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Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu

SLT Configuration for Data Replication from S4HANA Fashion to SAP CAR system

Hello All,

In this blog, would like to give you the steps for the installation and configuration of SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server (SAP LT Replication Server) in order to facilitate the trigger-based replication of data to SAP HANA. writing this blog based on experience of setting up the real time replication from the S4HANA Fashion Management system to SAP CAR (Customer Activity Repository) system

This blog is intended for system administrators performing initial install and configuration of SAP SLT server for SAP HANA and both source and target database are SAP HANA

2580573 – Can S/4 HANA be the source or target system of an SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server? – SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server

Introduction and Planning

  • SLT is the SAP first ETL tool that allows you to load and replicate data in real-time or schedule data from the source system and Non-Source System into SAP HANA Database.
  • SAP SLT server uses a trigger-based replication approach to pass data from source system to target system.
  • Components are used in the technical system landscape

−ABAP Source System

−Non-ABAP Source System

−SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server

−SAP HANA System

  • SLT server can be installed on the separate system or on SAP ABAP System
  • Replication of non-ABAP source systems require SAP LT Replication Server to be installed on a separate system.
  • The SAP LT Replication Server system must be a Unicode system.
  • Installation Option for ABAP Source Systems
      Option A - SAP LT Replication Server is a Separate System

      Option B – SAP LT Replication Server is Installed in the Source System
  • Installation Options for Non-ABAP System

Installation Option for ABAP Source Systems

Option A – SAP LT Replication Server is a Separate System
  • The connection between SAP SLT and SAP Source is established as RFC connection.
  • The connection between SAP SLT and SAP HANA is established as a DB connection
  • When a table is replicated, SAP SLT Replication server create logging tables in the source system.
  • Read module is created in the SAP Source System

Option B – SAP LT Replication Server is Installed in the Source System
  • The SAP LT Replication Server installed in the ABAP source system. If the source system has the required SAP kernel and SAP NetWeaver versions to support the SAP LT Replication Server, the system architecture can be simplified to a 2-tier system

Installation Options for Non-ABAP System

  • The SAP LT Replication Server installed in a separate system. Compared to a setup with an ABAP system as a source system, only the read modules are created in the SAP LT Replication Server (for ABAP source systems the read modules are located in the source system only). The connection from the SAP LT Replication Server to the non-ABAP source system is established by means of a database connection
  • Ensure that the database of your non-ABAP source system fulfills all prerequisites for usage with the SAP LT Replication Server. Since a database connection from the SAP LT Replication Server to a non-ABAP system is required, an OS/DB restriction of SAP NetWeaver 7.02 or higher applies to the system running the SAP LT Replication Server

Comparison of Different Installation Options

the advantages and disadvantages of the different installation options are

Replication landscape in my case:

Steps:

  1. Install the SAP LT Replication Server

  2. Configure the source data system for RFC access from SAP LT Replication Server

  3. Start SLT configuration from LTR transaction

  4. Start replication from the source system to the target SAP HANA system

  5. Core post-installation steps for implementing SAP Customer Activity Repository

 

  1. SAP LT Replication Server System Installation

ABAP Source system:

SAP LT Replication Server is shipped in an add-on call DMIS_*. You must install the add-on in your ABAP source system, and in the SAP LT Replication Server system

source system is an SAP S/4HANA

Note: if the source system is an SAP S/4HANA On-Premise system (release 1610 or higher), then the add-on DMIS is not required.

in our case, we have used S4Hana 1709 as a source system, hence we have skipped the DMIS add on installation in source system

  1. Configure the source data system for RFC access from SAP LT Replication Server

Create an RFC ABAP connection from SLT system to Source data system

  1. Start SLT configuration from LTR transaction

Lunch the LTR tcode from the SLT system and proceed with the guided configuration, this will create the database connection to target hana database.

