Tag: idoc

Idoc tips & tricks

This blog will give tips & tricks on working with idocs.

Questions that will be answered are:

  • How can I actively monitor idocs?
  • How can I reprocess idocs in error?
  • How to process idocs in collect mode?
  • How can I search the business content of idocs?
  • How to execute technical consistency check for the idoc settings?
  • How can I clean up idocs?
  • How can I force a change of idoc status?

Idoc search and listing

Next to WE02 and WE05, you can use transaction WLF_IDOC to list idocs. WLF_IDOC can also scan the idocs for content. Read more on WLF_IDOC in this blog.

WE06 active idoc monitoring

Transaction WE06 can be used to setup active idoc monitoring. If idocs are running into delay for certain status, you can send workflow:

You need to activate the ALARM message workflow: this is a work item of the TS74508518 standard task.

Read the full SAP help for more details.

WE09 search idoc for business content

Transaction WE09 can be used to search idocs for business content:

Short instruction on how to use WE09 is documented in OSS note 1823081 – WE09 – criteria for searching in data records.

A search function is also available in transaction WLF_IDOC.

Set idoc status

Program RC1_IDOC_SET_STATUS can be used to change an idoc status:

This program is meant to run on non-production systems. Take special care and think twice before running this program on a productive system.

Technical consistency check

You can use transaction BDM5 to execute a technical consistency check for your idoc configuration:

Per item a lot of sanity checks are performed:

Processing inbound idocs that are on collect

You can use transaction BD20 to process inbound idocs with partner profile on collect (idocs status 64):

You can also schedule the program RBDAPP01 in batch to process the idocs in status 64 periodically.

When you post too many idocs too fast with immediate processing, the SAP system might get overloaded and will leave the idocs in status 64. In this case best to switch to collect mode and plan the program RBDAPP01 periodically for processing. See more in OSS note 1872637 – Delays posting inbound IDocs (status 64) which have been configured to trigger immediately.

Bug fix OSS note for RBDAPP01: 2795034 – RBDAPP01 – selection of IDocs that have not yet been completely saved (dirty read).

For parallel processing read this note: 2697762 – ALE: Maximum processes for processing.

Idocs remaining on status 64

In weird cases inbound idocs with partner profile set to process immediately remain in status 64.

Potential root causes:

Sending outbound idocs that are on collect

If you have configured outbound idocs to be collected, the idocs remain in status 30 until they are to be sent out. The sending can be done with transaction WE14 or by batch job of program RSEOUT00:

Recent bug note on RSEOUT00: 2747015 – IDoc: Locks in IDoc outbound processing.

Custom idoc processing remains in status 30

If you have custom idocs or custom idoc processing and you call function module MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE for the outbound distribution, the idocs might get stuck in status 30, even if you set the partner profile to immediate processing. If this is the case, read OSS note 1575852 – Outbound IDocs remain in status 30. This solution provided might seem strange, but it does work:

Implement the following “triple” into your program that creates the idocs:

  CALL FUNCTION ‘DB_COMMIT’.
  CALL FUNCTION ‘DEQUEUE_ALL’.
  COMMIT WORK.

Checking that outbound idocs have passed RFC layer

If there are issues with outbound idocs, most likely it is because they are stuck in the RFC layer. You can check this with transaction SM58.

You can use transaction BD75 to convert the idocs from status 03 to status 12. Status 12 means that they have correctly passed the RFC layer. The program behind BD75 is RBDMOIND, which can also be planned in a batch job:

Reprocessing failed inbound and outbound idocs with technical errors

If outbound idocs fail with technical errors like 02, 25, 26, 29: first correct the technical setup error. When the setup is fixed, you can use transaction BD83 to reprocess the failed idocs (in stead of regenerating them):

If inbound idocs fail with technical errors like 56, 61 , 63: first correct the technical setup error. When the setup is fixed, you can use transaction BD84 to reprocess the failed idocs (in stead of asking the sender to send them again):

Planning these programs in batch job is not a good idea. Fix the root cause, then this reprocessing is not required any more in the future.

Reprocessing edited idocs

If you have edited idocs and want to reprocess them again, use transaction WPIE to start the processing:

Reprocessing inbound idocs in status 51

You can use program RBDMANI2 to reprocess idocs in status 51 (error in functionality):

This program is usually run in background mode as well in productive system. In a productive system don’t run it too frequently, since very try will add a new status 51. Therefore also limit the amount of days of history you want to reprocess automatically. Do use the option to filter on message class and number, to reprocess only selective messages for selective message type. The most common use is to reprocess idocs that could not be processed due to another user locking the data.

This might result into a couple of variants, or even a couple of different batch jobs running at different frequencies for reprocessing different message types.

