Masks / static

[Former Member]

Hi everyone,

in a blog I read that "Masks are static lists of selected object and not executed every time".

What does that mean for the usage of masks? For example I have a mask that shows me all customers restricted to my region. What happens when a new customer is added to this region in MDM. Will it not appear in my mask even though I should see it? Would I then have to "refreh" the mask?

Why do masks exist at all?

Is there any functionality in MDM which is dynamic and refreshes every time?

Best regards, Daniel

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Daniel,

Masks is a static snapshot of the repository in other words it is a virtual repository that we create. Masks can be easily created based on your search in the Data manager client. You can then store this search as mask. Masks have to be first created in the data manager, this mask can be assigned to a given user in the console manager under the Roles table. Once the user is assigned mask he will be able to see only those records assigned to him. In other words it acts like views.

Masks can be also passed as parameter in the url if you are viewing the catalog in the browser (SRM-MDM). Records need to be added manually to the masks they dont get added dynamically.

Another option is Named Searches but these are dynamic that once the named search are created and later any records are added which match the search criteria selected for that named search you can view those records directly without physically assigning them to the named search.

Hope this helps you

Prasad..........................

[former_member182007]

Heii Daniel,

For this you can go through

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/79/77b142c444c96ae10000000a155106/content.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_mdm550/helpdata/en/43/694d88fd5f1a6ee10000000a11466f/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_mdm550/helpdata/en/43/93a71522d92293e10000000a1553f6/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_mdm550/helpdata/en/42/c5fbfb04f3311ce10000000a1553f7/frameset.htm

I think these links may help you.Please reward if you find it useful.

Rgds

Deepak

[Former Member]

Hi guys,

thanks a lot for your in-depth explanation of masks vs. named searches etc.

I just found an interesing blog on how to make masks "dynamic" by using the Java API:

/people/sap.user72/blog/2006/05/01/use-mdm4j-to-automatically-update-a-mask

Cheers, Daniel

[Former Member]

Hi Daniel,

Masks are static object and when a new record is added u have to add that record into the mask .While in MDM there is another table called Named searches which are dynamic

So if u want that ur record update automatically u can use the named searches as per the scenario whenever you add a record, it will automatically updated in the named searches but for the mask, u have to do it manually.

But we can not assign the named searches against the role as a constraint, with the available current version, we can use only Mask as a constraint i.e. by this we can restrict the users to use some specific records.

But In the coming MDM 5.5 SP06 version , Role constraints for Named searches defined in the MDM Console are applied in the MDM data manager.Also not initialized Named searches behave like empty searches ,that is, all records are presented in than MDM DATA Manager.

First, you have to create the Named search. Follow the following steps:

1. Go to Data Manager and open the table Named Searches. Create a named search.

2. Now, select your main table and go to free form search. Select the field on the basis of which you want to make a named search and select all the records of this field.

3.Go to search tab. Click save as named search and restore the named search.

Now open the Named searches table under the main table n you can see if the records are added to the named search made by you or not.

Hope this information will help you.

Regards

Ankit

[Former Member]

Hi guys,

thanks a lot for your explanations! I am looking forward to SP06 then.

Best regards, Daniel

[Former Member]

Hi Daniel,

1."Masks are static lists of selected object and not executed every time".

What does that mean for the usage of masks?

Ans: Once you create a mask, you have to choose some records from data manager and have to add manually in that mask. Now why masks are static bcoz now if you want to add some records after some time again, you have to again choose and manually add those in to mask.

Usage of masks are: just in Console when you define a Role you can Restrict that user to some records only using constraint over the masks.

They dont have functionality of dynamic refresh.

2. Why do masks exist at all?

Ans: To save your searched records at single place.

-To restrict users to some specific records.

3.Is there any functionality in MDM which is dynamic and refreshes every time?

Ans: You have named searches which are dynamic in nature but does not have constraint functionality.

Hope this will help you.

Rewards if helpful.

BR,

Alok Sharma

[Former Member]

Hi Daniel,

there are two tables as you know Mask and Named Searches.

Mask are static object and the Named searches are dynamic in nature.

So insteed of using mask, you can use the named searches as per the search criereria.whenever you add a record, it will automatically updated in the Named searches but for the mask, you have to add manually.

but as per the business requirement, you can not assign the named searches against the role as a constraint, with Current MDM version, we can use only Mask as a constraint.

But I have read in the document of MDM 5.5 SP06 guide, There is facility to use Named searches as a constraint against the role.

Hope that this will clear your doubt.

Regards,

Saurabh...

Reward with points if found helpful.

[Former Member]

Yes Masks are static. Any new record has to be added to the Mask. Only then it will be available in the Mask.

You can get a dynamic subset records for a role from SAP MDM SP06 version. You can specify the search criteria in the MDM Console for a particular Role. This would allow the users to see all the records matching the search criteria.

BR

[Former Member]

HI BR,

thanks for your reply.

Cheers, Daniel