How to handle Customizing Distribution

How to handle Customizing Distribution

Customizing Distribution
Welcome to the tutorial on the Customizing Distribution. In this session you will get an overview of the tools that might assist you will get an idea why synchronizing customizing is important, and you will get an overview of the tools that might assist you here.You will also learn how to handle the Customizing Distribution.

In this session you will:

• Get an idea why synchronizing customizing is so important.
• Get an overview of the tools that might assist you.
• Learn how to handle the Customizing Distribution.

Learning Objectives

This tutorial will guide you step by step through all the points you need to know when using the Customizing Distribution. In particular you will have the opportunity to set up and run the Customizing Distribution in a System demo.

Agenda

Introduction
This is the agenda of the tutorial in the introduction we will start with some motivation on why keeping customizing in sync is so important.

Business Processes in SAP CRM, APO, R/3 and BW

What you see here is a graphical representation of a business process which runs in several components of mySAP Business suite. The business process “Sales Order Processing” start in SAP CRM: a user enters some data here.

Business Processes in SAP CRM, APO, R/3 and BW

The data is then transferred to SAP APO SAP R/3 and SAP BW, processed there and transferred back to SAP R/3 what is essential here is that the systems are carefully configured, so that these processes run smoothly.

Keeping Business Configuration in Sync

For example, let us assume that you have successfully customized time zones, transport zones, currencies, and customer groups in an SAP R/3 system.
If you are working with cross –component processes like the one I have shown you, then this customizing probably has to be the same in SAP CRM and SAP APO.

Keeping Business Configuration in Sync

So what you would need is a mechanism which transfers the customizing settings in SAP R/3 to SAP CRM.

Keeping Business Configuration in Sync
Of course, you would also like to transfers the customizing to SAP APO, if necessary.

Keeping Business Configuration in Sync
What we need then are tools which are able to handle this, so that all customizing which the systems have in common remains in sync.

 Why Is Synchronizing Customizing Settings in a compels System Landscape so Important?
Let me now summarize why synchronizing customizing is so important: From a technical point of view , customizing is so important : From technical point of view customizing tables and views in SAP R/3 and SAP CRM are independent from each other .However ,for business processes which run across SAP R/3 and SAP CRM, certain customizing must be synchronized.

New Tools for Synchronizing Customizing

There are two tools for synchronizing customizing: the Customizing Scout, for comparing customizing, and the Customizing Distribution for transferring customizing from a reference system to defined target systems. Both tools are part of the SAP Solution Manager2.2 and 3.1.

Agenda
Distributing Business Configuration across Components
We will now proceed with an overview of the functions of the Customizing Distribution.

Customizing Distribution: Overview

Predefined list of Synchronizing objects
Customizing Distribution
This is an overview of the Customizing Distribution. The user enters some data in the SAP R/3 development system. The central system with the Customizing Distribution is notified of these changes. If the customizing changes are relevant for other systems, and then the Customizing Distribution transfers the changes to the respective development system.

Customizing Distribution: Overview
Predefined list of Synchronizing objects Customizing Distribution.
Here the changes are written in to the database, and a transport request is generated.

Customizing Distribution: Overview

In many cases the customizing tables and views in SAP R/3 and other systems are not the same. For example, table and field names might differ. In case the Customizing Distribution uses a predefined list of so called synchronization objects. This list is part of the Customizing Distribution, and it contains information about customizing object to be Synchronized, and how you can map customized data from SAP R/3 on to customizing in SAP CRM.

Customizing Distribution –Basic Functions

This is an overview of the basic functions of the Customizing Distribution.

Synchronization Groups

SAP Implementation Guide
Basic Functions
Define Blocking Reasons
For the Customizing Distribution, You need to define which customizing you would like to transfer from one system to another. You bundle your selected customizing objects in a synchronization group.

Distribution Options

The Customizing Distribution allows you to select between different types of distribution.

Supported Releases 

This is an overview of the releases which are supported by the Customizing Distribution. Further releases ,for example CRM 4.0, are in preparation.

Agenda
System Demo
We will now proceed with a system demo.

SAP Easy Access
To start the setup of the Customizing Distribution, Double–Click on the SCDT_SETUP-Setup

Customizing Distribution Overview

This is the entry screen of the Customizing Distribution. Here you see all synchronization groups for which a customizing distribution is activated. We will now activate the Customizing Distribution for another synchronization group .Click on the New Distribution Button or (Shift+F1).

Customizing Distribution: Setup
Synchronization Group = Enter “zdemo”, and then press tab.

Customizing Distribution: Setup
For Solution Manager Project Transports=Enter “demo_tutor”, then press tab.

Customizing Distribution: Setup
Click to view Distribution Types.

Customizing Distribution: Setup
The System displays the different distribution options. Select “Synchronization at Transport Recording”. This will allow us to distribute customizing right after the changes are saved in the source system.

Customizing Distribution: Setup
Click to select a source system.