The configuration name we used here will be the “replication schema” in the hana database. which means all the replication tables from source system, can be found under this schema in the target database.

You can determine the logical port number by logging on to the tenant database, and running following SQL statement:

SELECT SUBSTRING(SQL_PORT,4,2) FROM "SYS"."M_SERVICES" WHERE SERVICE_NAME = 'indexserver'

Initial Load Mode:

You can define an Initial Load Mode if you want to use a different default reading type.

  • Initial Load Mode “Resource Optimized” is the default mode and uses reading type 3for all tables.
  • Initial Load Mode “Performance Optimized”can be used if reading type 4/5should be used for all tables. SLT will use reading type 4 for cluster tables and reading type 5 for the other tables.

Number of Data Transfer Jobs: This value specifies the number of data transfer jobs which will run in this SAP LT Replication Server configuration to replicate the tables of the RFC connection to the SAP HANA system.

No.of Initial load Job: A job that is used for the initial load process in the SAP LT Replication Server.

Number of Calculation Jobs: This value specifies the number of access plan calculation jobs which will be allocated by this configuration.

 

Once the configuration is created, we need to start the replication for the required tables. this can be done via transaction LTRC from SLT system.

in my case target system is SAP CAR system, hence we have to setup the replication for CARAB 2.0 – SLT Tables

You have downloaded the spreadsheet with the tables for your version of SAP Customer Activity Repository applications bundle:

  1. Navigate to SAP Help Portal at https://help.sap.com/viewer/p/CARAB and select the desired version at the top right.
  2. Download the CARAB 2.0 – SLT Tables archive from under Installation and Upgrade and extract the spreadsheet

Create and replicate the required tables using the SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server. For reference, use a spreadsheet that lists the tables by source master data system (database schema).

4.Start replication from the source system to the target SAP HANA system

First you have to create table/DB view (list can be exported from xls directly) , then start load and start replication with same set of tables.

Please note, initial load (start load) would take more time to load data initially.

once replication is active we need to perform the post steps in case of SAP CAR as target system.

Transformation rule If source and target client numbers are different

If source and target system client are different,we need to create the rule assignment in LTRS transaction tcode

2330878 – How to create a template in SLT

  1. Post-installation steps for implementing SAP Customer Activity Repository as target system

 

Verify Correct Schema Mapping

The SAP HANA content of SAP Customer Activity Repository applications bundle is delivered with several authoring schemas (for different scenarios and different source master data systems). Verify that the authoring schemas are mapped to the correct physical schema of your customer system. If necessary, create new mappings.

 

 

Activate SAP HANA Content

In this procedure, you activate the SAP HANA content for your scenario(s) using a dedicated report.

The report activates the SAP HANA Transport for ABAP (HTA) objects that are required for your selected scenario(s). One HTA object will be activated for each SAP HANA content package.

Procedure

  • In CAR system, start transaction SE38.
  • Enter /CAR/ACTIVATE_HTAas the program and choose Execute.
  • Select all applicable source master data systems, business scenarios, and scenario options for which you wish to activate SAP HANA content.

 

 

Activate SAP HANA Script Server

In this procedure, you activate the script server for the SAP HANA database. This step is required, regardless of the scenario you are planning to implement.

ALTER DATABASE <Tenant database name>  ADD ‘scriptserver’

SLT Configuration and monitoring

LTR – SAP LT Replication Server transaction can be used for Configuration & Monitoring Dashboard

LTRC – SAP LT Replication Server Cockpit for Monitoring and work with Configurations

LTRS – SAP Landscape Transformation replication server

SLT Replication Logging and Replay To Retrieve Lost Data

  • SLT Logging:

Logging option available on SLT system and it used to log table specific replication or entire configuration which includes all tables

  • SLT Replay:

SLT Replay is the option to retrieve data with selections from logging data. Here selections depends on days which we selected for logging

  • Database Trigger:

The source system tracks database changes by using database triggers. It records information about changes in the logging tables.

