Database Reference
In-Depth Information
5.3
Unicode conversion
The Unicode standard was developed in order to provide a unique digital representation for
more than 100,000 characters, signs, and symbols from thousands of languages and dia-
lects around the world. Before settling on the Unicode standard, SAP tried several differ-
ent solutions to unify character recognition between different languages, including Single
Code Pages (which used characters from languages that were common to certain geograph-
ical and geopolitical areas), Blended Code Pages (which contained character sets from sev-
eral Single Code Pages), and Multi Display/Multi Processing (MDMP). MDMP allowed dy-
namic switching of code pages on SAP application servers. The problem with each of these
approaches was that each was hampered by being unable to handle more than a specified
subset of characters for a given region.
Unicode was adopted to provide a solution which accepted characters from any language
without needing to switch code pages to process characters from different regions. In order
to encourage businesses using SAP to switch to Unicode, all SAP BW installations after
NetWeaver 7.0 SR3 are Unicode-based, which makes sense considering the fact that mod-
ern communication standards, including Java, XML, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP), and many others require Unicode for compatibility.
While DMO integrates Unicode conversion as part of the migration process, some prepar-
ation for the conversion is required. The steps below are taken from the generic DMO run-
book developed as part of the world's two largest DMO migration projects.
5.3.1
DB and DD consistency checks
First, you must check for any inconsistencies between the Data Dictionary and the database.
Any inconsistencies between the database and Data Dictionary should be addressed through
close cooperation with the Basis and functional teams.
