Advanced Note Search Tool (ANST)

People working with SAP know what it takes to search for correction note of bug or an issue within SAP applications. Basically once you dealing with it you need to go through bunch a SAP Notes available at SMP. Sometimes the notes are not very well described so you may go in try-and-try loop. This of course takes time. SAP strives for better solutions of searching for the notes. This includes improvements of searching with SMP but not only that. SAP provides also tools using other approaches in this field.  One tool available is based on tracing the issue while simulating it directly in the system. There is a transaction ANST_SEARCH_TOOL which allows direct reproduction of issue. Within this TA you are guided directly into the particular functionality where issue occurs. After that you are offered with list of application components (e.g. components of BW or BOBJ components) where you choose component or components and you will get a list of applicable Notes for your issue. The listed notes are applicable to the issue and are not implemented in your system. 

If there is a custom extension involved in the SAP functionality and issue is related to this code. In such a case Advanced Note Search Tool transaction shows all the points where the custom code is involved. Custom tables are listed as well.

One more feature of the tool is Notes search capability directly from ABAP dumps transaction – ST22.

The ANST tool is available to be implemented only via Support packages. It is a part of SAP_BASIS components within following support packages: SAPKB70028 or SAPKB70113 or SAPKB70213 or SAPKB73106.

For more information see following sources:

1564850 - Automated Note Search: General Note

1778716 - Advanced Note Search Tool

1818192 - FAQ: Automated Note Search Tool

SCN blog: A new application that makes it easier to find sap correction notes  

SCN blog: Automated Note Search & Customer Code Detection II (release 2.0)