How to maintain parameter in SAP TDMS PIFD (Parameter and Interface Definition)

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The Parameter and Interface Definition (PIFD) Framework provides a means of describing the list of parameters and values that can be passed to an object (e.g. a migration package). This information is later used for processing of various activities in migration process tree.

Objective and importance of PIFD:

PIFD provides an option to maintain the parameters values at the TDMS work center level. The activities can fetch the values from the parameter maintained at the Project/ Package level. This enables automated execution of package by assignment of the parameter values to the relevant activities in the migration process tree.

You can maintain the parameter values at the project or the package level. These parameter values are passed to the migration package execution. In some cases, parameter values controls the behavior of the execution and in some other cases it acts as a reduction criteria for your migration solution.

If you have maintained parameters at the project level then TDMS will automatically assign the parameter values to all the relevant migration solutions included in the project. This reduces the effort and increases the re-usability.

Note: In case you have maintained the parameter at both Project and Package level, then parameter which you have specified at the package level overrides the value you set at the project level.

Steps to maintain parameter:

Setting parameters at Project or Package level enables the automatic assignment of the parameter values to the relevant activities in the migration process tree.

1.  Project Level

Setting parameters at the project level enables the automatic assignment of the parameter values to all migration solutions included in the project.

As an example, in case of a TDMS ERP package you can maintain the parameter at the project Level as described below:

1. Open the project and switch to EDIT mode.
2. Click on Project Parameters Tab.
3. Now you should be able to see the list of parameters which need inputs. You can maintain the parameter values for each Parameters by clicking on the corresponding ‘Edit values’ Link. For example, if you need to maintain parameter for activity ‘Specify Data Slice Date’, then click on ‘Edit Values’ link present in ‘Specify Data Slice Date’ row.
4. You can maintain the Date in the next screen. This value will act as a reduction criteria.
5. Once you have maintained the parameter value, click on 'Check' push button.
6. In next popup, click on ‘Analyze Date’ to check the consistency of data which is selected according to the entered Date in the sender system.  It will also suggest the Date which would have more consistent data.
7. Once you have checked the date, click ‘Save and Close’ pushbutton.

For few parameters, you don’t have to validate the parameter values as they are mainly for behavioral control. Example

• Define Data Extract Mode: you can opt for direct transfer or Export to file.
• Delete SAP Business Workplace Tables Parameter: you can choose whether to Delete SAP Business Workplace Tables or not.
• Assign Logical system Names for the Receiver system: you can specify the logical system names for the receiver system. The new logical system names specified using this parameter are replicated during the data transfer.

2.  Package Level

1. Open the project and switch to EDIT mode.
2. In the Edit mode, go to the parameters column and click on EDIT.
3. Step Parameter window will appear, select the interface TDMS BPL INTERFACE and click Edit Values.
4. Select TDMS BPL Parameter. The system populates with the fields Table Name, Field Name, Low Value and High Value on the right side of the screen.
5. TDMS BPL automatically populates the fields Table Name and Field Name.
6. Enter the values to be transferred in the fields Low Value and High Value.
7. To transfer single values, only enter values in the field Low Value.
8. To transfer a range of values, enter values in the fields Low Value and High Value.
9. If you want to transfer multiple records, enter the range of values rather than individual values.
10. Choose the Check push button to validate the values entered in parameters. This validation takes place in the sender system, as the Data dictionary information is available in the sender system. TDMS BPL takes the sender system RFC details from the landscape assigned to the project.
11. Once you have clicked on Check push button, you see the validation result in a new pop up. If the validation is successful then you get the Validation successful message, else you get the list of errors which you need to correct in the TDMS BPL Interface. Once you have done the changes repeat step 10.
12. After validation, if the entered value is correct then the parameter status in the TDMS BPL Interface window will be Green/ Warning, else it will be Red.
13. Once the validation is successful, Click on Save and Close push button.

Download and Upload Feature for PIFD:

You can also use the file upload and download feature to maintain parameter values. TDMS uses these values for data selection.

For example, follow the below steps to Upload and Download the parameter values in case of a TDMS BPL package :

1. Choose your project and switch to the Edit mode.
2. In the Edit mode, go to the parameters column and click Edit.
3. In the dialog box that opens, select the interface TDMS BPL INTERFACE.
4. Choose the Export push button to download the template spreadsheet (ODS format) for this parameter from the TDMS work center.
5. You can open the file or save the file to a folder in your local system.
6. In the spreadsheet, you see two worksheets Info and 00001. Choose Worksheet 00001. You see the name of the BPL parameter TDMS BPL Parameter and the following fields for this parameter:

   • Solution_GUID

   • Table Name

   • Field Name

   • Low Value

   • High Value

7. The values of fields Solution Guid, Table Name and Field Name are automatically populated in the first row. Enter the desired values for the Low Value and High Value columns.
8. Using the Copy and Paste feature of spreadsheet, make as many entries as desired (single values) and save the worksheet.
9. Choose the Import push button to upload the updated spreadsheet (ODS format) for this parameter. Select the file name and path for the updated file from the dialog box.

      

Note:

• You cannot use any spreadsheet with values to upload to the parameters. You need to first download the ODS file from the TDMS work center to access the desired template. You can upload the same file with your updated values.
• Any values that you entered manually on the Parameters screen are overwritten by the values updated in the spreadsheet.