A client is, in organizational terms, an independent unit in the R/3 System.

Each client has its own data environment and therefore its own master data
and transaction data, assigned user master records and charts of accounts,
and specific customizing parameters.

1. Client Overview SCC4

2. Client Creation SCC4
3. Local Client Copy SCCL
4. Remote Client copy SCC9
5. Client Deletion SCC5
6. Client Export SCC8
7. Client Import SCC7

The client in commercial and organizational terms can be defined as an entirely

distinct entity serving the business needs of a corporate group within a company.
The above example shows a company XYZ which has 3 separate corporate
groups manufacturing and selling cement, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
In technical terms, a client is a set of records within the database of the SAP
system which stores the data specific to the client and can only be retrieved by
logging in into that specific client and the client handling is taken care by the
SAP application server.

So technically a client is a set of records stored in the client dependent tables

within the database with the MANDT.
Field of the tables being populated by the number of the client.
When a user is logged in into a client he/she will be able to work with the data
only specific to the client and also with the data which is common across all
clients. This client handling is done exclusively by the application servers of the
SAP system.

Data from different clients is kept separate at the kernel level.

Following are examples of client- specific data:

User master data, such as parameters, authorization, user groups.

Customizing data, such as organizational units, assignments, and

document types.

Application data, such as business transaction data, and material

master data.

SAP client concept can integrate several companies or subsidiaries in a single

client by using company codes and the SAP authorization concept.

ABAP Dictionary is a data dictionary that is part of the ABAP Repository.

Each piece of ABAP Dictionary information is entered only once and

then available anywhere in the system at any time.

ABAP Dictionary automatically supplies all new or changed

information, thus providing current runtime objects and ensuring
data consistency and security

Depending on the requirement, a client in an SAP system is assigned a role.

The following are the available client roles:
1. PROD or Production This client is used for productive use, that is where your
companys business is carried out. Customizing changes imported into this client
have to be first tested carefully in the QTST client in order to ensure that
production operation is free of disruption.
A client with this role will not be deleted by a mistakenly initiated client delete or
client copy. No client-independent changes can be imported into this client or
into its SAP system as part of a client copy. This prevents possible
inconsistencies that could affect production. In addition, changing certain
Customizing settings in a production client, such as currency exchange rates and
posting periods, can be allowed in this client despite the standard clientdependent change option that is used to prevent Customizing changes in a
production client. These Current Settings can be maintained in a production
client without being recorded to a change request.
2. QTST A client with this role is protected against a Release upgrade by the
appropriate client restriction.
Before promoting Customizing and developments to the quality assurance client,
SAP recommends that you perform UNIT TESTING.
3. CUST or Customizing This client is used for configuring the SAP software to
need of the organization as well as developing new applications to meet the

requirements of the business. All changes performed in this client are recorded
so they can be supplied to the other clients using the Transport Management
System (TMS).

4 Training/Education This client is used to for training end-users .

5 SAP reference This client has the baseline configuration and client 000 is an
example.
6 Demo This client is used for demonstration of the business cycles to the users
.
7 Sap Reference: It is the Client 000. It is reserved by SAP to enable
maintenance of the standard Repository objects and the baseline
Customizing settings in the system.
In addition to this there can be some more purposes to setting up
additional clients:
1 Sandbox client: This client is used to by end-users to get accustomed to
the software and how to work with the system. It is recommended to
keep this client modifiable with no transports allowed.
2 Specialized development client: Sometime developers require a separate
development environment where the customizing does not change
often.
For this purpose a development client can be set up dedicated for
ABAPers.
An end-user training environment.

A client that satisfies customer-specific requirements.