You extract customizing data from SAP remote systems using the generic customizing data extractor MDMGX (see MDMGX Documentation for details). The configuration file “MDMGX_71800_Vendor.txt”
is available in the downloadable Business Content.
CAUTION
SAP remote system R/3 4.7 has a limitation regarding the length of the MDMGX port. Its name must not exceed 30 characters. You have to adjust the following ports by both renaming the port in the MDMGX text file and changing the related port code in the repository. Affected ports are:
Activity Codes For Social Insurance (34) Interest Calculation Frequencies (32) Interest Calculation Indicators (32) Price Determination Date Controls (33) Profiles For Material Data Transfer (34) Regional Structure Check Status (31) Refer to SAP Note 1391292 for details.
If you use the Vendor repository to consolidate more than one R/3 or ERP system, it makes sense to check and add some key mapping information for some of the Vendor lookup tables. The reason is that the customizing values you extract from the various systems might differ. This should be checked and corrected before loading any object data.
The predefined import maps use the customizing values for matching (the names/descriptions but not the keys/codes). That means if you load reference data from multiple remote systems, MDIS checks if the value already exists depending on its name. If yes, it updates the key mapping information of the existing record; if not, it creates a new record. MDIS is only able to identify perfect matches. Slightly different values lead to different records.
Note
The following chapters describe some tips regarding the import of reference data.
6.1 Banks
Main table Banks contains the Bank Master Data (like name of the bank, bank address, and so on).
Although the data is designed as a main table, it is used a lookup for each Vendor record only. The link between the Vendors and the Banks main table is established in the Vendor’s tuple Bank Details.
The import of Bank Master Data happens with MDMGX. Related customizing entries are maintained in the MDMGX text file. The import of Bank Details is part of the Vendor import.
CAUTION
The Bank Master Data in the repository has been enhanced to cover more information from the related ERP Bank Master table BNKA. The enhancement includes an update of the related MDMGX Bank Details extractor, too. Ensure that you have applied SAP Note 1349089 to your ERP system before you start the load of reference data into your repository!
6.2 Lookup Hierarchy Tables
Starting with the release of MDM 7.1 SP4 the MDMGX content of the Vendor uses the new function module MDM_ERP_MULTI_HIERARCHIES_EXTR to extract customizing data for its hierarchy lookup tables. The default configuration does not use the parameter SHOWMISSINGTRANSLATION.
The Name field of a hierarchy is usually built upon the combination of texts (e.g. the Region shows the Country Name and the Region Name). MDMGX needs to deliver a concatenated text so that Import Manager respectively MDIS are able to split the text into a hierarchy during import. As the texts are usually extracted from different customizing tables, there are a few combinations possible regarding the multilingual definition of the hierarchy name field:
MDM Console Source Parent Source Child MDMGX action Name field is
Extract and concatenate parent and child texts in multilingual versions
Extract the default text of the parent and concatenate it with the multilingual version of the child. This is the case for all multilingual hierarchies that relate to the Company Code or Plant as neither the company code nor the plant text is not multilingual
Name field is
Extract and concatenate parent and child texts in the default versions
Name field is
Extract the parent text in the logon language of the user that performs the extraction.
Concatenate the default version of the child text. This is the case for the hierarchy lookup tables Payment Methods, Regional Structure Districts and Withholding Tax Codes. You can control the language version of the parent text by logging on to the SAP remote system with a different logon language.
CAUTION
Ensure that you have applied SAP Notes 1403879, 1404964 and 1407978 to enable the import of the new lookup hierarchy tables in your ERP remote system.
6.3 Unique Constraints
Flat and hierarchy lookup tables use unique constraint for their specific code fields. The code is usually a clone of the record’s remote key. The unique constraint ensures a high quality of your reference data.
When you import reference data for multiple remote systems, MDM Import Manager and/or MDIS check the unique constraints. This prevents importing invalid names for the same code values. The import fails with the structural or value exception “Unique constraint violation” so that you can check your customizing values accordingly.
