Difference between ECC 6.0 vs 4.7EE - SAP FI / SD / MM / ABAP (Functional & Technical)

ECC means Enterprise Central component.

SAP R/3 4.7 is based on the 3-tier architecture. SAP is continuously upgrading the software, which is called as release versions for example SAP R/3 4.6C, SAP 4.7....

 

Now SAP evolved into using the Internet technology and is called as service oriented architecture (SOA). There are lots of functionalities available in ECC 5.0 and ECC 6.0 compared to R/3 in integrating with other systems. Probably to understand the specific release dependent changes, you can go thro the help documentation. For example to understand the diff between ECC 6.0 and ECC 5.0 please go thro the link:

 

Release Notes for SAP ERP Central Component (English) – Click here

 

Some of the differences in SD Module are:

1. Document Flow

In ECC 6.0, the flow of sales documents is seen much better and improved as compared to 4.6C. Once you look at the screen, you will clearly figure out the difference.

2. Sales Order Look and Feel

There are more tabs in ECC 6.0 for Item Level Details.
The Sales Doc. appears as supremely perfect.

3. ECC 6.0 is built on Net Weaver Technology (that possess SOA i.e. service oriented architecture), Hence more reliable and improved as compared to previous one.

Release Notes for SAP ERP Central Component (English) – Click here

 

Some of the differences ABAP Module side:

 

1. For installing ECC 6.0 you required a solution manager key. With out solution manager key you cannot install ECC6.0.
2. ECC 6.0 is called net weaver component here you have ABAP+JAVA stack & for installing 4.6 you don't require solution manager key. It only having ABAP stack.
3. ECC6.0 supports UNCODE & 4.6C supports NONUNICODE.
4. Major difference is ECC6 is net weaver product having WASJAVA+ABAP - secondly support Unicode apart from this we have other diff. you can get from master guide from service.sap.com/instguides.

5.      In terms of ABAP some function modules are obsolete in 4.7. e.g. WS_UPLOAD, WS_DOWNLOAD etc. You can find the list of obsolete FMs in the table RODIR. These need to be replaced in the ECC System.

6.      Also ECC is very strict in case of EPC Errors. You need to check the EPC and remove the call function interface errors where it says SLIN observes catching of a runtime error. These might work with no issues in 4.7 but will short dump in ECC.

7.      If you are doing to a Unicode conversion also. You need to check the transaction UCCHECK for Unicode errors. You also need to replace obsolete statements like >< and => , =< etc.

8.      If you want to know more ABAP changes go to transaction ABAPDOCU and there is a node ABAP Changes by Release. You can see more ABAP Changes version by version here.

9.      ECC is more towards OOPS concepts, ECC is very developer friendly

10.   It has new debugger.

11.   New Enhancement Framework is introduced in ECC.

12.   It is more efficient to use Adobe forms in ECC.

13.   5.0 ECC - Build in Net Weaver Platform & 6.0 ECC - Build in Net Weaver Platform with Solution Manager

14.   ECC has new options in BADIs where you can create your own badis and implement it.

15.   You have new concept called Implicit and explicit source code plugins in ECC.

16.   Has webdynrpo component accessible from SE80 transaction Itself.

 

Some of the differences FI Module side:

 

 

1.      ECC 6.0 enables Business area posting - Segment reporting made easy.

2.      Profit center accounting is through new GL.

3.      Document splitting: Split of entry to post assets and liabilities to respective profit centers. (Balance sheet items)

4.      Enables commitment of FM, improved CRM feature & Mobile sales feature

Here are the list of Transactions not their in ECC 6.0

QAS1 Download Insp. Specs. (Obsolete)
QAS2 Download Basic Data (Obsolete)
QAS3 Upload Results (Obsolete)
QAS4 Upload UD (Obsolete)

WLF1K Report used to generate WLF1K is: SAPLWLF1
O07C Report used to generate O07C is: SSFPSEMAINT

 

 

Check the below links to download the PDF files for the release notes of MM Module:

ECC 5.0 - MM Module Release notes

SAP R/3 MM Module Release notes

 

Some of the differences Basis/Technical Module side:

 

If you're "Basis/Technical", focusing on the underlying technical "Basis" or "NetWeaver" versions will help you stay on the right track. Technically, ECC 6.0 is 2 "technology" versions higher. Following is the terminology/version information for the last 3 ERP product versions:

SAP R/3 Enterprise (4.7x)
SAP BASIS 6.20

SAP ERP 2004
SAP NetWeaver 2004 (BASIS 6.40)
ECC 5.0

SAP ERP 2005
SAP NetWeaver 2004s (BASIS 7.00)
ECC 6.0

The main technology feature delivered with NetWeaver is the integrated J2EE engine (Web Application Server Java).

