We at SAP have had a lot of questions concerning the ongoing support of 'Multi Display, Multi Processing' (MDMP) for our future mySAP ERP releases. Hopefully I can clarify this question and provide you with information that enables you to plan your future mySAP ERP rollout and requirements for multiple languages.
Some background: MDMP was the solution SAP developed for support of combinations of multiple code pages in one system prior to the availability of unicode database support. MDMP effectively enabled an SAP ERP system to be installed with a non-unicode database, and to support connections to the ERP application by users with language combinations not supported by a single code page.
Example: support of one ERP system with English, French, Japanese, and Chinese. MDMP implementations implemented strict rules and restrictions(*) in order to ensure data consistency and avoid data corruption.
MDMP was only supported for SAP R/3, SAP R/3 Enterprise, and mySAP ERP applications. No other SAP applications or SAP NetWeaver components support MDMP.
Future of MDMP: MDMP was a short term solution delivered to customers until unicode was released for SAP ERP applications. Once unicode was released, MDMP was not recommended to customers. Therefore SAP strongly recommends utilizing unicode versions of SAP ERP for multi-language solutions that require multiple codepages.
Note: Unicode is supported from SAP R/3 Enterprise onwards For those ERP customers already running MDMP, SAP has clarified the ongoing support of MDMP in a letter to customers:
MDMP will no longer be fully supported from mySAP ERP 2005 onwards:
From mySAP ERP 2005 onwards SAP can only warrant for consistent data in installations with mixed languages (more than one code page) if the whole system is based on Unicode.
In cases where customers want to use MDMP from mySAP ERP 2005 onwards, SAP strongly recommends to involve an experienced SAP consultant, but SAP disclaims all responsibility for
Any damages or losses of (productive) data and Interruption of or restrictions for scenarios in mixed environments (E.g. Unicode <-> MDMP - systems)
Unless such damages are attributable to SAP’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.
Conversion from MDMP to Unicode: SAP provides migration tools and services to support the conversion of non-unicode and MDMP systems to unicode. For more information please consult the unicode home page on the SAP Service Marketplace.
Further information: For more information please consult the following info sources:
SAP Unicode home page: http://service.sap.com/unicode
>SAP note: 741821
*- Since the potential risks are extremely complex depending on a given scenario, interfaces and data exchange, a general list covering ALL potential possibilities of data corruption is not feasible to cover.
May 2006: Update on globalization support:
SAP has announced that as of 2007, there will no longer be shipments of non-unicode installation kits for new releases of applications that run on SAP NetWeaver or SAP NetWeaver itself. More information can be found in this Single code page SAP systems heading towards history - Unicode Only Future! (Single code page SAP systems heading towards history - Unicode Only Future!)
I hope you find this useful
All the best,
Mike
