CSU IST 331

Data Storage in SAP R/3

An Introduction

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander R. R. Kolb

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

Introduction

The Company SAP

What does SAP stand for ?

Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung

Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing

Some Figures

 revenues in 2003 : € 7.0 billion

 79,800 installations
 more than 23,400 companies run SAP
 30,945 SAP employees (June 2004)
 12 million users in 120+ countries
 more than 1,500 partners
 more than 60,000 students work with SAP software in business
management classes in over 500 institutions globally

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

2
Introduction

The System R/3

Logistics FI Accounting
SD Financials
Sales &
Distrbution CO
MM Controlling
Material-
Mgmt. AM
PP
R/3
Asset
Production Mgmt
planing

QM
Client / Server PS
Project-
Qualitäts
Mgmt
ABAP/4 WF
system

PM Workflow
Product
Maint. IS
HR Industry
Workflow
Human Solutions
Resources

Human Industry
Resources Solutions

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

3
Introduction

Characteristics of an ERP-System

„All combined in one“

 ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning):

Suite of integrated corporate wide software applications that
drives manufacturing, financial, distribution, human resources,
and other business functions in real time.

 Important:
One integrated system with real time information. If information
is not accurate, the system is not reliable.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

4
 Hands On 1

(You know the table)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

The Way to the Data 1

Access to Database Tables – Ver. 1 (1/2)

There are (always) several ways to get somewhere

enter
enter the
the transaction
transaction code
code
SE16 and press Enter
SE16 and press Enter

enter
enter aa table
table
double
double click
click in
in the
the name
name (e.g.
(e.g. MARA)
MARA)
Easy Access Menu
Easy Access Menu and press Enter
and press Enter

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

6
The Way to the Data 1

Excursion : The Search Button (1/3)

You don‘t know the table name – search for it !

Press
Press the
the ..
search
search button
button

Search
Search in
in the
the
Information System
Information System

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

7
The Way to the Data 1

Excursion : The Search Button (2/3)

SAP (always) gives you a lot of choices …

e.g.
e.g. enter
enter
*Material*
*Material*

The
The expressions
expressions are
are case
case sensitive
sensitive
The
The results
results for
for *material*
*material* are
are not
not
the same as for *Material* !!!
the same as for *Material* !!!

Keep
Keep the
the max.
max. of
of hits
hits in
in mind
mind !!

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

8
The Way to the Data 1

Excursion : The Search Button (3/3)

Well, now it is easy to find – or ?

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

9
The Way to the Data 1

Access to Database Tables – Ver. 1 (2/2)

From the Table to the Data

(define
(define aa filter
filter and)
and)
execute with
execute with

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

10
 Hands On 2

(You know nearly nothing)

Welcome to the club ;-))

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

The Way to the Data 2

Access to Database Tables – Ver. 2 (1/4)

From the Entry Field to the Technical Info

place
place the
the cursor
cursor in
in the
the
entry
entry field and press F1
field and press F1

select
select
Technical
Technical Information
Information

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

12
The Way to the Data 2

Access to Database Tables – Ver. 2 (2/4)

From the Technical Info to the Table / Structure Components

double-
click

change register

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

13
The Way to the Data 2

Access to Database Tables – Ver. 2 (3/4)

From the Components to the Table

Ann.:
Ann.: Further
Further
interesting
interesting displays
displays
with
with (Object
(Object List)
List)
and
and (Graphic)
(Graphic)
double-
click

display
display content
content
(or
(orSAP-Menue:
SAP-Menue:Utilities
Utilities->
->Table
Table
Contens -> Display)
Contens -> Display)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

14
The Way to the Data 2

Access to Database Tables – Ver. 2 (4/4)

From the Table to the Data

(define
(define aa filter
filter and)
and)
execute with
execute with

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

15
 The Link between Application and Database

(What academics love -> some Theory)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

The Link between Application and Database

Database-Interface

How does it work ?

Business
Business Applications
Applications
Programms of the
R/3-System
ABAP
ABAP Dictionary
Dictionary

native SQL Open SQL

native
native SQL
SQL Open
Open SQL
SQL Module
Module
Module
Module
Database-Interface
Database
Database specific
specific Layer
Layer

Relational Database

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

17
The Link between Application and Database

ABAP Dictionary (1/2)

It‘s a Repository - what is it good for ?

