This Blog gives an overview of the SAP TDMS HCM solution. Here I assume that you have some basic knowledge and understanding for the TDMS solution.
SAP TDMS (Test Data Migration Server) is a high-speed data extraction tool that populates development, test, quality assurance, and training systems with SAP business data from a live productive environment.
The solution also provides scrambling functionality for sensitive HCM data i.e the personal details of employees can be scrambled before transfer.
Advantages of using TDMS4HCM
- Possibility of flexible selection of personnel numbers and structures.
- Scrambling: Sensitive employee Data is scrambled in the sender system and then transferred.
- Integration of the authorization concept in TDMS4HCM.
- Use of the logical databases and ad-hoc-query.
Overview of the TDMS HCM components
SAP TDMS works with three clients:
Sender (system where the data are extracted from)
Receiver (system where the data are transferred to)
Central (control system where the settings are made)
In different steps, configuration settings can be done in the control system to identify the data which should be transferred from the sender to the receiver.
The TDMS Process Tree / Monitor in the central system is the place where all customizing settings are done. It can be reached via transaction CNV_MBT_TDMS.
Before the data is sent out of the sender system it is scrambled using the scrambling engine. This is required for legal compliance in some countries
SAP provides scrambling templates for different countries which can be copied and used as per the requirements. To do so, use transaction CNV_TDMS_HCM_SCRAM - Scramble maintenance.
There are three scenarios (Process types) for HCM TDMS
1. ERP initial package for HCM Personnel Administration (PA)
2. ERP initial package for HCM Personnel Dev PD & PA
3. ERP initial package for HCM Personnel Dev PD & PA-EXPERT

Data Selection: Personal Administration data (ERP initial package for HCM Personnel Administration)
This is used for exclusive selection of PA Master Data using the logical database PNPCE. It includes ad-hoc-query for enhanced data selection. This is useful for customers without organizational management
Selection possibilities:
Data selection: PD data (ERP initial package for HCM Personnel Dev PD & PA)
This is relevant for customers using organizational management .Here it is possible to structurally select object types and relations, evaluation path determines the selection of the object types and the relations
Using this process type it is possible to select PA Master Data as well.
Selection possibilities:
Data Selection via Expert Mode (ERP initial package for HCM Personnel Dev PD & PA-EXPERT)
Customers having large master data volumes can use this process type.
This offers good performance for large data transfer. Here some expert HCM knowledge is required.
In the TDMS Process tree (transaction CNV_MBT_TDMS ) there are three main phases:
- Technical Settings
- Configuration and Selection
- Transfer Data
Availability of TDMS HCM
Release 4.7
Release ERP2004
Release ERP 6.0
I would like to explain these customizing setting in detail in the next blog.