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Process documentationBlocking and Unblocking Business Partner Data Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

Personal data needs to be blocked when the business purpose is complete and the data has reached the end of the residence period. The blocking functionality enables you to block such data. The personal data is blocked until the end of the retention period and deleted after the retention period is over.

During the retention period, the blocked data is not available for any business transactions or business use. The data is no longer displayed in existing business objects. You cannot edit, create new business objects or conduct follow-up activities with the blocked data.

Users with the SAP_CA_BP_ADMIN role can access the blocked data. These authorized users can unblock the data in exceptional cases. Blocked data can be unblocked only within the retention period since data is deleted after the retention period.

Prerequisites

  • You have activated the business function Information Lifecycle Management (ILM).

  • You have activated the business function ILM-Based Deletion of Business Partner Data (BUPA_ILM_BF).

  • You have made the settings required for blocking and unblocking business partner data in Customizing under   Cross-Application Components   Data Protection   Blocking and Unblocking of Data   Business Partner  .

  • You have the SAP_CA_BP_DP_ADMIN role with the required authorizations assigned to you.

  • You have defined the residence period and retention period rules for the business partner (ILM object: CA_BUPA) in SAP Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) (transaction (IRMPOL).

Process

  1. You run the Block and Unblock Business Partner Data report (transaction BUPA_PRE_EOP). For information about the report, see Block and Unblock Business Partner Data.

  2. The system performs an end of purpose (EoP) check to determine whether the data related to the business partner is used.

    An EoP indicates that business is complete and the residence time for the business partner is over.

    The report considers the residence period and retention period rules maintained in ILM to determine if a business partner has reached the EoP with respect to a dependent application. When the EoP is ensured in all dependent applications only then the data is blocked.

    In a multi-system landscape, the EoP is checked for an application in the local system as well as the remote systems. The business partner is blocked in the local system and the remote systems.

  3. If the data is still used and business activities are not completed, the system does not block the data.

  4. If the data is not used by any applications, the system blocks the data.

    Blocking of data can impact system behavior in the following ways:

    • Display: The system does not display blocked data.

    • Change: It is not possible to change a business object that contains blocked data.

    • Create: It is not possible to create a business object that contains blocked data.

    • Copy or Follow-Up: It is not possible to copy a business object or perform follow-up activities for a business object that contains blocked data.

    • Search: It is not possible to search for blocked data or to search for a business object using blocked data in the search criteria.

    It is possible to display blocked data if a user has special authorization; however, it is still not possible to create, change, copy, or perform follow-up activities on blocked data.

  5. If you need to display blocked data, you can do one of the following:

    • Contact a business user who is authorized to display this data

    • Request unblocking using the Request Unblocking report (transaction BUP_REQ_UNBLK). For information about the report, see Request Unblocking.

  6. The system sends a notification to the user with authorization to unblock data user informing about the unblocking request.

  7. The user with authorization to unblock data approves or rejects the request to unblock the business partner data using the report Block and Unblock Business Partner Data (transaction BUPA_PRE_EOP). For information about the report, see Block and Unblock Business Partner Data

  8. If the user approves the request to unblock the business partner data, the system unblocks the data.

Result

The business partner data is blocked. After the retention period ends, the system deletes the data.