# BPCS and Infor LX Table List: Core Database Files

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/infor-lx-bpcs-core-file-reference
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

The core BPCS and Infor LX physical files on IBM i, with what one record represents, the related files and the size warnings that matter when you query them.

## Category

other-erp

## Erp

Infor LX / BPCS

## Audience

- ERP administrator
- IBM i developer
- Report writer
- Data migration lead

## Tool

**Kind:** worksheet

**Mode:** reference

**Columns:**

#### File

**Key:** file

**Type:** text

#### Area

**Key:** area

**Type:** text

#### Description

**Key:** description

**Type:** text

#### One record per

**Key:** record

**Type:** text

#### Related files

**Key:** related

**Type:** text

#### Notes

**Key:** notes

**Type:** text

**Rows:**

**File:** IIM

**Area:** Inventory

**Description:** Item master

**Record:** Item

**Related:** IWI, ILI, ECL, HPO, MBM

**Notes:** Start point for almost every report; joins on the item number

**File:** IWM

**Area:** Inventory

**Description:** Warehouse master

**Record:** Warehouse

**Related:** IWI, ILM

**Notes:** Warehouse code, name and settings; join to it on the warehouse field

**File:** IWI

**Area:** Inventory

**Description:** Item-warehouse record

**Record:** Item and warehouse

**Related:** IIM, IWM, ILI

**Notes:** Warehouse-level planning data and balances; compare to the sum of ILI rows when reconciling

**File:** ILM

**Area:** Inventory

**Description:** Location master

**Record:** Warehouse and location

**Related:** IWM, ILI

**Notes:** Defines the stocking locations in each warehouse; holds no item balances

**File:** ILI

**Area:** Inventory

**Description:** Location inventory

**Record:** Item, warehouse, location and lot

**Related:** ILM, IWI, IIM

**Notes:** Location-level balances; the usual source for on-hand by location

**File:** ITH

**Area:** Inventory

**Description:** Inventory transaction history

**Record:** Inventory transaction

**Related:** IIM, ILI

**Notes:** Very large on mature systems; always filter by item and date and limit rows

**File:** ECH

**Area:** Order entry

**Description:** Customer order header

**Record:** Customer order

**Related:** ECL, RCM

**Notes:** Header only; quantities live on the lines

**File:** ECL

**Area:** Order entry

**Description:** Customer order lines

**Record:** Order line

**Related:** ECH, IIM

**Notes:** Item, ordered and shipped quantities per line

**File:** RCM

**Area:** Receivables

**Description:** Customer master

**Record:** Customer

**Related:** ECH

**Notes:** Customer name, address and credit data

**File:** AVM

**Area:** Payables

**Description:** Vendor master

**Record:** Vendor

**Related:** HPH

**Notes:** Vendor name and terms

**File:** HPH

**Area:** Purchasing

**Description:** Purchase order header

**Record:** Purchase order

**Related:** HPO, AVM

**Notes:** Header only; item and quantity data are on HPO

**File:** HPO

**Area:** Purchasing

**Description:** Purchase order lines

**Record:** PO line

**Related:** HPH, IIM

**Notes:** Open PO quantities for buyer and MRP checks

**File:** FSO

**Area:** Shop floor

**Description:** Shop order summary

**Record:** Shop order

**Related:** IIM, MBM, FRT

**Notes:** Order status and quantities at order level

**File:** MBM

**Area:** Bill of material

**Description:** Bill of material

**Record:** Parent and component relationship

**Related:** IIM, FSO

**Notes:** One row per component under a parent; recursive queries walk levels

**File:** FRT

**Area:** Shop floor

**Description:** Routings

**Record:** Routing operation

**Related:** IIM, FSO

**Notes:** Standard operations used to build shop order operations

**Notes:** File names follow MidrangeWiki BPCS Files and BPCS-L usage for BPCS 6.x and Infor LX 8.x. Libraries, logical files and some descriptions vary by release and by site modifications. List the fields of any file on your system with DSPFFD before writing a query.

