Monday, December 26, 2011

Other ways of starting Process Chains


If you want or need to avoid tracking of starting process chains by transport system asking you to provide transport request number there are few possibilities available.

  1. You can trigger process chain via standard ABAP Function Module: RSPC_API_CHAIN_START. Using this FM you can start PC that is scheduled to be executed via meta chain (Start via Meta-Chain or API) and you do want to change it to direct scheduling.
  2. Starting your PC via custom ABAP report. This report would call FM mentioned in point no.1.
  3. Start PC via event. You can maintain custom event in TA SM64. The event that you created than specify into PC’s start variant.
  4. Exclude changes into PC’s start variants and PC’s processes from BW’s Transport Connection. You can customize this in RSA1->Transport Connection->Object Changeability

Full Process Chain’s API:
RSPC_API_GET_CHAINS
RSPC_API_CHAIN_GET_STARTCOND
RSPC_API_CHAIN_START
RSPC_API_CHAIN_GET_STATUS
RSPC_API_CHAIN_GET_LOG
RSPC_API_CHAIN_GET_PROCESSES
RSPC_API_PROCESS_GET_INFO
RSPC_API_PROCESS_GET_LOG
RSPC_API_CHAIN_MAINTAIN
RSPC_API_CHAIN_RESTART
RSPC_API_CHAIN_INTERRUPT

- Update on 05/07/2017 -
Similarly there can be a case that you need to run the PC just one time. When the PC is scheduled already and you may do not want to de-schedule it. There is an option in RSPC1 t-code in menu called Execution -> Execute synchronously. By using this function the PC will run in dialog mode. All processes within the PC are executed serially and the PC is kept scheduled.



Online documentation on this topic:

Processing of SAP Support messages

SMP messages are kind of communication channel between SAP support organization and SAP’s customer. The aim is to support customers within their problems with SAP applications. Customer reports problems via SMP under /message link. There are 4 priorities (see below) defined from which customers can choose according problem’s severity. After submitting support message you may wonder what is the duty time range within SAP should respond. Please notice that this time may differ per particular contract between SAP and customer. Also if customer is using e.g. max attention product -> times may differ. However times specified below can serve as general guideline.

So to make it short the initial respond times/update periods and response goals are follows:

 Priority     Severity     Initial Response     Update period      Response goal
 ------     ---------    ---------------    --------------     ---------------
     1         very high     60 minutes           4 hours               2 days
     2         high             4 hours               1 day                  4 days
     3         normal         8 hours               2 days                8 days
     4         low              16 hours             4 days                16 days


For details see following SAP notes:

Comments in ABAP code 3

Here one very short but good one. It is included in BW 7.3 in method WRITE_DTP in class CL_RSDD_CUBE_WRITER :-)



Other posts on similar topic:

What are SAP Pilot Notes?

We all know SAP Notes; we all use them on daily basis along our job needs to. We search for an advice, explanation or fix of problems within SAP software. I already introduced differences between HotNews; TopNotes here

Today let’s say something about Pilot Notes. Basically it is very first version of SAP Note created by SAP development support. Usually it is SAP organization called IMS (Installed Base Maintenance & Support). When they provide correction for problem you reported via SMP (Service Market Place, formerly OSS) the note has status as Pilot release. If required later after note is tested by customers; note will be included in standard Support Pack for particular SAP software release. 

See details about Pilot release in following note:

Few more posts about SAP Notes topic:

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Further checking of broken BEx queries 2

In this post I’m continuing to post another possibility how to analyze problem of BEx queries. Apart of first part of this series which was dedicated to analyzing ABAP report RSR_BAD_CODING here I introduce sequence which can be convenient while BEx queries troubleshooting. Basically you usually start in BEx Query Designer (QD). This is a tool where we can get first indication to possible error. Error is shown in bottom section of BEx QG window. Usually this is pretty straight forward. You see an error and you can take appropriate action to remove it. If there is no error shown but query keeps faileing while its runtime you need to move to other tool – RSRT: Query Monitor (QM). While runnign query in different modes:
Execute in Safe Mode or Execute and Declare/Explain – see details here

You can get clue into other issues in query. If this is still not enouigh you need to check ABAP report in BW’s back end RSR_BAD_CODING.

However this ABAP report can be consistent – w/o syntax error and you still not solved your query issue. Here is another tool which may help – TA RSRTQ Query Definition.

Imagine similar scenario. Here’s query error shown in BEx QD:


This is clearly about formula within the report. However there may be houndrets of formulas in yoru query. There is no possiblity to search in QD by formula technical name. So how do we found our errnous formula? Help comes here within TA RSRTQ. You have to run it in Unique IDs mode. Here its output:



Within binocular icon you need to search for formula technical name that you got from QD. By this you get description of row in cells definition in BEx Query Designer issue lays. Further you need to run same TA (RSRTQ) in Technical Names mode:

 


On output screen search for string ‘Remodeling’. By this you get row and cell no. where this issue lays in Cells definition in BEx Query Designer issue lays:
 


Finally you go to QD again and in this case you switch to table view display and you find problem nous formula in respective row and columns in Cell definition.

