SAP ABAP IMG Activity ELSIG_00 (Define Signature Strategies)

Hierarchy

☛ SAP_ABA (Software Component) Cross-Application Component
   ⤷ CA-DSG (Application Component) Digital Signature
     ⤷ DS (Package) Digital Signature

IMG Activity

ID	ELSIG_00	Define Signature Strategies
Transaction Code	S_ABA_72000136	(empty)
Created on	20011108
Customizing Attributes	ELSIG_00	Define Signature Strategies
Customizing Activity	ELSIG_00	Define Signature Strategies

Document

Document Class	SIMG	Hypertext: Object Class - Class to which a document belongs.
Document Name	ELSIG_00

Use

In this Customizing activity, you define signature strategies. To do this, make the following settings:

• Group individual signatures of different user groups into one signature process.
• Define which signature method is used when the signature process is executed.

In Customizing for the application you can then define which signature strategy is used to execute a process step.

Requirements

You have defined individual signatures (see Define Individual Signatures).

Standard settings

Activities

To create a new signature strategy, execute the following activities:

A. Create new entry for the signature strategy

1. Choose New Entries.
2. Create the key, name, and signature method for the signature strategy.
3. Define whether the following options are required, possible, or disallowed:
• Comment
Here, you can specify if the user has the option of entering a text comment when signing the application. You have the following options: Disallowed (no comment field is provided), Possible (comment field can be called up), and Required (signature is only possible after a comment has been entered).
• Remark
Here, you enable the user to select a remark from a list of predefined remarks and add it to the signature. The availability of remarks depends on the respective application. You have the following options: Disallowed, Required, and Possible.
• Document
Here, you specify if the document to be signed should also be displayed to the signatory. You have the following options: Disallowed, Possible, and Required.
• Verification
Here, you allow signatures that have already been executed to be verified. A check is run in the background to determine if this document is still identical to the original document and if the previously executed signatures have been stored correctly in the system.

Note:

These settings are overridden if you chose the setting Disallowed for these options in the transaction SIGNO (Register Signature Objects for Digital Signature) for the application.

B. Assign individual signatures

In this step, you assign the individual signatures that can or must be executed when executing the strategy, to the signature strategy.

You can assign the same individual signature more than once or you can assign several individual signatures with the same authorization group. However, when executing the signature strategy, each user in the authorization group can only execute one signature.

When saving, the system specifies a counter for each assigned individual signature. The counter identifies the assignment within the signature strategy but has no influence on the signature sequence when the strategy is executed.

1. Select the signature strategy to which you want to assign individual signatures and choose Assign Individual Signatures.
2. To assign new signatures, choose New Entries.
3. Enter the key for the required individual signatures.
4. Save the settings.

C. Define the signature sequence

In this step, you define the sequence in which the individual signatures in a signature strategy must be executed.

You determine the signature sequence by selecting a predecessor for each individual signature, in a sequence matrix.
Then you can also list the predecessors for each individual signature. However, you cannot edit the data in the individual display.

Example:

Individual signatures S1, S2, S3, and S4 are assigned to a signature strategy.
The signature sequences are specified in the matrix, as follows:

                    Predecessor Signatures

Signatures to Be Executed        S1    S2    S3    S4

    S1

    S2    X

    S3    X

    S4    X        X

This means:

• S1 must be executed first.
• S2 and S3 can be executed after S1.
• S4 can be executed as soon as S3 is available.

Defining signature sequences in the matrix:

1. In the Define Signature Strategy view, select the signature strategy for which you want to specify the signature sequence.
2. Choose the Signature Sequence pushbutton.

   The system displays the dialog box for the signature sequence of the signature strategy. The dialog box shows the matrix of the individual signatures.

3. In each row, flag the direct predecessors of the individual signature listed at the start of the row.
4. Choose Enter.

   If necessary, the system adds the indirect predecessors for the signatures.

5. Save the settings.

Displaying predecessors for individual signatures:

1. Select the signature strategy for which you wish to display data.
2. Choose Assign Individual Signatures.
3. Select the individual signatures for which you wish to display the predecessor.
4. In the navigation area, choose Display Predecessor.

D. Define release statuses

In this step, you define one or more alternative release statuses for a signature strategy. For each release status, you determine a combination of individual signatures with which the signature process can be completed.

A signature process is only complete if all the signatures belonging to a release status have been executed.
If you do not define a release status for a signature strategy, all the individual signatures in a signature strategy must be executed in each signature process.

To define a release status, you flag the required signature combinations in the overview of possible signature combinations.
You can then also list the individual signatures for each release status. However, you cannot edit the data in the individual display.

Example:

The following signature sequence is defined in a signature strategy:

                    Predecessor Signatures

Signatures to Be Executed        S1     S2     S3     S4

    S1

    S2     X

    S3     X

    S4     X        X

In the tabular overview, select the following release statuses:

    Individual Signatures Required for Release

    S1     S2     S3     S4

    X     X     X

    X         X     X

The signature strategy can be completed with either S2 and S3 or with S4.

Flagging the release status in the tabular overview:

1. Select the signature strategy for which you want to define release statuses.
2. Choose Display Release Statuses.

   A table is displayed with all the possible signature combinations contained in the signature strategy.

3. Select the signature combinations that you want to use as the release statuses for the signature strategy.
4. Choose Enter and save the settings.

Displaying individual signatures for each release status:

1. Select the signature strategy for which you wish to display data.
2. Choose Display Release Statuses.
3. Select the release status whose data you wish to display and choose Display Individual Signatures.

   A list appears with the counters for the individual signatures that are assigned to the release status.

Example

Further notes

Signature strategies also apply in other areas where digital signatures are used. Therefore, before you change existing signature strategies or use them for your purposes, ensure that this will not lead to conflicts of interest with other areas.

Business Attributes

ASAP Roadmap ID	204	Establish Functions and Processes
Mandatory / Optional	2	Optional activity
Critical / Non-Critical	1	Critical
Country-Dependency	A	Valid for all countries

Assigned Application Components

Documentation Object Class	Documentation Object Name	Current line number	Application Component	Application Component Name
SIMG	ELSIG_00	0	ABA0000041	Digital Signature

Maintenance Objects

Maintenance object type

C

Customizing Object

Assigned objects
Customizing Object	Object Type	Transaction Code	Sub-object	Do not Summarize	Skip Subset Dialog Box	Description for multiple selections
VC_TC85	C - View cluster	SM34		☐	☐

History

Last changed by/on	SAP	20011108
SAP Release Created in	620