Reference SAP notes:

1972009 – How to create an SLT Configuration Step-by-Step
2593656 – How to change the user for an SLT job
2645613 – Very high CPU utilization after patching SLT server to DMIS 14
2596411 – SLT / NZDT (DMIS2011 SP11-SP15; S/4HANA 1610 & 1709) – Note Analyzer
1908498 – How to set SLT jobs in SLT configuration
2329159 – Recommended number of data transfer jobs – SLT
2617586 – How to transfer LTRS settings between SLT systems

 

I have published new blog in case if you have upgraded your S/4 or CAR system. please check this out

 

SAP S/4 HANA OP 1809 considerations or changes in the context of SLT replication

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      27 Comments
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      Author's profile photo sridhar kolan
      sridhar kolan

      @ Pratap Naidu, thank you for the article. My question is in few parts and please provide response from your experience

      1. Assume that we are migrating from SAP ECC to S/4 HANA and we have multiple work streams MM/PP/SD/FI in use on ECC.

      1A. Do we have to identify and list each individual table in a SLT config, in such case we will have about 150 tables for each work stream to include master and transactional data. Some with huge volume in Millions and some with thousands.

      1B. If there are about 150 tables, do we have to add and complete initial load of the tables in a sequence to support the dependencies

      1C. For practical purposes, should we create separate configuration for each work streams or even break down within work streams, like with in MM (Material management, purchasing, inventory etc)

      1D. Will the tables names in SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA be same, if so will there be any changes to the table properties

       

      2. Assume that we are migrating from non-SAP(SQL server) to S/4 HANA and we have multiple work streams in use on legacy.

      2A. How do we identify which table and fields in legacy goes to each table in SAP S/4 HANA. eg: in legacy material/purchasing are maintained in 1 table.

      2B. On a field level if we have to transform eg: legacy purchasing group A, B, C should be mapped to  SAP Purchasing group X. Coming from a non-SAP system to support the SAP config, will the “Line of code” or “include” the only options for transformation.(I understand SLT is not primarily used for transformation)

      2C. Since the table and field names in SQL server and SAP S/4HANA will not be same, do we have to provide mapping in SLT at field level. eg: Purchasing-materialno = MARA-MATNR.

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Sridar,

      1A. Yes, all the relevant tables needs to be identified and should be added into replication list, Usually SAP notes provides standard list of tables which needs to be replicated.

      1B. Yes, you have to load the tables with initial load, but there wont be any sequence.

      1C. No need to create separate configuration for each stream, because each configuration would create different replication schema in the SAP HANA database., you could may be later need to map the schema's

      1D. There would be few similar tables, but as they are replicated to different schema. there should not any problem

       

      2A and 2B. These question seems more functional, I could not have answer for them.

       

      2C. Yes, you would have to do mapping in SLT system.

       

      Regards

      Pratap

       

      Author's profile photo Daniele Placentino
      Daniele Placentino

      Hello,

      I have an S4HANA 1809 SP02 system and I want to use it as source system and replication server. But if I run transaction LTR, I got this error:

      Function not supported in S4 systems - use transaction LTRC instead

      Message no. CNV_IUUC_REPLICATION140

      why?

      Author's profile photo Kyle Thackwray
      Kyle Thackwray

      Hi Daniele

       

      Use LTRC transaction, it provides the same functionality but not in a webdynpro. I am currently doing the same for an MDC environment. S/4 HANA 1909 (embedded SLT) otherwise you need to install the SLT component on S/4.

       

      Regards,

      Kyle

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu

      Hello Daniele

      LTR transaction does not work in S4 source system, you suppose to run LTR transaction in SLT system ( NW system with DMIS component)

       

      Regards

      Pratap

      Author's profile photo Bhaskar Kumar
      Bhaskar Kumar

      Thanks a lot for wonderful document..

