Change Pointers

[Former Member]

Hi experts,

Can any one share the concept of CHANGE POINTERS?

Any good docs related to this topic?

What are the TCODES, Standard Programs, Function Modules & Tables associated with this concept?

You may mail to kiranbabu_sap@rediffmail.com alternatively.

Thanks a lot in Advance for the help

[ferry_lianto]

Hi Kiran,

<b>Change Pointer (Master Data Distribution)</b>

If you want to distribute master data changes with the SMD tool (Shared Master Data), changes to the master data objects are flagged for distribution by change pointers ( -> Master Data Distribution).

The SMD tool is connected to the change document interface. If the master data changes are to be distributed, the application writes a change document. The contents of this are passed to the SMD tool. The tool writes change pointers, reads the application data and creates the master IDoc.

The master IDoc is then passed to the ALE layer, which sends it to all interested systems.

The change pointer tables (BDCP und BDCPS) should be as small as possible. Use as few change pointers as possible and delete change pointers which you no longer need.

Checklist to keep the change pointer tables as small as possible:

1. Do you really need change pointers?

You need change pointers to distribute changes with the ALE SMD tool. If you do not use this tool, you do not need to write change pointers.

You can deactivate change pointers and activate them again with the transaction BD61.

2. Do you really need to activate change pointers for this messages type?

If some messages types are no longer to be distributed by change pointers, you can deactivate change pointers for this messages type.

You can deactivate change pointers for the message type

and reactivate them again.

For reduced message types, deactivate the change pointer with the

Reduction tool (transaction BD53).

From Basis Release 6.10, you can restrict the creation of change pointers in customer exits. This functionality is provided in advance in the Note 'Reducing the amount of data for change pointers' (0420562).

3. Are there still too many change pointers to be processed?

The change pointers are analyzed with the transaction BD21 or the report RBDMIDOC in ALE and flagged as processed. If the change pointers are created periodically, this report should also run periodically.

4. Are no longer required change pointers reorganized in time?

The report RBDCPCLR (transaction BD22) to reorganize the change pointer should run periodically. Depending on how many change pointers are created or processed, you can schedule the background job hourly, daily or weekly. You should delete all obsolete and processed change pointers. You can also use this report for specified message types.

For more information, please check this links.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp2005/helpdata/en/0b/2a6196507d11d18ee90000e8366fc2/content.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp2005/helpdata/en/69/7ada54a2737949ae6fbb082edb56a5/content.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp2005/helpdata/en/ab/27bde462848440ba70cf8eb348c86f/content.htm

Hope this will help.

Regards,

Ferry Lianto

Please reward points if helpful.

[abdul_hakim]

hi

change pointers are one of way of distributing the changes to the business objects

in the distributed system.

Steps to configure change Pointers:

1.Activate the change pointers globally(BD61)

2.Activate the change pointers for individual message types(BD50)

3.Schedule the program RBDMIDOC to run periodically on the sending system.

I would advice you to get the book "ALE/EDI and IDoc Technologies for SAP" By Arvind Nagpal.

Cheers,

Abdul Hakim

Mark all useful answers..

[Former Member]

Hi,

In Addition to the above information on Change pointers,

To Delete Change pointers use transaction <b>BD22</b> and the standard program is <b>RBDCPCLR</b>

Regards,

Azaz Ali.