Object Serialization (SAP Library - PLM Product Data Replication)

Object Serialization

Use

As well as ensuring the complete distribution of objects, another essential task of the UPS is to reduce the number of technically recognizable errors when posting objects. The system allows ALE distribution units to be posted in the correct order.

To do this, the UPS includes three-dimensional object serialization.

Three counters are assigned to each object in a distribution packet. These counters describe the relationship to other objects, concerning the posting sequence in the target system:

Serialization Level	Counter	Description
1.	HIELEV	Interdependency or grouping of object types. Example: A bill of material (BOM) depends on the existence of the header material and component materials. For this reason, materials have a lower counter than BOMs.
2.	INSLEV	Interdependency or grouping of object instances. This counter provides a "channel" for keeping together objects that logically belong together. Example: All messages for BOM Car get the same counter. All messages in the logical group for leading change master record correction and its change packages get the same counter.
3.	SUBLEV	Interdependency between statuses of an object instance. This serializes the messages in a "channel" (the second serialization level). Example: In the logical group for a leading change master record, the ALE distribution unit must be posted before the distribution packages.

Prerequisites

You define the settings for object serialization in Customizing for the UPS, under Define Object Types:

The interdependencies of an object type to other object types formulate an explicit interdependency. From this, in Customizing activity ALE Distribution Unit: Set-Up, the static serialization counter on the first level can be determined.

You save a module that copies the service for object serialization for the two dynamic serialization counters to this object type.

Integration

The serialization of objects is based on relationships between objects. These relationships can only be processed in the source system before posting the ALE distribution unit. For this reason, they must be determined in the source system. There are two steps to determining the serialization counters:

Object serialization is static and can be read directly from Customizing. (Level 1)
Serialization in interdependencies for object instances is dynamic, and can only run at runtime using a special module developed for this purpose. (Levels 2 and 3)

The serialization counters determined per object in this way are saved to the ALE distribution packet, and distributed as a part of the UPS message. In the target system, the serialization is read and used as a basis for the posting sequence of object messages. The system always starts with the lowest counter. Objects with identical counters are independent of each other in all senses, and can be posted together.

Note

In the definition of interdependencies between object types, there may be cycles, or recursive interdependencies. In this case, the affected object types get the same serialization counter (on level 1), because the interdependency can only be resolved at object instance level.