To sum this exercise up here my sequence of further checking of broken BEx queries:
1. BEx QD -> Check functionality
2. TA RSRT Query Monitor-> Execute in Safe Mode or Execute and Declare/Explain functionality
3. ABAP report RSR_BAD_CODING
4. TA RSRTQ Query Definition

Other stories on BEx queries topic:

One ABAP book

I recently went to bookstore. I really like bookstores. Not those on the internet. I mean real book stores where you can hold and feel books.  I like especially bookstore where I can sit down for a while and read for a while. So as I was enjoying precious moments in that book store I got astonished with one ABAP book. It was not because of book as itself. After I looked into the book I realized that the book quotes my blog :-)











To be more concrete in the book there is a link provided to one of my blog post. It is a post related to miniSAP – where to download it. This post is the most visited post in my blog ever. I perceive quote to blog in the book as an honur counting the fact that there is numerous of other blogs relate to miniSAP out there on internet.

TA RSRT, RSRT1, RSRT2 differences? (Part 2)

Some time ago I wrote short post about possible differences between TAs: RSRT, RSRT1, RSRT2. The fact is that they all 3 three are linked to same ABAP program: SAPMRRI1. Only visible difference is that RSRT1 has additional input field for Query view ~ meaning you can run Query view via this TA w/o using BEx Query Analyzer. So that’s all what is remarkable at first sight.

But real differences are hidden undercover. Basically TA RSRT2 is intended to be used by SAP support people while solving customer issues.

Some important features of RSRT* transactions:

1. There is a possibility to execute query in special mode so called safe mode: button Execute + Debug -> Execute in Safe Mode. Running query in this mode system deactivates all optimizations for query execution. E.g. if your query shows correct figures in safe mode then you can be sure that there is no error caused by OLAP engine but by some other component.

2. Mode: Execute and Declare (in BW 73 called as Execute and Explain). Using this option you can see additional log in several areas (see below) after query execution. This can indicate cause of other problem that you might face in your query.
Log area that can be shown for explanation:

·         Authorization log
·         Explanation of the setting on front end
·         Explanation of Hierarchies
·         Information about Planning
·         Report-to-Report Interface – overview of mapping table
·         Details of quantity and currency translation
·         Formatting of information on variables
·         Exception aggregation in BWA

Shadow system / instance and system switch

If you ever worked for SAP upgrade project you probably already came across to this term – shadow system or instance and system switch. What is that? Let me first introduce background of upgrades. Basically by upgrade we want to get the newest functions that provider offers in its software product that we are currently using. For sure we want to get this done without an interruption to existing, running system. In reality there is always some interruption. We are just trying to minimize it as much as possible. So does the SAP. The background of shadow system is to minimize system downtime during the upgrade.

Shadow system is basically copy of system that is going to be upgraded. This copies system is a bit limited to original one. It has only technical repository (SAP Basis objects) of objects and you cannot run your business processes on it.  More over technical repository is upgraded into version of final release of to be upgraded system. Technically speaking it is used for modification adjustments (famous transactions SPAU and SPDD) and activation of objects. All the support packages and add-ons are imported into this instance as well. By them you get you system to the higher release. Let me mention also that shadow system run in the same database as its original system. They are running in parallel.

During preparation of shadow instance you are still running your original SAP system where all the business processes are being executed normally. At the moment when shadow instance is prepared we do its switch from shadow to original system. This is called system switch when you kind of “exchange” original system with shadow one. By that time shadow system becomes upgraded system. 

By using this approach you can minimize downtime of your production system and also you do not have to have additional hardware resource for creation of shadow instance as it runs in the same database and application server as original system.
Notice that a matter of SAP system is very complex all the information provided can serve as very brief introduction into this topic. I wish you a lot of successful upgrade projects.

More on this topic:
Different SAP upgrade tools

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

SAP GUI installation and its troubleshooting

I had to reinstall my SAP GUI recently and during this process I encounter few issues. Within this post I want to share GUI installation troubleshooting hints. My version was SAP GUI 7.2 Compilation no. 3.

Notice that installation of GUI requires administration right on user performing installation itself. This is must w/o it installation will abort.
From disk size point of view you need at least 1,5GB left on hard drive where software will be installed.

One of prerequisites is to install Microsoft .Net framework 2.0 prior GUI installation. Basically .Net is prerequisite for:

·         BEx tools – BEx Query Designer, BEx Query Analyzer, Web Application Designer, etc.
·         web browser – Internet Explorer as of version 7.x which is a prerequisite for GUI

Also you will be required to install Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1. For BW 7.x frontend tools you will need 3.5 framework or 4.0 framework.
First error I got during installation was following:
SAP frontend software installation has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.













Issue was that I had wrong version of JAVA runtime (JRE (Java Runtime Environment)). So in this case rely on version of JAVA as it is advised by SAP GUI installation program. You can download JAVA from still valid address: java.sun.com or from new ORACLE site: oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html -> JRE

From now on you are guided through installation via standard installation windows e.g. asking for target folder, selection of GUI’s components etc.

After the installation is done you can get you evaluate it. You can start check of installation via /check switch of installation *.exe file: e.g. setupall.exe /check



You have possibility to run check from SAP Logon Pad as well. While you running it pick up left corner and choose Options->System Information->Check SAP GUI instillations:

















Especially BEx’s tools are having another check tool possibility. It is add-in to MS Excel and you can navigate to it via X:\Program Files\Common Files\SAP Shared\BW\SAPBExCheck.xla

References:
·         SDN’s SAP GUI homepage
·         http://forums.sdn.sap.com/forum.jspa?forumID=117 - SDN’s SAP GUI forum

More on SAP GUI topic:
·         SAP GUI visual designs
·         When your SAP GUI will die?
·         Color of SAP GUI windows
·         Short history of SAP GUI