SAP S/4HANA Error 4240: Duplicate Provider Identity

Access the SAP S/4HANA system with administrative privileges.

Use transaction code `SE16N` (or `SE16`) to access table `SRAL_PROVIDER_IDENT`. This table stores information about provider identities.

Execute a query to find duplicate entries based on the `PROVIDER_ID` and `CLIENT` fields. You can use the 'Find' functionality within `SE16N` to search for specific `PROVIDER_ID` values that are reported as duplicated. Alternatively, to get a list of all duplicates, you would typically need to export the data or use a custom report.

SELECT PROVIDER_ID, CLIENT, COUNT(*) FROM SRAL_PROVIDER_IDENT GROUP BY PROVIDER_ID, CLIENT HAVING COUNT(*) > 1;

For each identified duplicate `PROVIDER_ID` and `CLIENT` combination, determine which entry is the correct one (e.g., based on creation date, last modified date, or associated configurations). This often requires consulting with functional consultants or reviewing system logs.

Carefully delete the redundant entries using transaction code `SE16N`. **Caution**: This is a critical step. Ensure you have a reliable backup and have thoroughly validated which entries to remove.

After deletion, restart the relevant SAP S/4HANA application servers or services that utilize provider identities to ensure changes are reflected.

Identify the specific provider that is causing the duplicate identity error. This might be related to an external system integration, a cloud service, or an internal SAP component.

Navigate to the relevant configuration transaction for the provider. This will vary depending on the provider type. For example, if it's an RFC destination, use `SM59`. If it's a cloud connector, use its specific configuration interface. For generic service providers, check the relevant SAP Fiori apps or SAP GUI transactions.

Document the current configuration details of the problematic provider.

Delete the existing configuration for the provider. This action should be performed with caution and ideally during a maintenance window.

Recreate the provider configuration from scratch, ensuring that all details are entered correctly and that no duplicate identifiers are accidentally used. Pay close attention to any fields that might generate or store the 'provider identity'.

Test the functionality that relies on this provider to confirm the error is resolved.

Identify any custom ABAP programs, BAdIs, user exits, or external integrations that interact with SAP S/4HANA's provider management functionalities. This might involve searching for keywords like 'provider', 'identity', 'registration', or specific table names like `SRAL_PROVIDER_IDENT` in the codebase.

Analyze the custom code to understand how it registers or manages provider identities. Look for logic that might inadvertently create duplicate entries, such as not checking for existing entries before creating new ones or using non-unique identifiers.

Implement checks within the custom code to ensure that a provider identity is only registered if it does not already exist. If a duplicate is detected, the code should either update the existing entry or log an error and prevent further creation.

IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM SRAL_PROVIDER_IDENT WHERE PROVIDER_ID = 'your_provider_id' AND CLIENT = sy-mandt) THEN
  " Create new provider entry
ELSE
  " Handle existing provider entry (e.g., log error, update)
ENDIF.

If the custom code is creating the issue, debug it thoroughly to pinpoint the exact line of code causing the duplicate registration.

Deploy the corrected custom code after thorough testing in a non-production environment.