If the reprocessing takes long time, read OSS note 2524675 – Long processing time when processing IDocs in status 51. This basically tells you to start deleting or archiving idocs.

Idoc clean up

Transaction WE11 can be used to delete idocs. If you want to archive idocs, you can use archiving object IDOC. See OSS note 40088 – Deletion or reorganization of IDocs, or this blog on technical clean up.

Swiss knife for idocs: WLF_IDOC transaction

This blog is about the new and too much unknown new Swiss knife for idocs: the WLF_IDOC transaction.

The blog will answer questions like:

  • What are the new features of the WLF_IDOC transaction?
  • Which transactions does WLF_IDOC replace?
  • Why should I start using the WLF_IDOC transaction?
  • How can I search in idoc content?

Idoc listing

The first function WLF_IDOC replaces are the idoc listing transactions WE02 and WE05.

Starting up WLF_IDOC will give you first screen to enter selections for idocs:

WLF_IDOC startup screen

This will give you the output screen with the list:

WLF_IDOC list output

So far nothing new.

The new part is the single idoc view:

WLF_IDOC detailed idoc screen

The idoc segments are shown on the left hand side and the idoc statuses top right.

The main new difference is when you select a segment on the left hand side, the right hand side bottom view will show you ALL the segments of that name in the idoc. This will give you a more complete overview of the idoc content. There is no need any more to scroll through the segments one by one: you see all in one shot.

Compare content of 2 idocs

If you are in the list screen of the idocs in WLF_IDOC, you can select two idocs and then use the idoc compare icon to compare the content of the selected idocs:

End result:

WLF_IDOC compare idocs result screen

This output screen now shows you the differences in the two selected idocs.

Idoc reprocessing

From the list overview you can start the idoc reprocessing for idocs with status 51. If you select and idoc and press the Process button:

you will be given following choices:

You can do online, background or jump to the classical BD87 idoc reprocessing transaction.

In the overview screen you can select multiple idocs as well for mass processing.

Change idoc status

If you have selected idocs in the overview screen you can use this button to change the idoc status:

You can use this for example to change status 51 (error in processing) to status 68 (error – no further processing) to avoid the idoc from ever being processed again.

Search in idoc content

In the selection screen of WLF_IDOC content there is a tab called criteria for data record.

idoc processing
WLF_IDOC search in idoc content

This tab can be used to filter idocs based on content of the idoc for a field fo the segment. You can select based on 1 filter (just leave the second one empty). Or you can use it to have and / or selection of the content of 2 segment data fields.

This can be used for example to fast select all the idocs for a certain material number inside the idocs.

Do keep in mind that the idocs are still filtered based on the data in the first tab (status, date, idoc type, etc.).

Alternative transaction for search is WE09.

Editing idoc content

To be able to edit idoc content, there are 2 ways:

  1. Classic BD87 and WE19 test tool approaches (BD87 can be used also in production, but WE19 should not be used in production): from WLF_IDOC you can go to BD87 by selecting an idoc and press Process (then select BD87 dialog), or go to WE19 by selecting an idoc and selecting menu option Utilities/Idoc Test Tool.
  2. Allowing some idoc fields to be edited directly

To allow some idoc fields to be edited, you first have to customize this. In SPRO go to the menu path Cross-Application Components, then select Idoc Monitor for Agency Business and Retail (yes, it is a strange place), finally select Idoc Maintenance Settings.

Now enter the message type and segment you will allow editing. And in the details specify the fields that should be editable. Example is given below:

Editing idoc content configuration

In the WLF_IDOC transaction, you can now select and idoc from the main screen and press the change button. In the details these fields have become editable (and only these fields):

Idoc editable fields in WLF_IDOC

Make the changes and save the idoc. Go back to the main screen in WLF_IDOC and you can reprocess the idoc via the Execute/reprocess idoc button.

You have to indicate the editing per message type/segment/field. It is not suitable for mass processing or test functions. This is really meant for a limited amount of fields in a productive system where business needs to correct idocs (most likely wrong reference numbers or dates).

Running in productive systems

This section requires intermediate SAP knowledge

When you run WLF_IDOC in a productive system (in SCC4 system is set to productive) some functions are restricted:

  • Change control record
  • Copy IDOC and delete segment
  • Change status

If you still want to use these functions, you must have proper authorizations. Next to that add parameter RWLFIDOC_NEW_EXPERT with value X in your user defaults (transaction code SU3).

If you are in WLF_IDOC, key in &expert into the transaction code area and you will be switching to Expert Mode where these functions are available.

See OSS note 2455691 – Missing functions in productive systems in WLF_IDOC.

Bug fixing OSS notes

Please apply following notes to fix bugs get up to date functionality:

More on idocs

See the blog on idoc tips & tricks.