Document Relationship Browser (DRB) in Logistics (SAP Library

Document Relationship Browser (DRB) in Logistics

Purpose

With the Document Relationship Browser (DRB) you can display linked documents from business processes containing one or more Logistics documents.

Currently the DRB supports the display of the following object types (documents) in the applications Sales and Distribution (SD) and Materials Management (MM):

Sales Document (SD)

Deliveries (LE)

Billing Documents (SD)

Sales Activity (SD)

Purchase Requisitions (MM)

Purchase Orders (MM)

Material Documents (MM)

Logistics Invoice Documents (MM)

Implementation Considerations

To be able optimize the DRB functions for archived data as well, you are recommended to proceed as follows:

Create an archive information structure for one of the field catalogs matching the desired object type.Which field catalogs are relevant can be ascertained from table 1.

If you would like to call up the DRB for archived objects of a particular object type:

Check which fields are used to select this object type and include them in the archive information structure. The specific section for the respective object type will tell you which fields are involved.

If, for access via archived objects, you do not want to select only using the respective assignment object key (the document number), you are recommended to create secondary indexes for the archive information structure. You can out more information on this in SAP Note 164704.

Activate the archive information structure and construct it for the desired archive.

Overview of the Object Types and Related Field Catalogs

Object Type	Archiving Object	Field Catalog
Customer inquiry	SD_VBAK	SAP_SD_VBAK_001 SAP_SD_VBAK_002
Customer quotation
Sales order
Returns
Credit memo request
Debit memo request
Scheduling agreement
Contract
Group contract
Subsequent delivery
Customer delivery	RV_LIKP	SAP_RV_LIKP_001 SAP_RV_LIKP_002
Customer inbound delivery	RV_LIKP	SAP_RV_LIKP_001 SAP_RV_LIKP_002
Itemized customer billing document	SD_VBRK	SAP_SD_VBAK_001 SAP_SD_VBAK_002
Invoice list	SD_VBRK	SAP_SD_VBAK_001 SAP_SD_VBAK_002
Sales activity	SD_VBAK	SAP_SD_VBKA01
Purchase requisition	MM_EBAN	SAP_MM_EBAN_001
Purchase order	MM_EKKO	SAP_MM_EKKO_001
Material document	MM_MATBEL	SAP_MM_MATBEL01 SAP_MM_MATBEL02
Log. invoice document	MM_REBEL	SAP_MM_REBEL01

Table 1: Supported Object Types

The general functions set out in this section apply to all of the object names given above. Functions that only apply to particular applications or object types are described separately in the specific sections.

The basic DRB functions and how they operate are dealt with in the section Introduction to the DRB . In the section Document Relationship Browser (DRB) in Accounting you can gain an understanding of how the DRB is used in the accounting area.

Features

Calling the DRB

Calling up the DRB using Logistics object types is achieved using special initial programs that are contained in the role "Document Relationship Browser" (SAP_DRB) . Moreover, there is a business view within the Archive Information System for each of the object types described here which you can also use to branch to the DRB.

Call using the Role SAP_DRB

The role SAP_DRB contains the following programs for calling the DRB:

Program	Description	Archiving Object
RASHSD14	Sales activities	SD_VBAK
RASHSD14	Sales documents	SD_VBAK
RASHSD12	Deliveries	RV_LIKP
RASHSD13	Billing documents	SD_VBRK
RASHMM13	Purchase requisitions	MM_EBAN
RASHMM12	Purchase orders	MM_EKKO
RASHMM11	Material documents	MM_MATBEL
RASHMM14	Log. invoice documents	MM_REBEL

Table 2: Initial Programs for Calling up the DRB

You can establish the connection between these programs and the respective object types with the help of table 1 using the archiving object .You can find further information on the structure and use of these programs in DRB Initial Programs.

Call up using the Archive Information System

For each of the archiving objects in table 2 there is a business view in the Archive Information System which you can use to branch to the DRB.