      Author's profile photo pradeep reddy
      pradeep reddy

      Hi Pratap,

       

      We have 1909 S/4 Retail and CAR system.

      Please tell me where should we install SLT either in 1909 S/4 Retail or CAR system.

      We have multiple SAP systems to be replicate into CAR.

       

      Regards,

      Pradeep.

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Pradeep,

      As you arr mentioned, you have multiple systems to replicate, its recommended to have standalone SLT system.

       

      Otherwise you could use your S4 system, as its SLT DMIS component included in S4CORE component.

       

      Regards

      Pratap

      Author's profile photo Nuno Sardo
      Nuno Sardo

      Hi,

      But according to SAP note 2580573, this will only work with SLT as standalone, because If the S/4 HANA system is also used as the SLT system, S/4 HANA can’t be the source or target system of an SLT except for Central Finance scenario. Is this correct?

      Thanks,

      Nuno

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Nuno

      Yes, if you have only one system, then standalone SLT should used.

      Yes correct, S/4 system can not be source or target for SLT

       

      Regards

      Pratap

      Author's profile photo pradeep reddy
      pradeep reddy

      Thanks Pratap for the information.

      We have installed the system. But we are unable to see authoring schemas  like SAP_S4H under content->sap->is->retail. Can you please explain more information Verify Correct Schema Mapping and in the mapping which physical schema need to map either CAR or S/4 HANA Retail. 

      i have one more confusion how SLT schema has to map to SAP delivered content.

      Regards,

      Pradeep.

       

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu

      Hi Pradeep,

      You shall be able to see the SAP_S4H schema already exists in , ss4 databaseame can be used for CAR database tables replication. You may have to reset the password of it and use SAP_S4H as configuration name during SLT configuration, provide the same password.

      You should be able to see the schema SAP_S4H (replicated tables under it) only when you login to database with schema owner SAP_S4H in hana studio.

      Please map your replication schema SAP_S4H to S4 hana schema eg: SAPABAP1

      There are some additional mappings needs to be done SAP_CAR,SAP_DDF etc to  SAPABAP1 - s4 schema ( that you could see in my screen shots above).

      You just have to activate sap hana content in S4 system, so additional schema mapping will be used to look up.

      Regards

      Pratap

      Author's profile photo Saber Mohamed
      Saber Mohamed

      Source system does not contain required objects.

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Saber

      Please provide more details, can not check with that screen shot

       

      Regards

      Pratap

      Author's profile photo SAP Consultant
      SAP Consultant

      Pratap Naidu thank you for the article.

       

      We had two S/4 HANA 1909(different SID and client number) and one CAR system, the SLT is installed alone with CAR server. We want to know if it is possible to replication data from both S/4 system to CAR, if yes, how should we do the schema mapping, since  both source system are SAP_S4H.

       

      Thanks and Regards

      Leo

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu
      Blog Post Author

      Hello Leo,

      Please see this note and blog, ideally you should be using same replication schema for both the source systems, which is supported scenario by SAP.

       

      Scenario 1: In this scenario N:1 is being used, where N must be completely different systems.

      • Different source systems can use the same configuration name when connected to the same HANA target.

      2599358 – N to 1 scenario ERROR: Source System is already used to replicate into the corresponding Target Schema – SLT

      https://blogs.sap.com/2013/06/11/how-to-setup-a-n1-replication/

      Regards

      Pratap

      Author's profile photo Marcela Martinez
      Marcela Martinez

      Hi @ Pratap Naidu, I hope you are having a great day!

      Thanks a lot for the article and for sharing your knowledge with us. I have a question about if it is possible or no to send information from a SAP system to a non-SAP system and I would like your opinion based on your knowledge and experience.

      We have S4HANA system and SLT connection working.

      Now people need to send some SAP information to ServiceNow system. This information could be in SAP DDIC tables directly or instead of that we can build a HANA CDS View with the specific information that ServiceNow needs.