 

You can use the below link for finding the differences between the 2 versions.
http://solutionbrowser.erp.sap.fmpmedia.com/

Can find the difference in release notes of each SAP version. Here are the links.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_47x200/helpdata/en/fc/e3003deddfae4de10000000a114084/frameset.html

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_scm50/helpdata/en/28/b34c40cc538437e10000000a155106/frameset.html

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp2005/helpdata/en/43/68805bb88f297ee10000000a422035/frameset.html

List of Obsolete Function Modules in ECC 6.0

SAP R/3 Source Release	SAP R/3 Target Release	Function module	New/Alternative Function Module
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	DOWNLOAD	GUI_DOWNLOAD
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	GET_FIELDTAB	DDIF_FIELDINFO_GET
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	HELP_VALUES_GET
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	HELP_VALUES_GET_NO_DD_NAME
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	HELP_VALUES_GET_WITH_TABLE_EXT
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	HELP_VALUES_GET_WITH_TABLE	F4TOOL_F4FUNCTION_BRIDGE or F4IF_INT_TABLE_VALUE_REQUEST
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	HELPSCREEN_NA_CREATE
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	K_BUSINESS_PROCESS_READ
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	LOG_SYSTEM_GET_RFC_DESTINATION
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	NAMETAB_GET	DDIF_NAMETAB_GET
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	POPUP_FOR_INFO	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM_LOSS_OF_DATA	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM_STEP	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM_WITH_MESSAGE	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	POPUP_TO_DECIDE	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	POPUP_TO_DECIDE_WITH_MESSAGE	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	POPUP_TO_GET_VALUE
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM_WITH_VALUE	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM_WITH_VALUE_2	POPUP_TO_CONFIRM
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	SAP_CONVERT_TO_CSV_FORMAT
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	UPLOAD	GUI_UPLOAD
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_DOWNLOAD	GUI_DOWNLOAD
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_EXECUTE	CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES=>EXECUTE
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_FILENAME_GET	CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES=>FILE_OPEN_DIALOG CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES=>FILE_SAVE_DIALOG
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_UPLOAD	GUI_UPLOAD
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WWW_GET_MIME_OBJECT
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_FILE_ATTRIB
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_FILE_COPY
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_FILE_DELETE
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_QUERY	CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES=>FILE_EXIST CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES=>DIRECTORY_EXIST CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES=>DIRECTORY_GET_CURRENT and so on
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_VOLUME_GET
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	WS_VOLUME_SET
R3 4.6C	ECC 6.0	SAPWL_STATREC_READ_FILE (for basis release 7.0)
R3 4.5b	ECC6.0	CHECK_IBAN_ACTIVE
R3 4.7	ECC6.0	AA_FILE_UPLOAD_EXCEL
R3 4.7	ECC6.0	READ_COSTCENTER	K_COSTCENTER_SELECT_SINGLE or K_COSTCENTERS_SELECT
R3 4.7	ECC6.03	FI_DOCUMENT_READ_SINGLE
R3 4.7	ECC6.0	FORMAT_TEXTLINES_DBCS	FORMAT_TEXTLINES
R3 4.7	ECC6.0	SAP_TO_ISO_MEASURE_UNIT_CODE	UNIT_OF_MEASURE_SAP_TO_ISO
R3 4.7	ECC6.0	SAP_TO_ISO_CURRENCY_CODE	CURRENCY_CODE_SAP_TO_ISO
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	OIUCM_DATE_SUBTRACT_MONTH	OIL_DATE_SUBTRACT_MONTH
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	OILPR_LAST_DAY_OF_MONTH	OIL_LAST_DAY_OF_MONTH
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	GUI_GET_FILE_INFO	CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES=>FILE_GET_SIZE
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	GUI_GET_DESKTOP_INFO	CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES=>GET_TEMP_DIRECTORY
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	SD_DEL_WAVE_DETERMINE	SD_ROUTE_SCHEDULE_DETERMINE
R3 4.6C	ECC6.0	SD_DEL_WAVE_CHECK_PLAN	SD_DEL_WAVE_CHECK_UPDT_ALLOWED

SAP Upgrade – Key points to remember

Purpose of this post - to highlight why customers across industry need SAP ERP upgrades & how effectively these upgrade projects can be executed. This document also covers actual upgrade experience of customer XYZ Corp.

• Why upgrade ?
• How do we start – The first steps
• You must check following for making pre-upgrade checklist
• What Happens During an SAP System Upgrade – Technical perspective?
• The system switch upgrade
• Upgrade strategies for SAP software (Downtime-minimized / Resource-minimized)
• What tools are used during upgrade and how they affect overall plan?
• Why Downtime?
• How do we support while upgrade is going on?
• Key things to have in place before starting - actual upgrade
• Change Management (For regular production support)
• System testing after upgrade (Test scripts)
• Role Management
• Interfaces – Connecting systems

Note: Above given points covered in one link only.

