Change Pointers in SAP

Change pointers are R/3 objects that mark changes to SAP master data. Change pointers are managed by mechanisms in a Shared Master Data (SMD) tool and are based on Change Document (CD) objects. CD objects record the changes occurring to master data at a field level. These changes are stored in tables CDHDR (header table) and CDPOS (detail table). ALE configuration provides a link between CD objects and change pointers. Internal mechanisms update tables BDCP and BDCPS, which host the change pointers. While CD objects are application-data-specific, the processing status of change pointers is message-typespecific. Also, the ALE change pointers are activated first at a general level and then at the message-type level. ALE provides powerful capabilities to capture changes occurring to master data and to distribute them via the IDOC interface. This feature can be used to keep two or more systems synchronized with respect to master data.

Steps to configure change Pointers: 1. BD61 - Activate the change pointers globally 2. BD50 - Activate the change pointers for individual message types(BD50) 3. RBDMIDOC - Schedule the program RBDMIDOC to run periodically on the sending system.

For Delete Change pointers Tcode BD22 and the standard program is RBDCPCLR Reduction tool(reduced message types) using Tcode BD53

See the check box in Further characteristics tab of the data element for change document.SE11-->enter data element-->Further characteristics tabThe check box is to be checked to trigger change pointers. The change pointer tables (BDCP & BDCPS) should be as small as possible. Use as few change pointers as possible and delete change pointers which you no longer need.

Activities - Keep it limited 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 messages type.You can deactivate change pointers for the message type and reactivate them again.For reduced message types, deactivate the change pointer with the Reduction tool (Tcode BD53).

3. Are there still too 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.

4. Are no longer required change pointers reorganized in time? The report RBDCPCLR (transaction BD22) to reorganize the change pointer 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