Electronic Records Functional Overview (SAP Library

Electronic Records Functional Overview

Use

With 21 CFR Part 11 Enhancement on Electronic Records (referred to below only as Electronic Records ) you can change or display the logging settings of individual table fields and whole tables (that is, activate or deactivate logging).

Prerequisites

You must have the authorization to display, change and evaluate the changed data (see: Authorizations for Electronic Records).

It must be possible to transport the objects (tables and data elements ) that you want to change the logging settings for. Therefore, local objects cannot be changed.

To change the logging setting for individual table fields, the related transaction must be connected to change document creation. If it is not, only the table as a whole can be logged.

Note

The system defines whether a transaction is connected to change document creation.

Using the system profile parameter rec/client, you define which clients table logging is active in.

Features

Electronic Records consists of several sub-functions that can be made available individually according to user authorizations:

Transaction	Use
AUT01	Comparison and adjustment of old and new logging settings after a system upgrade (takes place automatically). Also displays manual changes to the setting in other transactions if these were previously configured with transaction AUT01.
AUT01	Change to logging settings for individual table fields or whole tables. The system stores every change to the logging settings so that the previous status can be restored after a system upgrade.
AUT02	Creation of graphical navigation aid so that changed objects can be located again quickly. As an alternative to this, transaction AUT01 contains direct technical access for experienced users. If you are activating or deactivating logging for an object for the first time, you must always use the technical access.
AUT03	Display of logging settings for table fields or tables. If you are not authorized to change the logging settings, you can display them with this transaction.
AUT04	Setting for deleting long text logs.
AUT05	Immediate deletion of long text logs from the logging table.
AUT10	Evaluation of logged data according to individually determined criteria.

Note

Although it is also possible to change the logging settings for tables and data elements by modifying the SAP System, SAP recommends that you use only the Electronic Records function to change logging settings. This is the only way to ensure complete and uniquely traceable change documentation.

Caution

Changes to the logging setting are carried out without technical modifications being made to the system. This does not mean that the changes do not have an effect on the business and technical processes of the SAP standard system. If you change logging settings, you have to carry out a thorough test of the business processes you implemented and use in the SAP System.

The system stores every change to table or data element logging so that the current logging status can be restored after an upgrade or correction (see: Comparison Between Customer System and SAP System).

Constraints

Electronic Records does not create new change document objects nor does it extend existing ones.

The evaluation function does not take account of archived data (for example, on optical data storage media).

In an evaluation, it is not possible to determine which changes the user made and which resulting changes were automatically made by the system.

Table logging is only able to record tables that are not bigger than the logging table itself. In the current release, the logging table is 16,000 bytes, and is therefore large enough for long text logging.

In rare cases, if the structure of a table is significantly different after Release 4.5B, errors may occur during evaluation. It is possible that the changed data is not evaluated correctly, especially if comparisons between the only and new structure are being carried out.

The logging settings for some central Basis tables cannot be changed.