Data loss in original documents

[Former Member]

Hi, we are running R/3 46C with DMS.

Typical functionality is as follows:

Using the online vault (ftp server), we checkin and out the originals from the DMS. We use MS Word/Excel as workstation applications to create/update the originals. e.g. the original is checked-out and opens as a MS Word document within the SAPGUI (Inplace DM configuration). A temporary copy is created on local workstation. Employee then updates the original and does a 'save and exit'. This checks the original back into the vault, deletes the local copy from workstation and exits the transaction.

The issue is as follows:

Person A opens the original, updates it and saves and exits. Person B (or the same person A) opens the same original document within couple of seconds or so after person A has saved and exited. In this case, person B doesnot see the updated content. So person B has no clue that the content was updated. If person B updates the content and saves it,

the content updated by person A is lost. There seems to be a performance issue resulting in potential data loss. The trace files for sapftp indicate good performance without any timeouts etc. between the workstation and the online vault (ftp server).

Not able to nail the cause. Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks

Nirmal

[Former Member]

Hi Nirmal,

to prevent such a situation SAP has the status type "Original processing status". If the status, which allows you to change a DIR, has this status type, only the user listed in the field "user" of the DIR is allowed to change the DIR. All other users can only change to status "change user", which allows them to insert ther user-id in the field user and then change back to the status "in work". If you don't allow a user to change the status to "change user", as long as a original is checked out (that can be checked by a user-exit or a BADI), it is not possible that two users can change the same file.

regards Iring

[Former Member]

Hi Iring,

I appreciate your suggestion. I think I understand it, however, in my case, the issue is after the original is checked into the vault. Once a user has updated the original and checked it into the vault (using 'save and exit' button), the transaction ends successfully, with a message "Document Info record <doc typ> <doc number> changed". This gives an impression that the original has been checked-in and the contents have been saved. If I open the same original within couple of seconds of the first save, the original does show as checked-in. However, intermittently, I would not see the content that was changed as part of the first save.

The ftp log shows no errors and indicates good performance.

Regards

Nirmal