Data Insight User Guides
DDR Dashboard – End-to-End Step-by-Step User Guide
This guide explains how to access and use the DDR Dashboard, the central control point for monitoring, executing, scheduling, pausing, refreshing, reporting, and troubleshooting Dynamic Data Replicator jobs across SAP source and target systems.
Purpose of the DDR Dashboard
The DDR Dashboard is the operational heart of Dynamic Data Replicator. It provides a single screen where authorised users can manage replication jobs from preparation through to execution, monitoring, reporting, and issue analysis.
The dashboard is used to view completed jobs, running jobs, pending jobs, scheduled jobs, paused jobs, failed jobs, and simulation runs. It also gives visibility of source and target status, selected templates, export information, runtime values, package size, workprocess usage, table count, database size, and execution progress.
Key point: A DDR template defines what should be copied. The DDR Dashboard controls how and when the replication runs, how it is monitored, and how the result is reported.
Access the Dashboard from the DDR Central Console
From the DDR Central Console, select Dashboard from the left-hand navigation menu. This opens the main dashboard where users can view all replication activities, including completed jobs, running jobs, pending jobs, scheduled jobs, paused jobs, failed jobs, and simulation runs.
This is the main operational view for controlling and monitoring DDR replication activity across the SAP landscape. The screenshot below shows the Dashboard menu option highlighted in the central console.
Review the DDR Dashboard Screen
The dashboard screen displays the available jobs and provides execution controls such as Create, Simulation, Notification, Run Parameters, Execute, Schedule Settings, Pause Job, Refresh, Report, Error Log, Auto Refresh, and Import File.
Users can select a job from the list and review its source status, target status, category summary, record counts, database size, workprocess usage, package size, table count, and execution status.
Understand the Dashboard Buttons
The toolbar at the top of the dashboard provides the main controls for DDR job execution and monitoring. Each button supports a specific part of the replication lifecycle.
| Button | What It Does | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Create | Copies an existing template and creates a new replication job using the previous selection. | Use when a similar refresh is required and the existing selection can be reused instead of rebuilding the job from the beginning. |
| Simulation | Runs a pre-execution analysis to show the expected replication scope, tables, volume, and runtime behaviour. | Use before large or business-critical runs to understand what the actual run will look like. Simulation data may be kept in memory for the actual run or used only for analysis. |
| Notification | Maintains email recipients for job start, completion, warning, or error notifications. | Use when technical teams, project teams, business users, or support teams need progress updates. |
| Run Parameters | Controls package size, batch processing size, source workprocesses, and target workprocesses. | Use before execution and during performance tuning. These settings can be changed before and during replication where required. |
| Execute | Starts the selected replication job immediately. | Use after checking the selected job, template, and run parameters. |
| Schedule Settings | Schedules the job to run at a future date and time. For time-based jobs, this can also support delta copy scheduling. | Use for planned refresh windows, overnight processing, future-dated runs, and scheduled delta refresh cycles. |
| Pause Job | Pauses an active replication job. | Use if the job must be temporarily stopped due to system load, business priority, or technical investigation. To restart, click Execute again and DDR continues from the paused point. |
| Refresh | Refreshes the dashboard screen and updates the latest job progress. | Use to manually check current replication progress and job status. |
| Report | Generates a PDF report for simulation or executed replication activity. | Use for audit evidence, validation, governance, customer reporting, or post-refresh confirmation. |
| Error Log | Retrieves technical error information from the source or target system. | Use when a job has errors or requires technical investigation and root cause analysis. |
| Auto Refresh | Automatically refreshes the dashboard screen while the job is running. | Use for long-running jobs where the user wants continuous monitoring without manually clicking Refresh. |
| Import File | Imports a previously exported job from a shared file location. | Use when a job has been exported and needs to be manually imported from the shared folder location. |
Review Runtime Parameters Before Execution
Run parameters allow users to control how DDR processes data between the source and target systems. These settings directly influence performance, memory usage, source workload, target workload, and replication stability.
| Parameter | Recommended Starting Point | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Package Size | 20,000 | Controls how many records are selected and processed per package. This may vary depending on table size, memory, and customer processing requirements. |
| Batch Processing Size | 5,000 | Controls the number of records processed in each batch. This should be tuned for larger datasets or lower memory systems. |
| Source Workprocesses | Minimum 1 | Controls source-side processing. DDR requires at least one source workprocess for controlled processing. |
| Target Workprocesses | Minimum 4 | Controls target-side processing. The target often needs more capacity because delete, insert, update, and validation activity is processed there. |
Important: Runtime settings should be reviewed before execution and may need to be tuned during large replication activities. Larger values can improve throughput, but they can also increase memory and database load.
Monitor Source and Target Progress
The dashboard separates source and target processing so users can understand where activity is taking place. This is important because some jobs may read quickly from the source but take longer on the target due to deletion, insert, indexing, database constraints, or validation activity.
Shows source-side completion percentage, job start date and time, selected workprocesses, package size, table count, database size, and workprocess status.
Shows target-side progress, target record counts, target database size, job finish details, selected workprocesses, and execution status.
Shows the data categories being processed, including transaction data, master data, documentation, and other selected object areas.
Recommended Dashboard Operating Practice
- Always review the selected job before execution.
- Run Simulation before large, sensitive, or customer-critical replication activity.
- Assign Run Parameters before clicking Execute.
- Use Notification for important refresh activities so stakeholders receive updates.
- Use Schedule Settings for planned runs and delta refresh cycles.
- Use Auto Refresh during long-running jobs to monitor progress without manual refresh.
- Use Error Log when the job reports a technical issue or unexpected status.
- Generate a Report after simulation or execution where audit or validation evidence is required.
Summary
The DDR Dashboard is the central operational screen for managing DDR replication jobs. It gives users the ability to create jobs from templates, simulate runs, configure notifications, control runtime parameters, execute jobs, schedule future runs, pause and restart activity, refresh progress, generate reports, review error logs, enable auto refresh, and import jobs from file.
Used correctly, the dashboard gives organisations a controlled, visible, and repeatable way to manage SAP data refresh and replication activity across development, QA, testing, training, migration, support, and transformation landscapes.