## Content

**Intro:** This is a searchable list of the core BPCS and Infor LX physical files that report writers and developers query on IBM i. Each row gives the module, what one record represents, the files it joins to and the warnings worth knowing before you run a query.

**Sections:**

#### How BPCS file names work

**Body:** BPCS file names are three characters, and the first letter usually tells you the module. That is why the item master is IIM, order entry files start with E and purchasing files start with H. Once you know the letter, an unfamiliar file name in a job log or a query is easy to place. Infor LX kept most of the BPCS file names, so a report written against BPCS 6.x often runs on LX 8.x with only field-level changes. Most master files also carry a record ID field that separates active records from deleted ones. Check the values your site uses before you trust a count.

**Bullets:**

- I: inventory (IIM, IWM, IWI, ILM, ILI, ITH)
- E: order entry (ECH, ECL)
- H: purchasing (HPH, HPO)
- F: shop floor (FSO, FRT)
- M: bill of material (MBM)
- R: receivables (RCM), A: payables (AVM)

#### Inventory balances: ILI, IWI and IIM

**Body:** Inventory is held at three levels. ILI holds balances by item, warehouse, location and lot. IWI holds them by item and warehouse. IIM carries item-level totals. In many releases period-end processing rolls location balances forward and resets the period movement fields (confirm on your release), so the same item can show different numbers depending on which file you read and when. For on-hand by location, read ILI and add its opening balance and period movement fields. For reconciliation, sum ILI by item and warehouse and compare the result to IWI. Any gap normally means a failed or partial period-end run, or a transaction posted while the close was running.

#### How to list fields and find the right one

**Body:** Field names are not shown here because they change between BPCS 4.05, 6.x and LX 8.x, and sites add their own. On the IBM i command line, DSPFFD FILE(BPCSF/ECL) lists every field with its text description, and adding OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) writes the list to a file you can query. With SQL you can read QSYS2.SYSCOLUMNS for the same library and table. Use DSPDBR to see the logical files built over a physical file. Before you query ITH or another large file, check that a logical file or index exists over the columns you filter on.

#### Common mistakes

**Body:** The most common reporting error is summing ECL without checking the line status your site uses for cancelled or closed lines. The next is using IIM totals as if they were live location balances. Unfiltered queries against ITH can run for a very long time and slow interactive users, so always add an item or date filter and a row limit, and run big extracts against a copy or off-peak. Also confirm the library list. Many sites keep several BPCSF-style libraries for test and production, and a query against the wrong one returns believable but wrong numbers.

**Cta:** If you want planners and buyers to ask BPCS or LX questions in plain English on your own servers, with the query shown for every answer, we can set that up.

**Faq:**

#### What is the BPCS order header file?

**Answer:** The customer order header file is ECH. It holds one record per customer order. Line-level data, including item and ordered and shipped quantities, is in ECL. Join ECH to ECL on the order number field, after confirming its name with DSPFFD on your release, and check whether your site uses any additional line files.

#### Which BPCS table holds on-hand inventory?

**Answer:** Location and lot balances are in ILI, warehouse balances are in IWI, and item-level totals are on IIM. For a by-location on-hand report, read ILI and combine its opening balance and period movement fields. Sum ILI by item and warehouse and compare it to IWI to reconcile.

#### Did Infor LX change the BPCS table names?

**Answer:** Mostly no. Infor LX kept the main BPCS physical file names such as IIM, ITH, ECH and ECL, so the file list carries over. Field lengths, added fields and library names can differ by release, and custom fields are common, so check each file with DSPFFD before you reuse an old query.

#### Why is my ITH query so slow?

**Answer:** ITH stores every inventory transaction, and on a mature system it can hold many millions of rows. Filter on item and date, select only the columns you need, and add FETCH FIRST n ROWS ONLY. Check DSPDBR for a logical file keyed on item and date, and run large extracts off-peak or against a copy.

## Search terms

bpcs tables, bpcs table list, infor lx tables, bpcs database tables, bpcs order header file, bpcs item master file iim, bpcs ith file, bpcs file names

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