LSMW for Master Data upload Simple Explanation (Part - 1)

The LSMW (Legacy System Migration Workbench) is a tool based on SAP software that supports single or periodic data transfer from non-SAP to SAP systems (and with restriction from SAP to SAP system). Its core functions are:

• Importing legacy data from PC spreadsheet tables or sequential files.
• Converting data from its original (legacy system) format to the target (SAP) format
• Importing the data using the standard interfaces of SAP (IDoc inbound processing, Batch Input, Direct Input).

(This blog only explains how to create/ change Master data in SAP by using Standard Programs or recordings. I have not covered BAPI and IDoc method to make it simple and easy)

Generally, people have questions in mind as how to create an LSMW project, which method should be used to upload the master data and how to use and what all master data can be uploaded through LSMW.

LSMW – Legacy Data Migration Workbench

I am dividing the whole process of creating a Project, Subproject & Object for uploading the Master Data and its upload procedure in different steps as explained below:

Step 1 – Creating Project, Subproject and Object:

For using LSMW tool, first step you need to do is Create Project, Sub Project and Object as shown in the screen below:

Here, Project can have multiple Subprojects and in turn Subprojects can have multiple Objects as explained below:

Create Project

Give the desired name of data migration Project (For ex: Module name as I have taken “ZPM” for Plant Maintenance Module)

Create Subproject

Give the desired name of data migration Subproject (For ex: Master’s name as I have taken “EQUIP” for Equipment Master)

Create Object

Give the desired name of data migration Object (For ex: Master’s name as I have taken “CREATE” for Creating Equipment Master)

Step 2 – Selecting Menu Items:

Once Project, Subproject and Objects are created, pressing enter would generate the screen which includes all the menu items for both Master upload as well as IDoc updation which we might not require. Let us select the menu items which are required only for Master uploads.

Selecting Menu Items

First of all, pressing the User Menu button would guide you through selecting and de-selecting the Menu items.

Please tick the required Items as shown in the screen below:

Now, the screen would display only the selected Menu Items which we require for building and executing our LSMW program as shown below:

Click the button “Double Click = Display” which would make it to “Double Click=Change” which means it will allow all the Menu Items to open in Change mode on double clicking else every item is in display mode by default.

Henceforth, we will see each Menu Item in detail as an individual step.

Step 3 – Maintain Object Attributes:

This Menu Item defines the procedure we adopt for our program which could be:

1. Standard Batch/ Direct Input
2. Batch Recording
3. Business Object Method (BAPI)
4. IDoc (Intermediate Document)

For defining the procedure, double click on the First option “Maintain Object Attributes”. The screen below shows how to select the method:

As mentioned earlier, this blog covers explanation of only first two methods to make it simple and easy.

(Believe me most of the Masters gets covered in this two methods.)

Method 1 – Standard Batch/ Direct Input

In this method, we are simply selecting the standard program defined by SAP for different Masters (most of the Masters are listed here):

Click on Object to select the program then click on Method to select the method (For ex: Create/ Change) as shown in screen below:

Once selected, save this method.

Method 2 – Batch Input Recording

This method, involves creating a recording for a specific Master transaction Creation/ Change.

We would select this method when we require only specific fields to be created/ changed inside the Master screen.

Creating a recording is explained below:

Click onbutton and then click on(Recordings: Overview) button which would guide to the Recording screen. Here press Create button which will show the screen as below:

Fill in the desired Recording Name and description as shown and press Enter and input the Transaction code as shown in the next screen:

On pressing Enter, system will start the transaction screen as shown below:

Perform the recording for the transaction (i.e., input all the fields you require to be taken into account for batch input).

Remember to save the transaction to complete the recording procedure as saving is also getting recorded.

On pressing save, you will see all the fields recorded as shown below:

Here press "Default All" button to populate the fields to be made available for batch input.

This will show the exact field names against each field as shown in the screen below:

Saving this screen would guide user to the list of recordings. Here press back and select the recording in the Recording field as shown below and save:

This ends the Step 1 for creating the method for specific Master creation/ change.

Step 4 – Object Overview and Field List:

Before moving to the second Menu Item “Maintain Source Structures”, we would go for listing the fields and viewing the structuring of the fields by pressing thebutton in the Menu List Screen and then “List” button which would show the screen as below (for easiness I have used Method-1 i.e., Standard Batch/ Direct Input but list will be similar in both the cases only the fields would differ):

Here in the “Target Fields” section you will find all the fields (captured by Method-1 or Method-2).

Please copy all the fields (except field TCODE and RECORDNAME which we don’t require to change while running our batch) and arrange the same in excel file as shown below:

By this you will be able to capture all the required fields in your excel file which ends the Step 4.

Step 5 – Maintain Source Structures:

Source Structure will have all the Source fields which are recorded or captured during Method definition.

Double click on “Maintain Source Structures” to which will guide to screen of Source Structure creation

Here press the create button which will ask for Source Structure Name and Description as shown below:

After entering the desired Source Structure name and Description, press enter and press Save.

Step 6 – Maintain Source Fields:

Source fields are the same which we have listed in Step 4.

Before moving to this step, back to your excel sheet, change all field Types as below:

(This is to be done because the types defined in LSMW are different then field types in program or recording)

Now, double click ”Maintain Source Fields” in the Menu List screen, which will guide you to the screen as shown below:

Press the(Table Maintenance) button after selecting the Structure which will generate the field definition screen. Copy paste all the excel fields to the screen as shown below:

Press Save and Back and it will display the fields attached to the Source Structure as shown below:

Again press save button to save this Structure field relation.

Step 7 – Maintain Structure Relations:

This Step is for maintaining relation between Structure and Recording/ Standard Program.

Double click “Maintain Structure Relations” in the Menu List screen, which will guide you to the screen as shown below:

Select the first Structure and pressand the structure you have created will be automatically be selected as you have created only one structure. This will create the relationship between program and Structure as shown below:

Press Save and Back.

Step 8 – Maintain Field Mapping and Conversion Rules:

We have created the Structure to Program Relationship, now we need to create the mapping (Relationship) between Fields from Structure and Fields from Program/ Recording.

Double click “Maintain Field Mapping and Conversion Rules” in the Menu List screen, which will guide you to the screen as shown below:

As we have copied the fields from the Program/ Recording itself as in Step 4, it will be easy to perform the field mapping in a simple step.

Go to Extras à Auto Field mapping which will pop-up a dialog box as shown below:

Perform the selection exactly as shown in the screen above and press Enter.

If you have any Date fields in your Field List, it will ask for your confirmation for every individual Fields as shown below and make selection as per your requirement (This is how system will interpret Date further throughout the program):

Press Enter for all the Date Fields and you will find the field mapping for all your Source Fields to Program/ Recording Fields as shown below:

Confirm all the Fields are mapped correctly and press Save and Back.

Due to certain restrictions of blogs, this document covers the steps uptil "Maintain Field mapping and Conversion Rules" below steps,

1. Specify Files

2. Assign Files

3. Read Data

4. Display Read Data

5. Convert Data

6. Display Convert Data

7. Create Batch Input Session

8. Run Batch Input Session

are convered in Part-2 of this document which can be found in the link below:

LSMW for Master Data upload Simple Explanation (Part - 2)