Note: You can run the Characteristics Extraction Interfaces successfully only if the SAP Technical Characteristics license is active.
In SAP, you can assign specific characteristics to Equipment and Functional Locations. Each characteristic belongs to a classification, and each classification belongs to a class type. For example, the class type Equipment might contain the classification Storage Tanks, which might contain the characteristics Diameter and Wall Thickness, as illustrated in the following image:
When you extract Equipment and Functional Locations from SAP into the Meridium Enterprise APM system, their corresponding characteristics will not be extracted into the Equipment and Functional Location records that are created during the extraction process. If you want to extract their corresponding characteristics, you will need to run the Technical Characteristics Adapter. When you run these adapters, Technical Characteristic records are created to store the characteristics that have been configured to be extracted, and these records are linked automatically to the appropriate Equipment and Functional Location records.
In Meridium Enterprise APM, you can configure which characteristics you want to extract from SAP. When you do so, various actions that you perform in the Meridium Enterprise APM system and the SAP system cause specific results, as seen in the following table.
Select the Extract From
CMMS System check box in a CMMS Characteristic record.
The next time the Technical Characteristics
Adapter is run, the characteristic is extracted.
During the extraction process, a
corresponding Technical Characteristic record is created.
Clear the Extract From CMMS
System check box in a CMMS Characteristic record.
If a Technical Characteristic
record has been created using this CMMS Characteristic record, it is not
deleted automatically when you delete the CMMS Characteristic record.
Instead, the next time that the
Technical Characteristics Adapter is run, the corresponding Technical Characteristic
record is deleted.
To begin extracting the
characteristic again, you will need to select the Extract From CMMS
System check box.
Delete a CMMS Characteristic
record.
If a Technical Characteristic
record has been created using this CMMS Characteristic record, it is not
deleted automatically when you delete the CMMS Characteristic record.
Instead, the next time that the
Technical Characteristics Adapter is run, the corresponding Technical Characteristic
record is deleted.
In addition, until the CMMS
Characteristic record is recreated and flagged for extraction, beginning with the next time the
Technical Characteristics Adapter is run, the
characteristic is no longer extracted.
To begin extracting the
characteristic again, you will need to:
Refresh
the Meridium Enterprise APM system to reflect the current SAP characteristics,
which will cause the CMMS Characteristic record to be recreated.
Select
the Extract From CMMS System check box in that CMMS
Characteristic record.
Delete a CMMS Classification
record.
All CMMS Characteristic records
that were linked to the CMMS Classification record are deleted automatically.
If a Technical Characteristic
record has been created using this CMMS Classification record, it is not deleted
automatically when you delete the CMMS Classification record.
Instead, the next time that the
Technical Characteristics Adapter is run, the corresponding Technical Characteristic
records are deleted automatically.
In addition, until the CMMS
Classification record is recreated and flagged for extraction, beginning with the next time the Technical Characteristics Adapter is run, characteristics belonging to that classification are no longer extracted.
To begin extracting
characteristics belonging to this classification again, you will need to:
Refresh
the Meridium Enterprise APM system to reflect the current SAP classifications, which
will cause the CMMS Classification record to be recreated automatically.
Select
the Extract From CMMS System check box in the CMMS
Classification record.
Refresh
the Meridium Enterprise APM system to reflect the current SAP characteristics,
which will cause the CMMS Characteristic records that were previously
deleted to be recreated automatically.
Select
the Extract From CMMS System check box in the
appropriate CMMS Characteristic records.
Delete a CMMS Classification Type
record.
All CMMS Classification and CMMS
Characteristic records that were linked (directly or indirectly) to the CMMS
Classification Type record are deleted automatically.
If a Technical Characteristic
record has been created using this CMMS Classification Type record, it is not
deleted automatically when you delete the CMMS Classification Type record.
Instead, the next time that the
Technical Characteristics Adapter is run, the Technical Characteristic record is deleted
automatically.
In addition, until the CMMS
Classification Type record is recreated and its CMMS Classification and CMMS
Characteristic records are flagged for extraction, beginning with the next time the Technical Characteristics Adapter is run, no characteristics are
extracted.
To begin extracting
characteristics again, you will need to:
Recreate
the CMMS Classification Type record.
Refresh
the Meridium Enterprise APM system to reflect the current SAP classifications and
characteristics, which will cause CMMS Classification records to be
recreated.
Select
the Extract From CMMS System check box in the desired
CMMS Classification records.
Refresh
the Meridium Enterprise APM system to reflect the current SAP classifications and
characteristics, which will cause CMMS Classification records to be
recreated.
Select
the Extract From CMMS System check box in that CMMS
Characteristic record.
Specify a value for a
characteristic that is configured to be extracted.
The next time the Technical Characteristics
Adapter is run, a Technical Characteristic record is created and linked to
the corresponding Equipment or Functional Location record.
Remove a value for a characteristic
that is configured to be extracted.
The next time the Technical Characteristics
Adapter is run, the corresponding Technical Characteristic record is
updated by removing the value from the Value field.
Assign a new classification to an
Equipment or Functional Location, and specify values for the characteristics
belonging to that class.
The next time the Technical Characteristics
Adapter is run, Technical Characteristic records representing the new
characteristic values are created and linked to the corresponding Equipment
or Functional Location record.
Unassign a classification from an
Equipment or Functional Location record.
The next time the Technical Characteristics
Adapter is run or you refresh the
Meridium Enterprise APM system to reflect current SAP characteristics, the
corresponding Technical Characteristic record is deleted.
Delete a characteristic from a
classification.
The next time the Technical Characteristics
Adapter is run, the corresponding Technical Characteristic record is
deleted.