SAP CRM: Master Data & Middleware:

General Middleware settings for Data

Exchange
Posted by Jothivenkatesh M 26 Jun, 2013
Dataexchange in CRM carries a very unique perspective and utilizes the CRM Proprietary called
CRM Middleware. Especially we will see about the basic settings which are required for the
exchange between CRM and ERP systems considering Business partners. Before getting into the
important tables to be checked, we will look into few important things which are of prime interest.
Logical System:
A Logical system is pretty much important to be present prior hand because this is important to
establish the connection with that system.
When data is distributed between different systems, each individual system within a network has
to be clearly identifiable.
A Logical system is an application system in which the applications work together on a common
data context.
In SAP terms, logical system is considered to be a CLIENT.
Since logical system is the name used to identify a system uniquely within the network, two
systems cannot have same name if they are connected to each other.
RFC Connection:
RFC connections are the ones which physically enable the system to share the information over
the network.
To create a RFC connection, use transaction SM59.
After these two entities are ready, we can look at certain tables which are important at the ECC
system followed by the tables and certain transactions in CRM system. Important tables in ERP
system:
CRMRFCPAR - Definitions for RFC Connections*

Parameter Name

Description

Recommended values

CONSUMER

User of consumer that uses the

OLTP plugin or the r/3 adapter
functionality to receive the data.

CRM

OBJNAME

For which object the destination

*(means all sending data ).

is allowed to receive the data

RFCDEST

Specifies the destination of the

CRM server.

Any connected CRM server (RFC

destination for crm system )

DOWNLOAD

Which kind of load would be

allowed to send to destination.

*(all Load types)

SEND XML

XML support(should data be sent

in XML support)

Mixed Mode

* - All the details indicated for the tables are for illustrative purposes only. Any required data can
be used.
CRMCONSUM - Possible Users of R/3 Adapter Functionality

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SAP CRM: Master Data & Middleware: General Middleware settings for Data Exchange

Parameter Name

Description

Recommended values

CONSUMER

User of consumer that uses the

OLTP plugin or the r/3 adapter
functionality to receive the data.

CRM

AKTIV

Flag to indicate whether the

application is active.

TEXT

Description

CRM

Q_PREFIX

Prefix for the Q Name used

R3A

CRMFILTAB - Filter Conditions for Download

When there is a filter defined in R3AC1 transaction and the filters are synchronized, then all the filters will be
present in this table in ECC. In CRM it will be present SMOFFILTAB.
CRMPAROLTP - CRM OLTP Parameters
When the filters are maintained in CRM system, then there should be an entry with the text
CRM_FILTERING_ACTIVE for the correspnding adapter object. Sample screenshot:

CRMSUBTAB - Subscription Table for Upload and Download Objects

This is the table which will have the function modules for the upload or download objects.

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SAP CRM: Master Data & Middleware: General Middleware settings for Data Exchange

Important tables and transaction in CRM system:

SMOF_ERPSH - ERP-Site Header table
This table fills automatically whenever you create the site in the CRM system by using the
administration console (SMOEAC)
Site ID is the unique ID provided for the each site created via SMOEAC.
CRMM_BUT_CRMOBJ - Buffer: Which BPs are in Which Systems
This table will carry the partners which are successfully replicated and the SITE ID of the system
to which the data is replicated.
SMOEAC (Transaction for Administraton console)
In CRM server every system which is connected to it are defined as sites and to enable the data
exchange the sites must be define in the CRM system using the tool SMOEAC.
To enable the data exchange between the CRM server and the connected system first we have to
create the site for the particular RFC destination in the SMOEAC.
Following are the steps to create site:
Open transaction smoeac.
choose object type SITE.
Click on create.
Fill all the required fields like name of site , type of site.

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SAP CRM: Master Data & Middleware: General Middleware settings for Data Exchange
Click on site attribute button.
Enter the RFC destination in our case it should be any ECC system and hit enter the system
will automatically fetch all the relevant data for the site like logical system name,release of the
system etc.
After creating the site the screen will look like the below screen.