From the list for an archive information structure for one of these archiving objects you receive, on double-clicking on a list entry, at least the choice between the technical view and a view beginning with "DRB". If you select this view you can branch to the DRB from the object display by choosing Relationships or via the menu path Document ® Document Relationships (F5).

Displaying the Documents

As long as the documents remain in the database they are displayed using the normal display transactions also for the display via the DRB. You can determine which these are from the following table:

Object Type	Transaction	Description
Customer inquiry	VA13	Display inquiry
Customer quotation	VA23	Display quotation
Sales order	VA03	Display sales order
Returns	VA03	Display sales order
Credit memo request	VA03	Display sales order
Debit memo request	VA03	Display sales order
Scheduling agreement	VA03	Display sales order
Contract	VA43	Display contract
Group contract	VA43	Display contract
Subsequent delivery	VA03	Display sales order
Customer delivery	VL03N	Display outbound delivery
Customer inbound delivery	VL33N	Display inbound delivery
Itemized customer billing document	VF03	Display billing document
Invoice list	VF23	Display invoice list
Sales activity	VC03	Display sales activity
Purchase requisition	ME53N	Display purchase requisition
Purchase order	ME23N	Display purchase order
Material document	MB03	Display material document
Log. invoice document	MIR4	Display invoice documentation

Table 3: Display Transactions for Logistics Documents

You can obtain more detailed information from the documentation for the relevant transaction.

For archived documents there are special display functions that call up the DRB. These functions require an active and filled archive information structure for each corresponding field catalog (see table 1).

The display functions involve simple lists that have been adapted for the original display transactions for data in the database. The same authorizations are checked as for documents still in the database. (An additional check is made of the display authorization for authorization object S_ARCHIVE.)

Starting from the display functions you can use the following additional functions:

Relationships

This function is important if the document display is called as a business view from the Archive Information System. It enables you to navigate in the overview of the linked objects of the DRB. If you call the document display from the DRB, this function corresponds to the Back function.

You can find the function either by choosing Relationships or via the menu path Document ® Document Relationships (F5).

Display Originals

You can use this function to display documents that have arisen on the basis of the document development in the course of message determination or other functions (such as manually assigned scanned documents). The prerequisite for this is that such a document

has arisen in the life cycle of the archived data document, and
is accessible via ArchiveLink or the Content Management Service (CMS).

Providing these prerequisites have been met, you can also display the related original for the archived document (such as the scanned document). This is clearly only possible for object types for which there can be linked original documents.

Note

This function is only intended for header output or documents that have been assigned to the document in their entirety (meaning not at item level).

You can find the function either by choosing Originals or via the menu path Document ® Display Originals (F6).

Select Views

With this function you can use all of the available business views in the Archive Information System for the data displayed. In a dialog box you can select another format for the data already being displayed. This function is only offered if there is more than one business view present.

You can find the function either by choosing Select Views or via the menu path Document ® Select Views (F5).

Links

Within Sales and Distribution the links are mapped between sales documents as well as to documents of other applications in the document flow. Here a document can have several predecessors and successors. In the DRB, a document is considered to be linked directly with another when it is either its immediate predecessor or successor.

In Materials Management there are further links that are described in the sections for the object types concerned.

Some Logistics documents can be source documents of predecessors in Accounting. Consequently they are linked with accounting documents. Examples include links between billing documents and accounting documents.

Links using the general object link are determined by the DRB in the SAP Basis system. Hence, for example, an IDoc (intermediate document) can be linked with a Logistics document.

Links to a workflow instance are likewise determined in the SAP Basis system and may also be linked to Logistics documents.

Note

The relationships mapped in the document flow can be affected by Customizing in the copying control. For the DRB, this means that it may be possible that for all relationships that can be displayed in the direction of the predecessor the reverse direction does not function. In this case the copying control may need to be checked. However, in most cases it is not necessary to have to make a change.

See also:

DRB Initial Programs