Describing System Change Options and Client Change Options

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Use system change options and client change options for your transport landscape
  • Outline the idea of Customizing using current settings

System Change Options

In your training system, enter transaction SE06 and choose System Change Option.

The system change options define whether repository objects and cross-client customizing objects can be globally modified. If they are globally modifiable, you can specify whether or not each software component and namespace can be modified.

To reach the system change option, go to transaction SE06 and choose System Change Option.

A software component is a set of dedicated packages.

For the software components, there are four different possible settings:

  • Modifiable
  • Restricted Modifiability

    This means that you can only create objects as non-originals.

  • Not Modifiable (Enhanceable Only)

    This means that changes are not allowed. Objects can be enhanced using the Enhancement Framework only.

  • Not Modifiable (Not Enhanceable)

    This means that changes and enhancements are not allowed.

You can reserve name spaces for software developed by SAP customers and partners. These name spaces are designed for large-scale customer enhancements, as well as add-ons developed by partners.

The syntax for objects from reserved name spaces is as follows: /<name space>/<object name>.

For each SAP system, the customer can define whether or not objects contained in the name spaces and name ranges can be changed. To enable you to change objects, the Global Setting of this SAP system in transaction SE06 must be Modifiable.

Client Change Options

In your training system enter transaction SCC4 and display the settings of a client of your choice.

Client change options, found in the client’s T000 master table, can be maintained using transaction SCC4. It defines which parts of the SAP system are modifiable when working in this client.

Two settings must be maintained to implement controls on where changes are made, and to enforce the changes being recorded to transport requests.

These settings are as follows:

  • Changes and transports for client-specific objects.
  • Cross-client object changes.

The following lists provide a brief description of what each option allows.

Changes and Transports for Client-Specific Objects

Changes without automatic recording

This flag means that changes in the customizing settings of the client are permitted. The changes are not automatically recorded in a transport request.

Customizing settings can be exported from the client by manually creating a transport request and adding the objects in question to this transport request.

This variant makes sense for pure test, training or demonstration clients.

Automatic recording of changes

This flag means that changes are permitted in the customizing settings of the client. Changes are automatically recorded in a transport request.

You can also export customizing settings independently of the automatic recording from the client by manually creating a transport request and adding objects to it.

This variant can be used for customizing clients.

Hint

In a productive client, settings that can be maintained as "current settings" are excluded from automatic recording. Current settings (such as exchange rates, posting periods, and so on) are maintained without recording the changes.

Note

Automatic recording of changes does not refer to recording for audit purposes. Recording for audit purposes is also possible.

  • To record data changes from within the SAP system, you can set the profile parameter rec/client, via transaction RZ10.
  • To record data changes caused by importing transport requests, you can set the tp parameter RECCLIENT, using transaction STMS.

With new installations of SAP S/4HANA 2021 or conversions to SAP S/4HANA 2021, table data change logging is enabled by default. For details, see SAP Note 3093760 –Table Data Change Logs In ABAP Platform.

No changes allowed

This flag means that changes in the customizing settings of the client are not permitted.

However, (existing) customizing settings can be exported from the client by creating a transport request and manually attaching objects to it.

In a productive client, customizing settings that can be maintained as "current settings" are excluded from the client lock. This means that current settings (such as exchange rates, posting periods, and so on) can always be maintained in the productive client.

This variant can be used for productive clients, demonstration clients, and training clients.

Changes without automatic recording, no transports allowed

This flag means that changes are permitted in the customizing settings of the client. However, the changes are not automatically recorded in a transport request.

In contrast to the Changes without automatic recording option, no manual transport of customizing settings is possible from the client.

This variant can be used for pure test clients or sandbox clients.

Cross-Client Object Changes

This feature controls the clients in which you are allowed to maintain cross-client objects.

It makes sense not to allow cross-client-maintenance if the objects to be maintained are exclusively application objects (all client-specific) or client-related customizing objects. In this case (for example, in a test client), you must ensure that cross-client functionality can't be changed.

Cross-client-functions include all cross-client-customizing objects (for example, factory calendar, definition of price list conditions, printer controls). In particular, they also include all objects of the SAP repository (programs, function modules, screens, dictionary object, and so on).

Note

Changes to cross-client objects are allowed only when both the settings in the Client maintenance (transaction SCC4) and the System change options (transaction SE06) don't prevent them.

Changes to repository and cross-client customizing allowed

There are no restrictions on the maintenance of cross-client objects for the client when this setting is used. Both cross-client customizing objects and objects of the SAP repository can be maintained.

Use this setting in the customizing and development client only.

No changes to cross-client customizing objects

Cross-client customizing objects can't be maintained in the client with this setting.

Only use this if the development client is separated from the customizing client.

No changes to repository objects

With this setting, objects of the SAP repository can't be maintained in the client.

Only use this if the customizing client is separated from the development client.

No changes to repository and cross-client customizing objects

This is a combination of both restrictions: Neither cross-client customizing objects nor objects of the SAP repository can be maintained in the client.

Use this in every client in the landscape, except for the customizing and development clients.

Hint

If you use a job step user for the Technical Job Repository in SAP S/4HANA (transaction SJOBREPO_STEPUSER), you may enter an entry in table CLMS_TENANT (Tenant Information (Extension to T000)), which may result in additional fields in transaction SCC4 (such as Tenant ID) . See SAP Note 2449125 – Create and assign job step user for Technical Job Repository.

Customizing Using Current Settings

In a customizing project, and also during the maintenance of an SAP system, all customizing changes should be transported and tested in the quality assurance system. But certain kinds of customizing changes, or Data-only customizing changes, need to be carried out in a production client, without being saved as transport requests. Examples of such data, which may require frequent adjustment in SAP systems, include

  • Interest Rates,
  • Health Insurance Premiums,
  • Pension Schemes,
  • Tax Schemes, and
  • Currency Exchange Rates,

because these types of changes have a frequent change rate, and they are not subject to extensive testing like other customizing changes. These changes are done directly in the productive client in the production system. To avoid having to use transport requests for these changes, the Current Settings function was introduced. It can be performed directly in the productive client in the productive system

The Current Settings function may be used within a production client, without impacting business flow-related customizing objects.

SAP-approved Current Settings for customizing objects are kept in the CURSETTING field, in the OBJH table.

When using Current Settings in a production environment, the following settings need to be maintained:

  • The client role is set to: Production.
  • Cross-client object changes are set to: No changes to Repository and cross-client Customizing objects.
  • Changes and transports for client-specific objects are set to: No changes allowed.

Note

If you want to know how the object attribute Current Settings can be assigned to a maintenance object, see SAP Note 2442887 – SOBJ | How to assign object attribute Current Settings to a maintenance object. To deactivate the transport connection for certain customizing settings, follow SAP Note 2444878 – SE54 | How to deactivate the transport connection.

For view maintenance transactions, you have the option of maintaining current settings in test clients that are "not modifiable" also. For more information, see SAP Note 356483 – In test system, behavior of customizing objects which are editable in production i.e. Current Settings.

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