Outlining Logical Databases

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to outline the concepts of the PNP, PNPCE and PCH

Logical Databases: Functions

Logical databases are special ABAP programs that retrieve data and make it available for processing to application programs and queries. These databases provide a specific view of the database tables in the SAP system.

Logical databases can perform the following tasks:

Data retrieval
In data retrieval, personal data for each employee is loaded into the main memory, where it is available for processing.
Selection
On a selection screen, you can select employees according to organizational criteria; for example, you can retrieve data for all hourly wage earners in a particular part of the enterprise.
Authorization check
In authorization check, the system checks whether the user starting a report is authorized to view the data in the report.

Performance improvements in logical databases are passed on to all related programs and queries, without them needing to be changed themselves.

Logical Databases

The system includes the following logical databases that enable you to create InfoSets for HR:

PNPCE (will replace PNP)
PCH

The logical database you need to use when creating an InfoSet is determined by the HR components on which you need to report.

The following table lists the assignments between components and logical databases:

Component	Logical Database
HR Administration	PNP or PNPCE
Time Management	PNP or PNPCE
Payroll	PNP or PNPCE
Personnel Development	PCH
Organizational Management	PCH
E-Recruiting	PCH
Learning Solution/Enterprise Learning	PCH
Succession Planning	PCH

Logical Database PNPCE

The logical database PNPCE is intended to replace the logical database PNP. To report data from Personnel Administration, Payroll, or Time Management, you should use the PNPCE logical database to create InfoSets.

The PNPCE logical database offers the following features:

PNPCE can be used with concurrent employment. For more information about concurrent employment, see SAP Note 517071.
PNPCE contains the following enhancements and new features:
- Customizable list box for setting the reporting period that is intuitive and easy to use
- Simplification of individual specification of person and data selection periods
- Integration of reporting period and payroll period on one screen (no screen change required)
- Clearly structured selection screen with all pushbuttons in the general application toolbar
- Clearly structured in place display of dynamic selection options (optionally as a dialog box, as with PNP)
- Support for selection IDs while selecting personnel numbers

The enhancements can be used independently of the concurrent employment concept. SAP recommends that you use PNPCE for all new developments.

Note

The logical database PNP will continue to be supported.

Personnel Administration and Recruitment Data Model

Infotypes are units of information in HR. Infotypes group together coherent data fields.

Infotypes are ways of structuring information that is reported on by reports or queries. To preserve the history of infotypes, the system saves them in time-specific records. The system records a validity period for each infotype record. Usually, there are several data records for each of an employee’s infotypes. The records are distinguished by their differing validity periods.

Using the following time constraints, you specify how the data records of an infotype react to each other over time:

Time constraint 1
For the time an employee belongs to the enterprise, there must be exactly one valid data record of a particular infotype.
Time constraint 2
At any particular point in time, there can be at most one valid data record of a particular infotype.
Time constraint 3
At any particular point in time, there can be unlimited valid data records of a particular infotype.

For a personnel number to exist, theActions (0000), Organizational Assignment (0001), Personal Data (0002), and Payroll Status (0003) infotypes must exist.

Logical Database PCH

You use logical database PCH if you want to report on data from the following components:

Organizational Management
Personnel Cost Planning
Personnel Development
E-Recruiting
Learning Solution/Enterprise Learning
Succession Planning

If you create InfoSets using logical database PCH, you can restrict the InfoSet using an object type.

The InfoSet can only be used for Ad Hoc Query if it has been restricted using an object type. In this instance, the system only allows you to select infotypes that are relevant to the selected object type.

If you do not restrict the InfoSet using an object type, the system allows you to select all of the infotypes available in logical database PCH.

Personnel Planning Data Model

Organizational Management is based on the concept that each element in an organization is depicted as an independent object with individual characteristics. These objects are created and maintained individually, and then connected to each other using relationships, as shown in the preceding. This creates a flexible network that enables you to carry out personnel planning, previews, and reports.

Because cost centers are not maintained in Organizational Management, they are an external object type.

For example, in Customizing you can enhance the existing data model by defining new object types and allowing new relationships between object types.

Each standard object type name consists of one or two letters. The customer namespace is 00 to 99.

This data model (object types and relationships) is also the foundation for other personnel planning applications, such as Training and Event Management (business event hierarchies) and Personnel Development (qualifications catalog).

Reporting on Data from PNP or PNPCE and PCH

An InfoSet can be based on only one logical database. Therefore, you can select only one logical database to create an InfoSet.

In each of the following situations, which can arise for logical databases PNP and PCH, you need to decide which logical database to use to create a corresponding InfoSet:

You want to output data from infotypes 0000-0999 and data from some infotypes from the PCH database, such as Personnel Development or Training and Event Management infotypes.

In this case, you must work with logical database PNP or PNPCE. If you create an InfoSet using PNP or PNPCE, you can include infotypes from PCH in the InfoSet.

You want to report on all HR master data infotypes.

In this case, you must work with the logical database PCH. When you create the InfoSet, do not select an object type (in which case you can only work with SAP Query), or select the object type P (Person) or S (position).

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