Customer Data and System Data

A client is defined as a self-contained commercial, organizational, and technical unit within an SAP System. This means that all business data within a client is protected from other clients. Each client has its own customer data, which can be considered as the exclusive property of this client.

However, the SAP System offers a system solution that is implemented for all clients in a central repository and cross-client tables (central data source).

As far as data administration is concerned, a multiple client option means that the data required for operating the system is well-defined and assigned either to central data or customer data. The following basic guidelines apply:

  • Only the assigned client can read or write to customer data, and in occasional cases (troubleshooting, background job administration, or change management) the provider. Customers can never read or write to the data of another customer.

  • All clients can read the centrally stored data, however, only the provider can make changes, not any of the clients (end customers).

Integration

SAP data models map customer data to client-specific tables, and central data to cross-client (or client-independent) tables. The cross-client data includes the Repository itself, but also a set of cross-client control data, which is described in more detail later in the document.

Client-specific customer data includes all application tables (master data and transaction data), as well as a large number of Customizing settings.

Application Tables

These are tables that hold business data such as master data or transaction data. This data can be created, changed, or deleted at any time by regular business processes. Application tables have the attribute Delivery Class and attribute value A in the ABAP Dictionary.

Customizing Tables (business-relevant)

These tables contain data that can be used to control the business processes:

  • Data that represents the organizational structures of the enterprise

  • Parameters that control business processes.

Customizing tables, there is also a range of cross-client Customizing tables. Because Customizing objects are numerous and varied we will categorize and explain them in more detail, including their relationships with clients, in the following section.

More Information