SAP Central Finance - Intermediate Data Retention (IDR)

[nitin_gupta10]

This blog describes the functionality of Intermediate Data Retention (IDr) in SAP Central Finance (CFIN).

As we are aware that the Initial Load and Real time replication functionalities work technically different in SAP Central Finance although the purpose is same.

With SAP S/4HANA 2020FPS01 SAP introduced the new feature called Intermediate Data Retention (IDR) with which the initial load is only limited to open items and balances but not the documents.

Rather the documents will be captured with a kind of online recording which will be stored in staging tables in SAP source system and will be replicated to special IDR system and at future point IDR will serve as a source system to SAP Central Finance. In summary this adds a new system in between source & target.

This feature is made available for Central Finance SAP S/4HANA 2021 FPS1 with SAP Note 3017968 (SAP Credentials required)

Benefits

• High quality of data as compared standard initial load functionality


• Errors can be fixed early


• Real time recording can be done separately with real time replication


• Real time recording can be switched on way earlier you start configuring SAP Central Finance system

Limitations

• For Intercompany transactions, all involved company codes have to be included in the same initial load group.


• Transactions which result in more than one posting, where one is before the start of recording are currently not supported

Prerequisites

• RFC Connections are running for source ECC and IDR system


• In source system SM30 > VCFIN_SOURCE_SET is updated however the start document transfer period CANNOT be past


• SLT replication is running from source ECC to IDR system

Systems

• Source ECC System


• Target SAP S/4HANA 2020 FPS1 system


• SLT for replication


• For Data Retention - a separate ECC or S/4HANA client (should be same or higher as source system release)

 

IMG Activity - CFINIMG

Transaction Code - FINS_CFIN_MAN_REPL

This can be done per initial load group and all steps have to be followed in a sequence

Deletion of IDR Data

• In source system - The report RCFIN_DEL_MIG is now capable of clearing IDR persistent tables in source system as new delete recording button is enabled


• In Central Finance System - Report RFINS_CFIN_CLEAR_INIT_LOAD can delete the IDR data

Summary

It can be a useful functionality but since its just released it is still not that matured enough and does not support several real business cases. On top of that it requires additional investment in hardware and run cost to deploy and maintain the IDR system. But looking at the classical initial load limitations it can help customers in saving time & money being invested in test cycles and error resolution during the project implementation phase.

Happy reading..