Question:
We currently use IDOCS for all master data loading, mainly because we set it up that way in 1.2B, when the options were IDOCS or ODS. This carried forward into 2.1C, and now we are upgrading to 3.0B. We are thinking about changing the transfer method to PSA. We will only load the data to the infoobject (not to the PSA), since all of our master data loads are full loads, no deltas.
Can anyone tell me of advantages and/or disadvantages of using the PSA transfer method (only to the infoobject) vs. the IDOCS transfer method for Master Data and Text loads.
Thanks for your input.
_________________
Mike
Connecticut, USA
Answer:
Here's something from our docu that might help:
* Via ALE (Application Link Enabling) (button IDOC in Transfer Rules)
The ALE technology was originally designed to support exchanging data between distributed but integrated SAP R/3 systems. ALE exchanges messages or data between 2 systems by way of a “container, named Intermediate Documents (IDOCs). Three types of messages are used in the communication protocol between BW and a SAP source system:
- Request IDOC
Tied to message type RSRQST
Used to send the data request to the SAP source system
- Status IDOC
Tied to message type RSINFO
Communicates the status to the BW Monitor
- Data IDOCs
Tied to message type RSSEND
Data Package used to transfer the data in the transfer structure format
Here there is a 1000 byte limit imposed.
* Via TRFC (transactional remote function call) (button PSA in Transfer Rules)
TRFC’s also use the ALE technology but a different layer of it. The TRFC is a function call that replaces the Data IDOC of the pure ALE method.
Thus, the Request and Status IDOCs are still used here
TRFC’s are faster than ALE and it has a bigger capacity: 255 fields and a 1962 byte limit. The transfer is asynchronous and runs in the background. Furthermore, TRFC offers the possibility to synchronize InfoSources and there is an API to access the data stored in the ODS (read and update).
Also, and most important, you need the TRFC method to be able to load data into the PSA!
So in short : PSA-method is now always advised (even if you don't load via the 'physical PSA' in BW) because the TRFC is better that the DataIDOC
Hope this helps..
Answer:
Thanks for the Info TRF.
We are going to switch over to the TRFC (PSA) for all of our Master Data and Text loads. We have run a few already, and it is definately faster.
Again thanks for your help.
_________________
Mike
Connecticut, USA