How do I create a new client?

This is a pretty easy procedure. Basically, you add a new logical system in transaction SALE, create a new client in transaction SCC4 using the logical system you created previously, create a RFC target destination using transaction SM59 with the same name of the logical name, create a RFC source using transaction SM59 for the source or “from” client, log on to the new client, and schedule a client copy from the source client to the destination or “to” client. That’s all there is do it

When you bring up a new SAP instance, you add a client 100 and schedule a client copy from client 000 to client 100. This is called a local client copy since the source or “from” client is contained within the same SAP instance as the target or “to” client. When you add a new SAP instance to your landscape, like QAS, you might want to copy client 100 in the DEV instance to client 200 in the QAS instance. This would be a remote client copy.

A client copy is destructive – in other words, all the data in the target client is deleted during the client copy. So the procedure is not just for creating new clients but refreshing existing data. The only exception to this rule is the using the SAP_CUST profile to do the copy – it will leave all the data in the target client intact with the exception of the user master data which will be deleted and replaced with the source client’s user master data. You can even mix and match, the data from one client and the user data from another, and copying them both at the same time in the same client copy run.

A client is created using transaction SCC4 and at the time of creation you must specify what type of client it will be. Is it to be used to create configuration changes that are to be transported to QAS and PRD? Is it a reference client, “frozen” so it can be used to refresh the data contained in test clients? Can both client-dependent and client-independent data be changed in this client, or only client-dependent data, or no changes allowed at all? These various types of client have their own labels to the SAP implementation team: golden client, unit test client, configuration client, ABAP client, production client, etc. If someone references a client with which you are not familiar, be sure to ask for clarification so that the wrong client does not end up being the source client for a client copy!