Example
Your system landscape consists of two remote systems. System A contains a country Germany having the code DE. System B contains country Gremany having the code DE. The import of System A’s reference data works fine. The import of System B’s reference data fails due to a unique constraint violation.
The reason is that MDM Import Manager respectively MDIS match on the Country name.
In this case Germany differs from Gremany. MDM Import Manager respectively MDIS try to create a new record for Gremany. This new record would have the Code DE – but this code already exists in the repository. To indicate this issue, the unique constraint
violation is thrown.
To clean up the issue, you can either adjust the mapping in MDM Import Manager or correct the wrong customizing entry in your remote system and re-extract the correct values (which is the recommended solution, of course).
CAUTION
MDM Import Manager and MDIS check all fields for unique constraints that are defined as unique fields in MDM Console. If the unique field is multilingual, each language layer is checked independently for unique constraints. Additionally remote keys must be unique, too.
6.4 Import Sequence
Each lookup table of the MDM Vendor repository can be imported automatically using MDIS. Related ports are part of the repository. Importing reference data requires a specific sequence as some of the lookup tables depend on each other. To ensure a correct sequence of importing, the Vendor content uses the MDMGX Process Level concept. The lists below show the ports using process levels 0 to 2.
CAUTION
You have to execute MDMGX three times: one time for each process level. Before you start the extraction of process level 1, make sure that MDIS has successfully imported all files of process level 0.
Process Level 0
Port Port
LT_IndustrialSectors LT_IndustryTypes
LT_InterestCalculationFrequencies LT_InterestCalculationIndicators
LT_Languages LT_MinorityIndicators
LT_PaymentAdvicesByXML LT_PaymentBlocks
LT_PaymentGroupingKeys LT_PaymentMethodSupplements
LT_PaymentTerms LT_PeriodicAccountStatements
LT_PhoneNumberTypes LT_PlanningGroups
LT_Plants LT_PODIndicators
LT_PrepaymentRelevances LT_PriceDeterminationDateControls LT_PriceMarkingAgreements LT_ProfilesForMaterialDataTransfer
LT_PurchasingGroups LT_PurchasingOrganizations
LT_RegionalStructureCheckStatus LT_RegionalStructureGroupings LT_ReleaseApprovalGroups LT_RestrictionProfiles
LT_ServiceAgentProcedureGroups LT_ShippingConditions LT_SortCriteriaForMaterials LT_SortKeys
LT_SubsidyIndicators LT_TaxBases
LT_TaxNumberTypes LT_TaxTypes
LT_TimeZones LT_Titles
LT_TransportationChains LT_TransportationServiceAgents
LT_UndeliverableReasons LT_UnitOfMeasureGroups
LT_URITypes LT_YesNoIndicator
Process Level 1
Port Dependent Port
LT_Clerks LT_CompanyCodes
LT_CustomsOffices LT_Countries
LT_DunningAreas LT_CompanyCodes
LT_HouseBanks LT_CompanyCodes
LT_ModesOfTransport LT_Countries
LT_PaymentMethods LT_CompanyCodes
LT_PlanningCalendars LT_Plants
LT_RecipientTypes LT_CompanyCodes
LT_ReconciliationAccounts LT_CompanyCodes
LT_RegionalStructureCities LT_Countries
Port Dependent Port LT_RegionalStructureStreets LT_Countries
LT_Regions LT_Countries
LT_RoundingProfiles LT_Plants
LT_ToleranceGroupsBupaGl LT_CompanyCodes
LT_ToleranceGroupsInvoice LT_CompanyCodes
LT_TradingPartners LT_Countries
LT_TransportationZones LT_Countries
LT_WithholdingTaxCodes LT_CompanyCodes
LT_WithholdingTaxCountries LT_CompanyCodes
Process Level 2
Port Dependent Port
LT_BankDetails LT_Regions
LT_RegionalStructureDistricts LT_RegionalStructureCities