CROSS APPLICAITONS DEFINATIONS

1 Application Link Enabling (ALE)

The ALE concept supports the construction and operation of distributed applications.
The basic principle is the guarantee of a distributed, yet fully integrated, R/3 System installation.

It incorporates the controlled exchange of business data messages whilst ensuring data consistency across loosely coupled R/3 Systems.
The integration of various applications is achieved by using synchronous and asynchronous communication, rather than by means of a central database.
ALE comprises three layers:

• the applications services,
• the distribution services,
• the communications services.

2 Transaction Data

Transaction data is data that results from daily business management processes. Examples of transaction data are purchase order data and accounting data.

3 CO-PA

Abbreviation for Controlling - Profitability Analysis.

4 EDI - Electronic Data Interchange

Electronic Data Interchange is the electronic exchange of structured data (e.g. commercial documents) that is not limited to a single company, but which may take place between business partners at home or abroad who can be using different hardware, software and communication services.

5 Filter Object

A specific instance of the filter object type to which an organizational unit has been assigned, for example, "Plant" ® "Plant 0001".

6 Filter Object Type

A filter object type is a selection criterion in the distribution reference model that specifies the criteria which determine whether a function type can be used several times in a distributed system.

7 Function

A specific instance of a function type in the customer model.

8 Function Type

A function type defines a self-contained process in an application. An example of this is the posting for a movement of goods in inventory management.

9 Function Type, Distributable

A collection of function types which may be grouped together because of the related use of the various function types, and which may be seen as being distinct from other function types.

10 IDoc

Abbreviation of intermediate document (IDoc type )

11 IDoc Type - Intermediate Document Type

An intermediate document type is the structure of the data container used for transporting data from a system to a target system. It is independent of any specific application data.

12 Logical System

A logical system is a system in which different applications are integrated and run using common data. In SAP terms, this means a client in a database.

13 Information Structures

The most important key figures are selected from the mass of data arising from operational applications and are stored in special statistics files known as information structures. These include information on the time period, the characteristics and the key figures. An information structure can be distributed.

14 Key Figures

Key figures represent information that is periodically gathered or evaluated for characteristics (for example, lead time, deviation from schedule, capacity utilization, order stocks, quantities and rejects).

15 Bulk Processing

Several IDocs may be grouped into a packet and processed in a single step. This is called bulk processing.

16 Characteristic

A characteristic is a piece of information that can be used to effect a division in a group of objects, for example, plant, work center, material).

17 Message Type

The messages exchanged between systems are of various message types. The message type depends on the data contained and the process involved. It determines the technical structure of the message, the IDoc type. For example, the ORDERS message type is used for purchase order messages.

18 Periods

Periods include days, weeks, months and accounting periods.

19 Item Category

An item category is a classification that distinguishes between various types of item in, for example, an order (e.g. cost-free items, standard items). The way that processing is controlled depends on the item category.

20 Serialization

If several IDocs are sent within a short period of time then "overtaking" can occur, so that later changes arrive sooner than changes that were actually made earlier. In order to avoid incorrect updates being made, a serialization mechanism must be used that can spot "overtaking" and report it.

21 SOP

Sales & Operations Planning.

22 Customer Distribution Model

The customer stores the exact distribution of functions across his various systems in the customer distribution model. The logical systems and message flows are specified here, possibly based on defined listings.

23 Distribution Reference Model

The reference model is included in the standard delivery from SAP. It specifies which functions can be distributed and how, and which data is exchanged between the fucntions. The customer uses the reference model as the basis for his customer distribution model .

24 Workflow

A workflow is defined as a sequence of processing steps (work item ). There may be branching points within this sequence.

A workflow has a container. This holds the parameters used in the processing steps.
In order to terminate the processing steps of a workflow, an event is triggered. The parameters are passed from the current step to the workflow container.

The workflow manager checks which processing step should be called next. For example, if an 'Idoc read' step is terminated and a parameter indicating an error is passed, a step will be started that initiates manual processing.

An error will also cause an event to be triggered If a function module has been called directly. However, in contrast to the situation with a workflow, it does not cause a workflow step to be terminated, but rather an error workflow is started.

25 Work Item

A work item represents the run-time environment for a standard task that is defined once in the system. A standard task contains a method that can be used for processing a specific object.

RELATED LINKS

RUN TIME ANALASIS IN ABAP