Change Pointer (Master Data Distribution) 

Use

If you want to distribute master data changes with the SMD tool (Shared Master Data), changes to the master data objects are flagged for distribution by change pointers ( ® Master Data Distribution).

The SMD tool is connected to the change document interface. If the master data changes are to be distributed, the application writes a change document. The contents of this are passed to the SMD tool. The tool writes change pointers, reads the application data and creates the master IDoc.

The master IDoc is then passed to the ALE layer, which sends it to all interested systems.

The change pointer tables (BDCP und BDCPS) should be as small as possible. Use as few change pointers as possible and delete change pointers which you no longer need.

You can increase the rate of processing by using the Analyze Change Pointer and Reorganize Change Pointer functions.

Prerequisites

You have created change pointers.

Activities

Checklist to keep the change pointer tables as small as possible:

1. Do you really need change pointers?

You need change pointers to distribute changes with the ALE SMD tool. If you do not use this tool, you do not need to write change pointers.

You can deactivate change pointers and activate them again with the transaction BD61.

2. Do you really need to activate change pointers for this messages type?

 If some messages types are no longer to be distributed by change pointers, you can

 deactivate change pointers for this message type.

 You can deactivate change pointers for the message type

 and reactivate them again in transaction BD50.

 For reduced message types, deactivate the change pointer with the

 Reduction tool (transaction BD53).

From NetWeaver Release 6.10, you can restrict the creation of change pointers

in customer exits. This functionality is provided in advance in the

SAP Note 'Reducing the amount of data for change pointers' (0420562).

3. Are there still to many change pointers to be processed?

 The change pointers are analyzed with the transaction BD21 or the report RBDMIDOC in ALE

 and flagged as processed. If the change pointers

 are created periodically, this report should also run periodically.

 

See also: Analyzing Change Pointers

4. Are no longer required change pointers reorganized in time?

 The report RBDCPCLR (transaction BD22) to reorganize the change pointers should

 run periodically. Depending on how many change pointers are created or processed,

 you can schedule the background job hourly, daily, or weekly.

 You should delete all obsolete and processed change pointers.  

 You can also use this report for specified message types.

See also: Analyzing Change Pointers

Further Information

If you are in a NetWeaver Release 6.X system or higher, use the table BDCP2 for the change pointers, if possible. See the note 'Migrating change pointers to table BDCP2' (0305462).