SAP terminology
SAP has a dense vocabulary that intimidates newcomers, much of it rooted in German-engineered software from the 1970s. Learning the core terms early makes every later topic far easier to follow. This page defines the words you will meet constantly.
SAP terminology in three groups. System terms: a client is a tenant inside a system, an instance a set of work processes, the landscape the DEV, QAS and PRD systems, a transport a package of changes. Data terms: master data against transaction data, plus customizing in SPRO. Development terms: TCodes, ABAP, tables and the BAPI, RFC and IDoc mechanisms.
- Watch out: Confusing master and transaction data, a foundational distinction.
System and landscape terms
- Client: a self-contained tenant within a system, with its own data.
- Instance: a set of work processes and memory on an application server.
- Landscape: the connected DEV/QAS/PRD systems.
- Transport: a package of changes moved between systems.
Data and configuration terms
- Master data: long-lived reference data (customers, materials, vendors).
- Transaction data: business events (orders, invoices, postings).
- Customizing (IMG/SPRO): configuration of standard SAP to your business.
- Organizational structure: company code, plant, storage location and the like.
How to use this vocabulary
You do not need to memorise everything at once. Refer back here (and to the full glossary) as terms come up, and they will quickly become second nature once you see them in context.
Common pitfalls
- Confusing master and transaction data, a foundational distinction.
- Mixing up system, client and instance, different layers.
- Guessing at TCodes, learn the common ones deliberately.