What is the difference between a role and profile in SAP BASIS.

As I know about the roles and profiles. In previous version of SAP (till 4.6) Activity groups were known as role(in 4.7 and above).
A role contain profiles. It can contain more than one profile.
Roles describe the layout of the user menu.
and profiles tells the authorizations for the particular profile(authorizations comprises of authorization objects which further are composed of authorization fields), a user access to different objects in the SAP system.

Hi,

The difference is by using role we can give limited access to the user but by using profile we can't.


Regards,
Ashok.

ROLE: role is a job description.this which are used to tells which job a user should perform.

PROFILE: profiles are used to give permissions to perform system functions....

ok u can creat a role using PFCG. and u can create a profile using SU02.

when u create a role u have to generate profile for that role in AUTHORISATION TAB of PFCG. with out profile a role cant work...

role may contain one or more than one profile... but defiantely roles contain one profile...

regards

YEDHIRI

role is set of authorizations,menu,profiles,transaction.when role created profile will be generated.