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:

Further checking of broken BEx queries 1

How long BEx report in Excel can be?

librfc32.dll troubles

Where to download librfc32.dll RFC library?

SAP BW: BEx Connectivity Issue

Possibilities of BEx Queries documenting

Few more BEx messages 2

Few more BEx messages 3

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

TA RSRT, RSRT1, RSRT2 differences? (Part 1)

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:

Preparing to upgrade your SAP solution?

Different SAP upgrade tools

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

·         1424366 - BW 7.x Frontend (GUI 720): General Information & Limitations

·         1425805 - Hardware&Software requirement for BW 7.x Frontend in GUI 720

·         26417 - SAP GUI Resources: Hardware and software

·         147519 - Maintenance strategy / deadlines for SAP GUI

·         1013201 - Hardware & Software requirements

·         1013139 - Pre-requisites for the BI 7.x frontend

·         918394 - BI Frontend installation check tool

·         197460 - BW Frontend Checktool sapbexc.xla

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

More on SAP GUI topic:

·         SAP GUI: SAP Automatic Workstation Update Service (NWAWUSVC or AWUS)

·         SAP GUI: operational system environment variables

·         SAP GUI visual designs

·         Activating scripting in SAP GUI

·         SAP GUI - where to download it?

·         When your SAP GUI will die?

·         Color of SAP GUI windows

·         Short history of SAP GUI

Comments in ABAP code 2

KISS acronym is much known to programmers. It pushes us to even write better code according policies simpleness and shortness. Yep it is Keep It Simple and Short. But from computer software principles point of view it can also have a meaning of Keep It Simple Stupid. So BW programmers in SAP do think the same as shown in code of class CL_RSBM_LOG_COMPONENT and its method ADD_MSG:

Me personally I like it more in way: Keep It Simple and Straightforward :-)

Other posts on similar topic:

Comments in ABAP code 1

Funniest SAP notes ever 1

Funniest SAP notes ever 2

Funniest SAP notes ever 3

Funniest SAP notes ever 4

Funniest SAP notes ever 5

Where to download librfc32.dll RFC library?

The librfc32.dll library can cause a lot of troubles. Also there are some issues in BW area especially with conjunction to BEx. I was blogging about one issue e.g. here. Some other examples can be with different BEx tools like Web Application Designer (WAD), Query Designer (QD), etc. where those tools cannot connect to BW backend.

Here I’m providing information how to determine current version of this library available on SMP and where and how to download it.

First notice that there are two version of librfc32.dll:

·         Classic RFC library: comes with all major SAP Basis releases: 6.40, 7.00, 7.10, 7.11, and 7.20. After end of maintenance period for SAP Release 7.10 this classic RFC version will be discontinued.

·         SAP NetWeaver RFC Library: introduced as of Basis: SAP NetWeaver 7.10

To determine which version of library is involved in your issue depends on operating system that your SAP system does use.

To finally download library you need to go to SMP’s alias: 

http://service.sap.com/swdc -> SAP Support Packages and Patches -> Browse our Download Catalog -> Additional Components -> SAP Kernel  -> SAP KERNEL 32 or 64 /UNICODE -> SAP KERNEL 46D or 6.40 or 7.00 or 7.10 -> your operation system -> Database independent.

In the list of files choose librfc_XX-yyyyyyyy.SAR.

OSS Notes reference:

413708 - The current RFC library

825494 - Platforms supported by the RFC SDK

-      2020-Feb-10 Update:

The classic librfc32.dll is no more within SAP GUI 75. Due to architecture change within SAP GUI 75 all BEx tool are now using .Net Connector of version (NCo) 3 whereas in lower versions of the BEx tools the NCo version 2 was used. Thus, the RFC library has changed as well. See below SAP Notes for details:

2602275 - Where is librfc32.dll in SAPGUI 7.5?

2256415 - Adaptation of RFC controls (Logon, Function, Table and BAPI) to use SAP NetWeaver RFC Library

New design of help.sap.com

On last week (end of Oct 2011) I noticed that the very basic site for all the SAP consultants and users were changed. Yes it is HELP.SAP.COM. Actually the design of the page got aligned with SAP’s corporate homepage. 

Now it is dark blue on gray background as SAP homepage got this style in May 2011. Many of other SAP sites were already or are currently being to redesigned as well.

There are some other things that were changed on this site. The site is now more structured according service.sap.com’s famous quick links. Here it is so called navigational paths and all of them are listed here. You can easily browse them according following subject tree:

- SAP Solutions

- SOA

- SAP Business One

- SAP Best Practices

- SAP BusinessObjects

- SAP In-Memory Computing Link to page

- On-Demand Solutions

In general I find this change quite useful and would like to encourage HELP.SAP.COM team to continue with the site improvement.

- 17/04.2013 update -
See new blog called Tracking improvements of help.sap.com for overview of help.sap.com revamp in 2012.

SMP: The message is currently locked - please try again in a few minutes

Recently I encounter very strange error on SDN while accessing my OSS message. I had opened message which was in Customer Action status and after I added my comment and tried either to Save message or Sent it to SAP I was getting following error:

The message is currently locked - please try again in a few minutes

Reason of having this error is pretty unknown to me. I’m sure that none of my colleagues had this message opened. So then I can only imagine two possible cases. SAP support consultant had opened it in same time when I tried to update it. Or there was some error within SMP in general.

There is nothing mentioned about this message within SAP Notes. Imagine if you are solving very urgent issue and you need to communicate to SAP in very timely manner proper functioning of SMP is crucial for you. Then encountering this issue may be very annoying…

Solution in my case was really just to wait. But I was trying to upload this for few hours until it was finally possible to upload it.

If someone from SAP Support organization by any chance comes across this blog can you update us what is going on in this issue?