Important Tables in Upgrade

Important Tabes in Upgrade

Table Name	Table Description
SMODILOG	Log of Customer Modifications to Dev. Env. Objects
TRBAT	Communication Table for Transport Control
TADIR	Directory of Repository Objects
PRGN_CORR2	Correction Table for Modif. Transaction Codes in Area Menus
TVARV/TVARVC	Table of variables in selection criteria
TCPDB	Code page used in this database

SMODILOG - This table has the record of all modifications to the objects. This includes customized objects and SNOTE corrections. These objects usually can be found in SE95 if the change is not obsolete.
TADIR - Very important system table. This table is the directory of all repository objects. All ABAP report, classes, function groups, etc are recorded in this table. Usually used during the upgrade to keep track of lost objects.

Status Management in Internal Orders:

o        The current status of an IO determines which business transactions you can perform on the IO.

o        You use status management to specify the current processing status of an IO.

o        The status can be set by the system or by the user.

 

A status is an indicator that fulfills two functions:

• It informs you that a particular status has been reached (for example, The order has been released)
• It influences the number of business transactions you can perform.

 

Order status management determines, for example:

 

o        Which status is defaulted by the system when you open the order.

o        Which transactions are allowed or forbidden in a particular status (a transaction is only allowed if it belongs to the transaction group of the order status, and is not prohibited by the system status)

o        Whether and when planning documents are written.

o        Which attributes the screen fields have during master data maintenance in the given status.

o        When you can select the order for deletion

 

A status can be either active or inactive: A status can

• Allow a business transaction
• Allow a business transaction with a warning
• Prohibit a business transaction

 

To use a business transaction, the following is required:

• At least one active status must allow the business transaction.
• No active status may prohibit the business transaction.

 

System status and User status:

 

System Status

o        The system sets a system status informing the user that the system has executed a certain business transaction for an object.

o        You can only influence this status by executing a business transaction that changes the system status.

o        If you release an internal order, the system automatically sets the Released system status.

 

User Status

o        You can set a user status in addition to the existing system status.

o        You specify the user status in a status profile, which you create for each order type in Customizing.

o        You can specify and activate any number of user statuses.

o        In a production order you can simultaneously set the Released, Pre-costed, Printed, and Finally confirmed statuses.

 

The system status and the user status influence the business transactions in the same way.

 

The status profile allows you to:

o        Define the user status and document its functions with a corresponding long text.

o        Assign a status number that specifies the order in which the system reaches the user statuses.

o        Define an initial status, which is then automatically set when an object is created.

o        Determine that a user status is automatically set when you execute a business transaction.

o        Permit or forbid specified transactions, if a status is active.

 

The business transactions for a trade fair order are displayed below:

 

There are different business transactions in the Released system status: Posting preproduction costs (external invoices), and posting production costs. Posting follow-up costs in the Technically completed system status involves posting external invoices.

 

Status	Business transaction
Created	Planning
Released	Posting preproduction costs - Stand rental - Trade fair fees
Released	Posting running costs - Material issues - Internal activities - External services
Technically complete	Posting follow-up costs - Hotel bills - Travel expenses Settlement
Closed	None

 

Business Transaction Group

 

You can define business transaction groups by grouping more than one business transaction together, in Customizing, under Controlling -> Internal Orders -> Master Data in Internal Orders -> Status Management in Internal Orders -> Order Status Management.

 

The transactions for a trade fair could consist of the following actions:

 

1.       -         Planning primary costs

2.       -         Planning overhead

3.       -         Posting external invoices

4.       -         Material withdrawals

5.       -         Allocating internal activities

6.       -         Posting overhead

7.       -         Settlement of costs

8.       -         You can use these transactions to form transaction groups, for example:

9.       -         Cost planning

10.    -         Posting preproduction costs (external invoices)

11.    -         Posting running costs (internal activities, material issues, overheads):

12.    -         Posting follow-up costs (only external invoices)

13.    -         Settlement

14.    -         You can then use these groups to define which transactions are allowed and prohibited at given times:

 

Business transactions are allowed on an order, depending on whether you assign a status to the transaction group that they belong to. If a transaction is not assigned to a status, then it is prohibited in this status.

 

Disallowed Transaction Group

 

• To prohibit business transactions for individual orders, define these as a transaction group, and store it in the order as a disallowed transaction group.
• A disallowed transaction group can be identical to the currently allowed transaction group.
• It can also consist of only part of the transactions from the allowed transaction group.

o        The disallowed transaction group limits the allowed transactions.

 

Each internal order passes through four system statuses, one of which is always active.

• Created - In this status, for example, actual postings are not possible.
• Released - Nearly all business transactions are allowed in this status.
• Technically completed - In this status, for example, you cannot make any planning changes.
• Closed - In this status, for example, no cost-relevant business transactions are allowed.

 

In addition to the four system statuses already mentioned, further system statuses are set through given business transactions. Examples are:

• Locked - In this status you cannot carry out any business transactions except for resetting the lock.
• Settlement rule created - This status is set automatically by the system if you created a settlement rule.