To execute the distribution of an object list in the best possible runtime, the UPS determines the delta internally. Only the objects (object statuses) that have not yet been correctly transferred to the target system by previous distributions are distributed. The replication table logs each distribution of an object using UPS. Filtering uses this object granularity.

Because of the large amount of data expected, the logical replication table can be distributed across several database tables. The standard UPS contains a predefined replication table, UPSREP01. This serves as a template for customer-specific replication tables, and is always used if no customer-specific table is entered for a new target system. The distribution to several database tables uses Customizing table TUPS05. Here, a logical system number in a database table is assigned to target system.

• The data set (database table and system number) must always be unique.

• The database table must have structure UPSREP01.

• The setting must be made before the first transfer of data to the system using UPS. Subsequent changes are not possible.

If an object list is transferred to UPS for distribution using an API, the system first determines the deltas, to reduce the amount of objects actually transferred to this system as much as possible. There are five steps to the filtering process:

The filtering process uses the following criteria:

For objects that were entered in UPS dialog, there is no check against the replication table, because explicit naming by the user has a higher priority.

When IDocs are set up by UPS in the source system, a new record is created in the replication table for each distributed object, or the existing record is updated. The following information is included:

• When the object whose current status has been distributed was last changed
• Whether the object is still changeable
• The number of the generated IDoc
• Distribution status S, which shows that the object has been distributed in this status

In Customizing for the UPS, under Define Packet Type, you define which distribution status an object must have to be filtered out.

In Customizing for the UPS, under Define Object Type, you assign service object changes to an object type. This service determines the date of the last change to a specific object or whether it is changeable.

The following reports are available for analyzing the replication table:

• If you want to ensure that objects are only filtered out if they have been posted to the target system, you must query status P. In this case, all objects that belong to ALE distribution units and are still waiting in inbound processing in the target system are redistributed.

• If the last change to an object was on the date of its distribution, the replication table can only say for certain that the status of the previous day has been distributed completely, because the granularity is one day and you cannot see later on whether the object was changed before or after distribution. For this reason, the date of the last change in the replication table is always the date of the last change minus 1. In a subsequent distribution, the object is redistributed, even if the object has not changed again. The date of the last change is corrected, and the object is filtered correctly in subsequent distributions.

• For objects changed with engineering change management, the date of the last change does not depend on the status. For this reason the change to a status means that all object status must be redistributed. For this reason, we strongly recommend the organizational step of preventing object statuses that have been distributed once from being changed again. Then the object service can be adapted to suit, and the statuses are only distributed once.