Can the S4/HANA Public Cloud Updates overwrite my Customizing without Z or Y?

[AJ07]

we have to extend some entries in IMG, e.g. the valuation classes to implement the material account determination according our customers requirement. Ideally we can do it by using the same primary keys as we have on another SAP system the customers runs. There the primary keys are fully numeric. We have concerns to follow the same nomenclature in public cloud. Will IMG entries which don’t start with Z or Y be overwritten by future updates, in the case SAP will release new standard entries which are congruent to the entries we set up.

In on premise systems you can check through the delivery class of tables by yourself. There you can identify if the table is protected against SAP updates or if you have to protect your entries by using the Z/Y namespace.

Generally we want to prevent that updates will overwrite entries we will do when customize the system.

[Phil_P · Accepted solution]

Hello there, 

I asked SAP in a Ticket, this is there answer: 

Quote:

I understand your concern regarding the protection of custom configuration entries in the SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud against future SAP updates. Ensuring the safety of custom entries, such as Valuation Classes (Account Determination), is indeed a critical aspect of maintaining system integrity during updates.  

The naming convention rules (namespace) used in on-premise systems (e.g., relying on Z/Y prefixes for configuration keys) are handled differently in the Public Cloud, particularly concerning the risk of overwriting.

According to SAP's guidelines (KBA 3689393), namespace restrictions are applied to the key fields in application settings. You are allowed to create your own entries as long as they do not conflict with the ranges reserved for SAP Best Practices.

The following key ranges are reserved by SAP and must not be used for customer-defined keys:

• Character fields: S, Q, R, X, P, Y
• Numeric fields: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0

For example, using a custom numeric value such as 3333 is supported and does not violate these namespace rules.  

Regarding the risk of overwriting during upgrades, customer entries are only at risk if it is created by modifying an SAP-delivered entry. In such cases, if SAP updates that same entry in a future release, your change would indeed be overwritten. However, the system always displays a warning message when an SAP-delivered entry is being changed, so you are clearly informed of the risk before saving. If no warning appears, the entry is considered customer-owned and will not be affected by future SAP updates.  

If you require additional guidance on using the system, I recommend contacting your Implementation Partner, SAP representative, or product expert. You can also visit the SAP community at https://s4hanacloud.community.sap. Please note that SAP Support is available to assist with technical issues, but consulting services are outside our scope. For further clarification, you can refer to SAP Note 0002706322 - What is Support – What is Consulting: Cloud Solutions.  

If you encounter any issues or error messages, please don’t hesitate to share them with me, and I will assist you further.  

[Chris1973]

Hello @AJ07 

Thank you for your question.

Your concerns are valid, in public cloud, you should not only use numeric primary keys when you create custom configuration entries. You can only do this if:

• The range is officially reserved for your customer
• Or if you have a confirmation from SAP that the range will not be used in the future for content deliveries.

For public cloud, it is safer to use Z or Y prefixes for custom keys, you should also avoid overlapping with numeric key space. Don’t forget to document your changes.

Best regards

Chris

[AJ07]

Thank You Chris, to make sure no overlapping happens we will use only the Z prefixes and document the changes

[AJ07]

Thank you for your Input! we will make sure to use only Prefix Z for custom Keys and document our changes