      Do you think that we can use SLT connection for this requirement?

      Thank you very much in advance and kind regards.

      Marcela.

      Author's profile photo Raoul Shiro
      Raoul Shiro

      Hello Pratap,

       

      I am a bit confused regarding the sequences of SAP CAR installations.

      Let's say you need to install a new SAP CARAB 5.0 from scratch.

      According to the installation guides , we need to :

      You must always set up the SAP HANA users and privileges first, that is, before installing SAP Customer Activity Repository applications bundle on the ABAP back-end server"

      https://help.sap.com/viewer/55c14d85842b4275afda2af381a7ab71/5.0/en-US/fd7e0e540fca024be10000000a44176d.html

       

       

       

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu
      Blog Post Author

      Hello Raoul,

      Yes, it's right sequence.

      Please follow this installation guide pdf with the steps given in right sequence, with required systems and components that are required for SAP CAR setup.

      https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://help.sap.com/doc/cb21268b74d744d0b9c21e54fe5a170c/5.0/en-US/SAP_CARAB_Common_Installation_Guide.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjs7YDEzKHuAhVWbn0KHfFjBuUQFjABegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw3phSf0C4y5BwlQTnlS4DJg

      Author's profile photo Raoul Shiro
      Raoul Shiro

      Thanks Pratap for the information.

      I

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu

      Hello Raoul,

      Replication schema would be SAP_S4H.

      SAP_S4H schema would be there already in target system, you just have to use same name (SAP_S4H) while setting up the replication. but you should have password of SAP_S4H schema already.

       

      Regards

      Pratap

      Author's profile photo Raoul Shiro
      Raoul Shiro

      Hello Pratap,

       

      thank you

      Author's profile photo Pratap Naidu
      Pratap Naidu

      Hi Raoul,

      I have actually used/created S4H_<SID> as replication schema (instead of SAP_S4H, standard replication schema for CAR applications)

       

      but later I have realized that, we should be using standard replication schema, because some of the SAP standard SQL queries will used SAP_S4H as replication schema by default.

      If you wish to create custom schema name for replication, then there might be additional work, where you would have to replace the SAP_S4H with custom one.

      2538187 - SLT Tables Used in CAR RETAIL APPL BUNDLE 2.0 SPS03 (SAP_S4H Schema)

      No, during SLT setup, no where you could use physical schema of SAP S/4HANA system database, except during schema mapping (i think that is for internal lookup for the queries)

       

      Regards

      Pratap

      Author's profile photo Hicham Abdelmottalib
      Hicham Abdelmottalib

      Hello Raoul

      You missed something very important suppose we have SAP CAR version 5.0 and S/4hana main data source 1809 so the physical schema in both system will be SAPHANADB so in mapping you can't map SAP_S4H schema with SAPHANADB schema from S/4hana system because there is SAP CAR schema With the name SAPAHANDB

      Regards

      Author's profile photo Alexandra Kalinina
      Alexandra Kalinina

      Hello Pratap!
      I am using SLT to replicate data from S4HANA Retail to SAP CAR and I am getting an error while creating views MBV_MBEW_BASE and MBV_MBEW_MOTHER_SEGMENT:

      Creation of view MBV_MBEW_BASE failed (SQL Error Code: 260).
      A database error occured. The error message in the: database was: "invalid column name: U.RCLNT: line: :
      1 col 2882 (at pos 2881)".: : :

      How can the error be corrected?

      I checked the dependent tables and views, they have all the required fields, except that the RLCNT field is stored in lowercase in V_ML_ACDOC_EX_UL_DDL.

      Thank you!

      Author's profile photo Yilu Zhang
      Yilu Zhang

      Hi Alex

      I have the same error.

      Did you fix it? Can you share your solution? Thank you

      Author's profile photo ROBERTO BERTOLINI
      ROBERTO BERTOLINI

      Same issue here. do you have any idea on how to solve?