Open with Logical system (1) 1 Entry found
Double click here

Customizing Distribution: Setup
Click to specify a target System.

Open with Logical system (1) 5 Entry found
Double click to select a 'target system'.

Customizing Distribution: Setup
Click to save your entries.

 
Customizing Distribution: Setup
Information
Distribution successful. The system now tells you that the Customizing Distribution has been set up successfully for the synchronization group. Click to proceed.

Customizing Distribution: Setup
You can also specify whether the customizing entries in the target systems ought to be locked. This means that once the customizing distribution has written customizing changes in to the tables of target systems automatically, all manual changes of these entries are blocked. Press “Enter” to continue.

Customizing Distribution: Setup
We will now leave the central system where the Customizing Distribution is installed. We will now go to the SAP R/3 system and change some customizing there. After this will have a look at the SAP CRM system and check whether the changes have been transferred successfully.

 Change: Project DISTR_SR: View: Demo Customizing Distribution
This is the implementation guide (IMG) for our SAP R/3 system. We will now change some customizing. Scroll down and select the IMG activity “Define Invoice Block”.

Change View “Invoicing Plan: Reasons for Blocking”: Overview
Here you see all reasons for blocking an invoicing plan. We will now add another entry to this list. Select the button “New entries”.

New Entries: Overview of Added Entries
Enter “16”, then press tab.

New Entries: Overview of Added Entries

Enter  “no credit”, then press “Enter” to continue.

New Entries: Overview of Added Entries
Save your entry.

Customizing: Execute Project
Open with prompt for Customizing request Confirm the prompt for a customizing request. The data will be written in to the customizing tables of the source system, the SAP notified of the customizing changes. If these changes are relevant for customizing distribution, then the changes are relevant for customizing distribution, then the changes will be transferred to other systems in the project, for example an SAP CRM system here.

Change View “Invoicing Plan: Reasons for Blocking”: Overview
As you can see, the new entry has been added to the list of reasons for blocking invoice plans. Press “Enter” to continue.

Change View “Invoicing Plan: Reasons for Blocking”: Overview
Go back to leave the IMG activity.

Change: Project DISTR_SR: View: Demo Customizing Distribution
We will now leave the SAP R/3 system. We will go to the SAP CRM system of our project and check whether the customizing distribution has transferred the changes made in SAP R/3 to SAP CRM. Press the “Back” Button once again.

Change: Project DISTR_SR: View: Demo Customizing Distribution
This is the implementation guide for our SAP CRM system. Select IMG activity “Define Blocking Reasons”.

Customizing: Execute Project
Click on  “Define Billing Blocking Reason”.

Customizing: Execute Project
Click on “choose”.

Change View “Billing Blocking Reasons”: Overview
As you can see, our entry “16 no credit” has been transferred to the SAP CRM system. We will now leave the SAP CRM system and go back to the central system with the Customizing Distribution. Press “Enter” to continue.

SAP Easy Access
We are now back in the central system where the customizing distribution is installed. We have seen that customizing has been distributed successfully. In addition, you can now also have a look at the logs for the customizing distribution and check for possible errors, if necessary. Double click to display the logs of the customizing Distribution.

Customizing Distribution log Selection
This is the entry screen of the log selection for the Customizing Distribution. Here you can restrict the selection to logs of specific projects or target systems, for example. You can also restrict the log selection to those logs which have been created during a specific time. Here we will display all logs for our project demo_tutor.Enter “demo_tutor” and press “Enter”.

Customizing Distribution log Selection
To start the selection of logs, click on “Display Logs by Selection”.

Customizing Distribution Session: Selection by Date
Double click to display messages of a log.

Customizing Distribution Session: Selection by Date
Click to display a message text.

Open with Distribution successful for target system Q3VCLNT600
The system now displays a message text. Click here to leaves the message display.

Customizing Distribution Session: Selection by Date
The Customizing Distribution uses the BC set technology for transferring customizing in to other systems. The Customizing Distribution also allows you to have a closer look at the BC sets and the BC set activation logs.More information about BC Sets (Business Configuration Sets) and other customizing tools is available on the SAP ServiceMarketplace. Select “Product information”.

Agenda
Summary
I Will now finish with a summary.

Summary
Let me summarize the main points of this tutorial: Some customizing needs to remain in sync across components of my SAP Business Suite, and the Customizing Distribution is the tool to assist you here.The Customizing Distribution helps you to synchronize customizing changes across components.You have now learned how to set up the customizing distribution, how to work with the customizing distribution in a customizing project and how to call up the logs.

Further Information
This is the end of the tutorial. Thank  you for your attention .
For further information, go to the SAP Service Marketplace. If you want to learn more about synchronization groups or about comparing customizing across components, you may now proceed with the tutorials “Comparing Customizing with the Customizing Scout” and “Setting Up the Customizing Distribution”.
Press “Enter” to live this tutorial.