Once the site is created, the connected site has to be subscribed for the available publication.
Publication:
Publication is the definition of one or more replication objects with specific criteria for replication
means to say that Publication is kind of container which may consist different replication object.
Subscription:
Subscription is a replication object within the publication which connected site can subscribe to it.
Subscription is a means by which the site can subscribe for some particular set of replication
objects from publication which he want to get it from the CRM server..
For eg. Site can subscribe for the all the business partner to flow to him or only the relationship
should be replicated to him. It all depends on the customer requirement that what data he want to
replicated to the connected site.

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SAP CRM: Master Data & Middleware: General Middleware settings for Data Exchange

In our case most of the time we subscribe for two business objects BUPA_MAIN i.e. all business
partner and BUPA_REL i.e. all business partner relationship means to say that the connected
ECC side can accept all BP data and BP relationship data from the CRM system other than this it
will discard all other types of data.
After defining the ECC as a site in the CRM system we must assign subscription to it below are
the screenshot which will show how to create and assign subscription to the ECC site.
Following will be the steps where the subscription will be created and assigned to the site.

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SAP CRM: Master Data & Middleware: General Middleware settings for Data Exchange

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SAP CRM: Master Data & Middleware: General Middleware settings for Data Exchange

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SAP CRM: Master Data & Middleware: General Middleware settings for Data Exchange

In the above scenario, we have only assigned one subscription i.e ALL BUSINESS PARTNER
RELATIONSHIP during replication only the relationship from the CRM server will send to the ECC
and not the BUSINESS PARTNER.
There are mainly two kind of subscription are available in the CRM server.
Types of Subscription.
Simple Bulk subscription.
Simple bulk subscription is the standards subscription which given by the SAP standard SAP
delivery and customer are not allowed to make any change in this subscription. General
recommendation is to have bulk subscription.
Simple intelligent subscription.
Simple intelligent subscription is something which customer can create their own subscription
with some filter criteria according to their requirement.

So the above mentioned details will give us the head start for the basic settings from the
middleware side to set up replication between CRM and ERP. 7291 Views Tags: erp, crm,
middleware, customer_relationship_management, dataexchange
Maxim Afonin in response to Andrei Vishnevsky on page 9
14 May, 2014 8:23 AM
My bad. All this is true, sorry if it was offensive to anybody especially in concernt to the Topic Owner, didn't
want to miff, or to be inpolite or aggressive. Anyway links in my first comment is stll useful, nomatter the fact
that standard documents are often far to be good.
Stephen Johannes in response to Maxim Afonin on page 11

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13 May, 2014 11:23 PM

I'm going to have to say that you must be pretty brilliant if you can follow the standard delivered documentation
and not make any mistakes. I personally can't always do that myself so there are people who might like a little
extra help. Although this blog is not complete(but doesn't have to), it is a nice little overview of some of the
areas and what to check when you set up the middleware. I would probably would have had added few more
points but nothing more.
Some of the best middleware consultants I know(the dudes working back since 2.0C), have personal
documentation that is built in similar style, because even they needed to expand from the standard delivered
stuff, but what do they know

In terms of sharing a small blog like this could lead to a full book or chapter in a book on the subject. I know of
someone who wrote a blog here and it turned into a book.
Finally for Jothivenkatesh thanks for sharing, yep you captured the real spirit of contribution with your intent to
provide a few useful tips from experience

Take care,
Stephen
Andrei Vishnevsky in response to Maxim Afonin on page 11
13 May, 2014 10:12 PM
Hello Maxim.
Let me quote you:
sap help or best practicies, where everything is written.
Quite a strong statement, isn't it? But it's your words so I welcome you to my discussion which I created half
a year ago, it has ~550 views currently, but no proper answer yet: HR - CRM integration (7.0 and above).
Organizational model . Any valueable inputs will be much appreciated.
Back to the document. But it's not a document actually. It's a blog post if you take a closer look. Just FYI: The
Difference between a Discussion, Blog Post, Document and Wiki
As you can see from this document, "blog post" is intended to share own experience. Jothivenkatesh M did
exactly this. And did it quite well actually. At least he did it.
I'll be glad if you bring to SCN a more valueable content than this one. Or do SAP employees have any sort of
NDA to share their knowledge?
Lus Prez Grau in response to Maxim Afonin on page 11
13 May, 2014 8:01 PM

