ( multiple receiver) , one systems can
be sap or non sap.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 2 : What is EDI?

Answer : EDI stands for Electronic Data interchange, it is

use for electronic exchange of business data like, purchase
order, sales order, goods receipt note etc. in a structured
format between 2 systems.
In case of EDI the data is first converted to a
uniform exchange format called as EDI format e,g ANSI,
ASC, X12, EDIFACT.
An EDI converter is use for conversion between
IDOCs and EDI format.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 3 : What is IDOC?

Answer : IDOC stands for Intermediate document it is

simply a data container, that is use for the transfer to data
between 2 systems.
IDOCS holds the data in a structured formats in the
fields of segments.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 4 : What is segments and which Tcode is use for
creating a new segment?

Answer : Segment defines the format and structure of data

records, a segment is collection of fields.
It is created with transaction code WE31.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 5 : What is idoc type, what are different types of
idoc type?

Answer : Idoc type is collection of segments, there are 2

types of idoc type, basic type and extension type.
Idoc types are created with tcode WE30
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 6 : What is message type?

Answer : A message type indicates what type of data is

stored in idoc. E,g MATMAS is for material master, DEBMAS
is for customer master etc.
New message type we can create with tcode WE81
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 7 : What is logical system which tcode is use for
creation of logical system?

Answer : It is a unique name assign to each sender and

receiver system for identification purpose. Transaction code
to create logical system is SALE/BD54
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 8 : What is RFC destination, what are different
types of RFC destination?

Answer : It stores the details of receiving system , where

the idoc has to be send, it contains the details like IP
address , client no., login credential etc. It is created only in
sender system. Transaction code SM59 and Table is RFCDES
Types of RFC destination are ABAP connection,
HTTP connection, TCP/IP connection etc.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 9 : What is RFC PORT?

Answer : RFC port is created on top of the RFC destination,

it is a channel on receiver system through which data is
send. Its also defines the medium in which data is
exchange.
Different types of ports are Transaction RFC, File,
ABAP-PI, XML File, XML HTTP
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 10 : What is Model View?

Answer : It is a object which stored the sender, receiver,

information along with message type and filtering
condition if maintained.
Transaction code : Sale/BD64 Table : TBD00
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 11 : What is Partner profile, what parameters
define a partner profile?

Answer : It stores the information about the partner system, it is

created on top of the partner logical system.
For a sender system receiver is the partner and for a
receiver system sender is a partner
• For sender,
partner profile = receiver logical system + outbound parameters i.e
message type, idoc type and port no.
• For receiver ,
partner profile = sender logical system + inbound parameter
i.e msg type and inbound process code
Transaction code : WE20 Table : EDPP1
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 12 : What is Process Code?

Answer : It is an identifier for inbound program(FM) , it

provides a link to the inbound program for reading the
incoming idoc.
Transaction code : WE42
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 13 : What type of records and idoc structure
contain?

Answer : An Idoc consists of 3 types of records

1. Control records
2. Data records
3. Status record
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 14 : What are the advantage of ALE IDOC?

Answer :
• Structured data exchanged
• Reduce the processing time
• Real time data transfer
• Error handling
• Availability of data in electronic format
• Reduce the cost
• Reduce the paper work.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 15 : What are steps for idoc extension explain
complete process.

Answer :
• Create segment with custom fields tcode WE31.
• Create idoc extension type with tcode WE30 for the idoc
basic type , assign the segment and activate and release
it.
• Assign the idoc extension type with message type and
basic type with WE82
• Enhance the output program, to fill the custom fields
data.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
• In the sender system partner profile add the extension
type in outbound parameters.
• In the receiver system do the required enhancement in
inbound Function module.
• In receiver system also add the extension type
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 16 : How to check and reprocess error IDOC?.

Answer :
First we can check error idoc with tcode WE02, then after
doing the required correction , we can re process error idoc
With BD87 tcode.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 17 : How to find out the inbound FM and debug
an inbound IDOC?

Answer : First check the process code which is assign in

partner profile for inbound parameters.
Then in tcode WE42, check the FM which is assign
to process code. Then in tcode WE19, enter the IDOC
number no. execute, select the inbound FM, enter FM name
which we have found through process code ,select check
box call in debugging mode, select radio button call in
foreground and press enter, debugger will get triggered.
.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 18 : Difference between BD87 and WE19?

Answer : With BD87 we can re-process only an idoc which

is in error status, with tcode BD87, same idoc is re-process,
idoc number does not change, only status get updated.
With WE19, a complete new idoc is created , and
the old one is kept as it is by system, we19 is mostly use as
test tool, with we19 we can even re-process an success
idoc.
.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 19 : Can we send idoc to multiple system? What
are the steps?

Answer : Yes we can send the idoc to multiple system. For

this we have to create multiple receiver logical system and
same should be add in Model View BD64.
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 20 : What is idoc conversion rule ? How to create
it?.

Answer : Conversion rules are use , when while transfer

data from sender system to receiver if we want to transfer
data with different mapped values or we can also set
constant values.
• 3 steps involve in this
1. BD62 – Create conversion rules – ID , description and
segment
2. BD55 – Assigning conversion rules message type, sender
and receiver system
3. BD79 - Maintain condition value or constant value
 SAP ALE / IDOC
Question 21 : What is change pointer ? How to activate it?
Answer : If we want to triggered the idoc , whenever data
is change or created, in this case we can do change point
activation, that is need to be configured.

▪ Activate change pointer globally – BD61

▪ Activate change pointer for idoc message type – BD50
▪ Assign Change point items to message Type - BD52
▪ Transaction To be schedule – BD21 Report RBDMIDOC
Table – BDCP