 Central and redundant free information storage for all application-

and systemdata in the R/3-system
 Description of the logical structure of e.g.
- Tables,
- Views,
- Dataelements,
- Domains,
- Structures
and their definition in the structures of the underlying relational
database.
 Avoidance of redundancy
(All components of the runtime environment, e.g. the business
applications or the database interface, fetch their information about
these objects directly from the ABAP Dictionary.)
 An active Dictionary that is completely integrated in the ABAP
Workbench.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

18
The Link between Application and Database

ABAP Dictionary (2/2)

An Overview

- ABAP Programs
- Dokumentation
Databasetables …
- Online Help

ABAP Dictionary

Dynpros Classes

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

19
The Link between Application and Database

Data-Elements, Domains, Data-Types …

Complex but logical

wage-payment bookings account

Tables
+ account month amount booking amount account balance
Fields no. no. no.

Data-Element booking amount balance

(semantic domain) [$] [$]

Domain
amount with 2 decimals [$]
(technical domain)

SAP Basis-Data-Typ CURR (12 digits, 2 decimals)

Database Basis-Data-Typ DEC

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

20
The Link between Application and Database

Data(base)organisation in the R/3-System

real world

Example:
Accounting
SAP-Reference-
model Logistics • Entitytyp 12127
(conceptual level)
Vendor-Invoice-Posting
HR

• View ENT2127
ABAP/4 Vendor-Invoice-Posting
Dictionary • Views
(logical level) • normalised tables • Table BSEG (clustertable)
Accounting Document
Segment

Relational
Database • Tabeble RFBLG
Database-Tables
(physical level ) (physical table)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

21
The Link between Application and Database

Tabletypes in the R/3-Repository

Transparent Tables

 1:1 relation –> one logical table matches one database table
 businessdata

39,047 transparent tables in SAP R/3 4.7 (Enterprise)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

22
The Link between Application and Database

Tabletypes in the R/3-Repository

Pool-Tables

 Several SAP-tables with the same pattern resolve in one database

table
 In the database every tupel has the information to which SAP-table
it belongs

2,022 pool tables in SAP R/3 4.7 (Enterprise)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

23
The Link between Application and Database

Tabletypes in the R/3-Repository

Cluster-Tabellen

 Several tables that belong together logically are stored in one

database table (objectwise saving)
 prerequisite: datarecords belonging together (tupel of the SAP-
tables) can be identified via the same primary key

75 cluster tables in SAP R/3 4.7 (Enterprise)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

24
The Link between Application and Database

Tabletypes in the R/3-Repository

Internal Tables

 Datastructure, that is only available during the runtime of a

program
 Can be linked to several programs
 Similar to a view

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

25
 Hands On 3

(A look to the SAP-Repository)

a bit deep-diving ;-))

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

The Way to the Data 3

First Step into the SAP-Repository

Let‘s get into IT

enter
enter the
the transaction
transaction code
code
SE84 and press Enter
SE84 and press Enter

double
double click
click in
in the
the
Easy Access Menu
Easy Access Menu

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

27
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Data Models (1/6)

Chose one out of 2,959 Data Models * !

e.g.
e.g. enter
enter *order*
*order*
and execute
and execute

*
for R/3 4.7
(Enterprise)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

28
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Data Models (2/6)

Only 125 Data Models containing „order“

double
double click
click

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

29
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Data Models (3/6)

Rather boring, but a good starting point …

have
have aa look
look at
at
the
the graphics
graphics
have
have aa look
look at
at
the
the hierarchy
hierarchy

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

30
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Data Models (4/6)

23 Representations (Entity Types) belonging to a Sales Order

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

31
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Data Models (5/6)

And here is the graphical version ;-)

Select
Select an
an entity
entity type
type
and press Dictionary
and press Dictionary

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

32
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Data Models (6/6)

You should recognize some of this !

place
place the
the cursur
cursur in
in
the field of a table
the field of a table
an
an press
press the
the Data
Data
Browser button
Browser button

run
run the
the Report
Report via
via

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

33
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Entity Types (1/6)

Chose one out of 4,622 Entity Types* !

e.g.
e.g. enter
enter *order*
*order*
and execute
and execute

*
for R/3 4.7
(Enterprise)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

34
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Entity Types (2/6)

Over 200 Entity Types containing „order“

double
double click
click

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

35
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Entity Types (3/6)

Again rather boring, but a good starting point …

have
have aa look
look at
at
the
the where
where used
used

have
have aa look
look at
at
the
the dictionary
dictionary

have
have aa look
look at
at
the relations
the relations

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

36
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Entity Types (4/6)

The incoming relationships with their cardinality

try
try aa double
double click
click :-)
:-)

what
what does
does CC :: CN
CN …
…
stand for
stand for ??

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

37
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Entity Types (5/6)

The Dictionary (you should know this !)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

38
The Way to the Data 3

A Look at the Entity Types (6/6)

Where is this Entity used ?

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb

39
 That‘s „IT“

I hope it was a bit interesting and you learnd

something you can utilize in the future

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kolb