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SAP CRM: Master Data & Middleware: General Middleware settings for Data Exchange

Well, for your first contribution since you signed in (27/12/2011), not bad
If you read again your comment, don't you think the "otherwise is a waste of time" sentence could be a little
offensive?
It's quite easy to give feedback, but, good feebdack...that's another history.
Cheers!
Luis
Jothivenkatesh M in response to Maxim Afonin on page 10
13 May, 2014 10:39 AM
Hi,
I understood your concern about covering all the minute details. This is just a step up document to set up the
system. Will try to cover various other scenarios based on different entities in another article. Together we will
make the community a better place.
Maxim Afonin
13 May, 2014 10:01 AM
Hello, if ream by post, you can find that I am not criticizing by saying about internet\google.
For sure there are toms of information. I am just saying that if you decide to create an article it should be
something complete.
1. Guiding with this notes you will not create CRM<>ERP connection, you need additional steps, so that means
it is not a guideline for the basic setup.
2. We can see tables descriptions, but again, here you will not find description of all fields. So this article
doesnt like wiki.
3. No expierence sharing in this article. So it is not a best practice guide.
I am not saying it is bad, But on the SAP community wll be good to have something more solid\complete. This
is more like a draft. But again it is just my IMHO.
That is why I think that at least links to the additional information should be put here..
Faisal PC in response to Maxim Afonin on page 11
13 May, 2014 9:45 AM
Hi Maxim,
I think it would be better to quote in a better way. I just went through Jothi's post and seems that it is good for
beginners though I am not a beginner. People will have different perceptions. However, it's not fair to blindly
criticizing by saying that there are lot of other info in internet. There will be much more in internet than anybody
can post.

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Also, if you feel something better can be given, you can always come up with your own blog/document by
adding additional points.
Thanks,
Faisal
Jothivenkatesh M in response to Maxim Afonin on page 11
13 May, 2014 9:23 AM
Maxim Afonin. Thanks for your comments. I have sorted out the information which i felt from my experience
are important for setting up replication between systems. Of course you can find lots and lots of information by
using Internet. But this will serve as basic guideline and intended to cater that need and systems have been set
up with this
information alone.
So from my opinion, this document can help to set up the replication. Again i am not telling this is the only
document which can help to set up replication. If you consider this as a waste of time, i cannot help you out
much other than telling the above things and you can always try referring documents which is of help to you.
Again nothing personal here. I will try to put in bit more information when ever time permits.
Maxim Afonin
13 May, 2014 8:27 AM
Jothivenkatesh M Nice article, but honestly this is not enough, at all. For the expierenced people it is useless,
for the newbies it doesn't provide all information, not even a link to the sap help or best practicies, where
everything is written.
P.S. Here is the link Basic Configuration
and you can use the followinf BP guides:
1. C71 - RFC Setup
2. B09 - Customizing Download
3. SAP Note 490932
P.P.S. If you want to make it useful article put more information in this artcile with screenshots and live
example. Otherwise it just waste of time, sorry, nothing personal.
Jothivenkatesh M in response to Merve Gul on page 11
8 Apr, 2014 11:58 AM
Hi,
You can always create more than one site for each type of site.
Jothivenkatesh M in response to Ita Curran on page 12
8 Apr, 2014 11:56 AM
Thanks Ita.
Merve Gul

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3 Mar, 2014 7:59 AM

Hi,
I need to create two sites for ECC with different RFC destinations.
I mean there is two RFC desctinations for ECC and I need to send different subscriptions to these sites. But
when I want to create a site with R/3 site type system gives SMOF_ERPSITE002 error 'You have to enter an
RFC for an R/3 site'.
Can we create two site for same site type R/3?
Ita Curran
28 Aug, 2013 3:31 PM
Very helpful document - Thanks Venkat

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