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ABAP Dictionary Tables in Relational Databases

ABAP Dictionary Tables in Relational March-2005 © 2005 IBM Corporation

Databases | 2.04
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Objectives

 The participants will be able to:

 Describe the different types of tables in the SAP ABAP Dictionary.
 Explain the technical settings for optimizing the storage and maintenance requirements.
 Describe performance benefits through indexing.

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SAP Table Types

Transparent Table Structure (INTTAB)

(TRANSP)

Pool Table Cluster Table

View

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Transparent Tables

 SAP stores both master data and transaction data exclusively in transparent
tables.

Master Data Transactional Data

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Table Types TRANSP in the Database

 Transparent (TRANSP) tables have a 1:1 correlation between the ABAP

Dictionary and the physical database.

PROFILE

DB

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Mapping a Table of Type INTTAB

 INTTAB tables are field strings (structures) which do not hold data.
 They are not mapped to the database and have no underlying database tables.

PROFILE

DB
x
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Pool and Cluster Tables: Overview

 Pooled tables can be used to store control data (e.g. screen sequences,
program parameters or temporary data).
 Cluster tables contain continuous text (e.g. documentation).

Pool Table Cluster Table

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Technical Settings

Master, Transaction
Data class Organization &
Customizing, User

Size category Number of data records in

DB storage

Single records buff, generic

Buffering
area buffered, fully buffered

Log data changes On or off

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Data Class

Organization and
Transaction data Customizing data

Master data User data

DB
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Size Categories

 A table’s size category identifies the amount of disk space on the database that
is allocated to the table.

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Buffering Type

Single Record Generic

KF1 KF2 KF3 F4 F5 F6 KF1 KF2 KF3 F4 F5 F6

Full
KF1 KF2 KF3 F4 F5 F6 None

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Logging

 On the technical settings screen you can specify “Log data changes” to
automatically generate a log file of details on the structure of a table, a list of the
data changes made during a certain period, and statistics.

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Maintaining Technical Settings

Data Class

Size Category

Buffering Type

Logging

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Demonstration

 Observation of the technical settings of the SAP Table MARA and familiarization
with the technical settings of a transparent table.

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Practice

 Observation of the technical settings of the SAP Table MARA and familiarization
with the technical settings of a transparent table.

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Database Utility

 The Database (DB) Utility is a tool used in SAP to serve as a interface

between the database management software (i.e., ORACLE, INFORMIX,
DB2, INGRES, etc.) and the ABAP Dictionary

AB
Dic AP
tion
a ry

DB

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Index

 To improve performance, SAP automatically creates a primary index (id 0) for

transparent tables based on the primary key. You can also define your own
secondary indexes for transparent tables.

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Database Indexes
Employee Names Index Employees Table

Last Name First Name Pointer ID Last Name First Name Salary

Adams Anthony

Burrows Gerry

Furia Fred

Gregory Tim

Jones Jimmy

Peters Beth

Treske Carolin

Zelkova Zephyr

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The Telephone Book Analogy

 Think of an index like a telephone book

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The Telephone Book Analogy (Contd.)

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The Index Range Scan

 Sometimes an index doesn’t point to a single record, so it has to go for the

Index Range Scan

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The Unique Index Scan

 If each index record matches exactly one record in the table, and if all the fields
of the index are specified in the query, a unique index scan can be performed.

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Evaluating the Various Types of Scans

 A unique index scan is generally faster than an index range scan, because it has
less data to sort through and retrieve.

Unique Index Scan

Index Range Scan

Full Table Scan

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Summary

 There are 5 different table types in the SAP ABAP Dictionary: Transparent
tables, Structures, Pool tables, Cluster tables & Views.
 Technical settings allow you to optimize the storage requirements and table
access behavior of database tables.
 Defining a data class has the effect of storing the table in a defined area of
the database when the table is created.
 A table’s size category identifies the amount of disk space on the database
that is allocated to the table.
 Buffering is only recommended for tables with data that typically does not
change or get updated.
 To improve performance, SAP automatically creates a primary index (id 0) for
transparent tables based on the primary key. You can also define your own
secondary indexes for transparent tables.

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Questions

 What are the different table types ?

 What is data class ?
 What is size category ?
 What is buffering ?

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