How To Fix RSDMD281 - UUID charact. &1: Duplicate external key &2 in record &3 in database

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: RSDMD - Messages for master data

• Message number: 281

• Message text: UUID charact. &1: Duplicate external key &2 in record &3 in database

What causes this issue?

The external key &V2& in record &V3& of the UUID characteristic &V1& is
already assigned to existing record &V4&in the master data table.

System Response

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

How to fix this error?

Assign a different external key value.

Procedure for System Administrators

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message RSDMD281 - UUID charact. &1: Duplicate external key &2 in record &3 in database ?

  The SAP error message RSDMD281 indicates that there is a duplicate external key in the database for a characteristic. This typically occurs in the context of SAP BW (Business Warehouse) when you are trying to load data into a characteristic that has a unique constraint on its external key.
  Cause:
  The error message is triggered when the system encounters a record with an external key that already exists in the database. This can happen due to several reasons:
  
  Duplicate Data: The data being loaded contains duplicate entries for the external key.
  Incorrect Data Source: The data source may be incorrectly configured, leading to the inclusion of duplicate records.
  Data Transformation Issues: During the data transformation process, duplicates may be inadvertently created.
  Data Load Process: If the data load process is not properly managed, it may attempt to load the same data multiple times.
  
  Solution:
  To resolve the RSDMD281 error, you can take the following steps:
  
  
  Identify Duplicates:
  
  Check the data source for duplicates. You can do this by querying the source data to find records with the same external key.
  Use tools like SAP BW Query Designer or SQL queries to identify duplicate records.
  
  
  
  Clean the Data:
  
  Remove or consolidate duplicate records in the source data before loading it into SAP BW.
  Ensure that the data being loaded is unique for the external key.
  
  
  
  Adjust Data Load Process:
  
  Review the data load process to ensure that it is not attempting to load the same data multiple times.
  If necessary, implement checks or filters in the data load process to prevent duplicates.
  
  
  
  Modify Data Transformation Logic:
  
  If you are using transformations, ensure that the logic does not create duplicates during the transformation process.
  
  
  
  Check for Existing Records:
  
  Before loading new data, check if the records already exist in the target characteristic table. If they do, decide whether to update or skip them.
  
  
  
  Use Error Handling:
  
  Implement error handling in your data load process to manage duplicates gracefully, such as logging them for review instead of failing the entire load.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes: You can use transaction codes like RSA1 (Data Warehousing Workbench) to manage data sources and monitor data loads.
  Data Source Configuration: Review the configuration of your data sources and transformations in the BW system to ensure they are set up correctly.
  SAP Notes: Check for any relevant SAP Notes that may address specific issues related to this error message or provide additional guidance.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the RSDMD281 error and successfully load your data into SAP BW.