What is Buffering Types in SAP?

Buffering Types in SAP : NTAB buffer: The name table (nametab) contains the table and field definitions that are activated in the SAP System. An entry is made in the Repository buffer when a mass activator or a user (using the ABAP Dictionary, Transaction SE11) requests to activate a table. The corresponding name table is then generated from the information that is managed in the Repository.

The Repository buffer is mainly known as the nametab buffer (NTAB), but it is also known as the ABAP Dictionary buffer.

Table definitions: TTAB

Field descriptions: FTAB

Initial record layouts: IREC Buffer (Contains the record layout initialized depending on the field type)

Short Nametab: SNTAB Buffer (A short summary of TTAB and FTAB buffers)

The description of a table in the Repository is distributed among several tables (for field definition, data element definition and domain definition). This information is summarized in the name table. The name table is saved in the following database tables:

DDNTT (table definitions)
DDNTF (field descriptions)

The Repository buffer consists of four buffers in shared memory, one for each of the following The Short nametab and Initial record layouts are not saved in the database. Instead, they are derived from the contents of tables DDNTT and DDNTF.

When access to a table is requested, the database access agent embedded in each work process first reads the Short nametab buffer for information about the table. If the information is insufficient (for example, the SELECT statement uses a non-primary key) it accesses the Table definitions buffer and then the Field descriptions buffer.

By reading the Repository buffers, the database access agent knows whether the table is buffered or not. Using this information, it accesses the table buffers (partial buffer or generic buffer) or the database

Program buffer: Also called as
SAP executable buffer
ABAP buffer
PXA (Program Execution Area)

Stores the compiled executable versions of ABAP programs (loads).

The contents of this buffer are stored in tables D010L (ABAP loads), D010T (texts) and D010Y (symbol table)

Buffering Types in SAP

Calender Buffer:
The SAP calendar buffer stores all defined factory and public holiday calendars.
Calendars are stored in the database tables TFACS and THOCS.

There are two kinds of SAPgui buffers:
Presentation buffers
Menu buffers
The following table shows the SAPgui buffers and their functions:

The buffer has a directory structure. This means that if the shared memory is configured too small, only the required data is loaded; there is no LRU displacement of the contents of the buffer.

Presentation buffer (Screen Buffer): Stores the generated screens (DYNPRO loads)
Menu buffer (CUA Buffer): Stores objects from the SAPgui.

For example, menus, pushbutton definitions.
The buffer has directory structure and supports LRU displacement.
The menu buffer is adjusted by amending its instance profile parameters

The CUA buffer holds objects from the GUI interface, such as menus, pushbuttons, and so on. In the database, these objects are held in tables D342L and D345T. Its size is expressed in KB. The standard SAP recommendation is: Up to 2500 KB for small systems, up to 3000 KB for medium systems and up to 6000 KB for large systems.

Also See: SAP Trail Softwares