APO Basics

[Former Member]

I have been doing a lot of research and am confused on the communication flow between APO, live cache, and R/3. I have read about CIF, but the more I read the more I get confused. I am also curious when, and if it is customizable, the data flow takes place, and how quickly this process is.

I know that there are Business System Groups and that they should be assigned in the APO system in relation to a system that contains the master data server, but I donu2019t really understand why or how.

Within APO the live cache will run the algorithm and pull in the key findings from R/3 to APO, but are the key findings where the planners can place constraints?

I would really appreciate any further explanation.

[former_member721730 · Accepted solution]

Hi APlamer,

All the best for your starting.

CIF Customizing - This is to connect the Source (R/3) and Target (APO) system in such a way to transfer the master date to APO system. Connection establishment is not meaning of immediate transfer.

Integration model is like a gorup. It that model, it can hold master data (material, Plant, customer) or transactional data (Planned order, Reservation, Sale order, Stock. etc).

You have to activate the integaration to transfer the master/transactional data to APO system. Whenever new material, planned orders create that should be transferred. For this, have to schedule a job for activate and transfer the Integration model.

APO Business System group : This is to identify which data comes from which source system. Then only when you transfer your planned independent requirement will go the correct R/3 system. When using more than one R/3 connected to APO sytem, you can realise more.

Instead of reading all the documents and document analysis, start work in the system parallel. Then only you can get clear idea on the configuration and process.

Thanks,

Saravanan V

[Former Member]

I know that there are Business System Groups and that they should be assigned in the APO system in relation to a system that contains the master data server, but I donu2019t really understand why or how.

BSG's are like identity numbers. You just define them in both source and destinations locations so that both can recognize each other.

"One or more logical systems that belong together from a business point of view. A business system group represents a unit within a company or organization that can be defined according to legal, economic, administrative or geographic factors.

The objects in a business system group are uniquely identified by a uniform numbering system."

Within APO the live cache will run the algorithm and pull in the key findings from R/3 to APO, but are the key findings where the planners can place constraints?

Livecache is just a database. SAP designed this "meta-ram-database" which is like a combination of RAM in a computer and database that can also store data. Imagine a computer. It as RAM and it has a hard disk( database). Every time you execute some thing, the system stores temporarily in RAM and then puts back to hard disk. This slows down processing in planning. SO for faster planning, the planning information is save d in RAM cum database called livecache.

How ever livecache by itself does not have capability to pull information from R/3. You need CIF for that.

Hope this helps.