ABAP Platform Trial 1909 SP07

Last time when SAP released an on premise version of SAP ABAP Platform/NetWeaver developer edition was on Feb 15th 2021. It was a version called SAP ABAP Platform 1909, Developer Edition and it was provided as a Docker image allowing developers run it on its own machines as a container. That edition was available till Dec 2021 when Log4J vulnerability was revealed. The ABAP Platform 1909 became a victim of Log4J as many other software due to fact that software vendors decided to pull it off till the vulnerability is not properly addressed. SAP took a time a decide on the fate of the ABAP Platform 1909 container image. Initially the decision was scheduled to be announced on January 10^th 2022. That was delayed till mid of Oct 2022 (23th of Oct) when SAP announced that “SAP’s product and delivery standards have evolved…”. Basically the statement said that SAP is preferring cloud versions over something that independed developers can install by themselves. And, in fact meanwhile a CAL versions were provided. Anyhow, this move sparked quite an discussion and criticism (e.g. here (363 comments), or here) within SAP developers community. Following all that an idea was created on Dec 12^th 2022 on SAP influence page. It got an attention of 278 voters. After approximately 7 months the idea status moved suddenly to Delivered. Via blog SAP announced that docker based version of ABAP Server is back. This is it is again ABAP Platform Trial 1919 by slightly higher Service Pack version – 07.

How to make it run? Just follow instructions at docker hub page. All you need is to have a machine with a lot of memory (32+ GB), DockerHub account, and if you are on WINDOWS OS – a Docker Desktop. Linux and MacOS is supported as well. Once you get the Docker Desktop up and running fire up a below command to pull the image from the hub to yoru machine:

docker pull sapse/abap-platform-trial:1909

After 30min or so (depending on speed of internet connection), image extraction part starts that created a new contained in your Docker:

Once it is finished start the container with below command:

docker run --stop-timeout 3600 -i --name a4h -h vhcala4hci -p 3200:3200 -p 3300:3300 -p 8443:8443 -p 30213:30213 -p 50000:50000 -p 50001:50001 sapse/abap-platform-trial:1909 -skip-limits-check

Once you get a message in the command prompt saying “*** Have fun! ***” the ABAP trial is up and running.

To stop it just hit CTRL+C in the terminal window which started it. There will be logs like below popping up:

Interrupted by user

My termination has been requested

Stopping services

Terminating -> Worker Processes (2919)

..

Finally passing away ...

Good Bye!

To start it again run the container (aka regular start) with below command:

docker start -ai a4h

In my case as I run the Docker on WSL2 (there are different engines available to power it) I faced an issue during first attempt to run the container. It hanged “HDB: starting” and not going anywhere for couple of hours.

WARNING: the following system limits are below recommended values:

  (sysctl kernel.shmmni = 4096) < 32768

  (sysctl vm.max_map_count = 65530) < 2147483647

  (sysctl fs.file-max = 2668219) < 20000000

  (sysctl fs.aio-max-nr = 65536) < 18446744073709551615

Hint: consider adding these parameters to your docker run command:

  --sysctl kernel.shmmni=32768

Hint: if you are on Linux, consider running the following system commands:

  sudo sysctl vm.max_map_count=2147483647

  sudo sysctl fs.file-max=20000000

  sudo sysctl fs.aio-max-nr=18446744073709551615

sapinit: starting

start hostcontrol using profile /usr/sap/hostctrl/exe/host_profile

Impromptu CCC initialization by 'rscpCInit'.

  See SAP note 1266393.

Impromptu CCC initialization by 'rscpCInit'.

  See SAP note 1266393.

sapinit: started, pid=14

 

HDB: starting

 

This is due to fact that in WSL2 case there is no sizing options. WSL2 has an in-built dynamic memory and CPU allocation feature that means that the Docker can utilize only the required memory and CPU. But as there are other processes in WIN OS that need an OS resources too it started to be a problem because WSL2 consumed all available memory. This can be solved by editing a .wslconfig file located in WIN’s USERPROFILE folder. I altered the file as below:

[wsl2]

memory=26GB   # Limits memory to docker in WSL

processors=5     # Limits no processors

 

Other option than to .wslconfig file modification is to start the docker image deployment with addition to following parameters (on bold) of “docker run” command.

docker run --stop-timeout 3600 -i --name a4h -h vhcala4hci -p 3200:3200 -p 3300:3300 -p 8443:8443 -p 30213:30213 -p 50000:50000 -p 50001:50001 -m 26g --cpus 5 sapse/abap-platform-trial:1909 -skip-limits-check

 

If you can’t get your container up and running there are couple of things to be checked with the respect to HANA DB:

/usr/sap/HDB/HDB02/vhcala4hci/trace

/usr/sap/HDB/HDB02/vhcala4hci/trace/DB_HDB

You may need to review log files in those folder. In most cases it will be an issue of lack of operating memory or hard drive space.

For extending the licenses of either ABAP Platform (AS ABAP) or HANA DB see my post here.

One more thing to clarify is a naming convention. Difference between SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP Developer Edition and SAP ABAP Platform Trial. One part is that SAP has shifted away from the NetWeaver to ABAP Platform. Technology wise the ABAP trial is delivered as Docker container whereas Netweaver Developer Edition are based on Virtual Machine software like Oracle Virtual Box.

In closing I must say that I really appreciate an effort all of the people who made this great distribution of ABAP Platform available again. I especially appreciate that SAP made a commitment to deliver also feature releases release (version 2023, 2025 and 2027 according to the release strategy for SAP S/4HANA). Even more they plan to release the ABAP Platform Trial subsequently whenever there is a new SP update. Thanks again for that!

More information:

Power up your SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP Developer edition

SAP ABAP Platform 1909, Developer Edition – installation on WINDOWS OS

From SAP NetWeaver to ABAP Platform

This post can be simply called as how SAP got from SAP NetWeaver (approx. 1997-2020 even till end of 2030 if we count extended maintenance) to ABAP Platform (2018 or 2019 onwards). This includes relations between all NetWeaver components like SAP Kernel, NetWeaver/BASIS/ABAP component/ABAP platform and corresponding ERP version (on-premise only).

In past there was an SAP term SAP NetWeaver, which was (still is) an umbrella term for SAP’s software stack. It represents an underlying technology component that provides a runtime environment for many SAP applications. Its roots goes back to year 1997 where it started as an internet portal technology (JAVA stack). Afterward an ABAP stack was added into NW Application Server. Other components were added meanwhile too (e.g. Business Warehouse (BW), Enterprise Portal (EP), Process Integration (PI)/Process Orchestration (PO), Master Data Management (MDM), etc.). Thus, it can be called as product family term. Over the years its name was changing. From SAP Web Application Server (although Application server is just a component of NW, this was during a times of SAP R/3 Enterprise) to just SAP NetWeaver. Then to NetWeaver 2004 (mySAP ERP 2004, SAP ECC Core). Subsequently to NetWeaver 2004s (SAP Business Suite). Followed by a name NetWeaver 7.0 (SAP ERP 6.0). The NetWeaver 7.0 had its versions: 7.01, 7.02, 7.03 and 7.31. Next major releases was NetWeaver 7.4 and NetWeaver 7.5. From 7.5 was first release to be used for next generation of *4 products like S/4 (SAP S/4HANA), BW/4 (SAP BW/4HANA). The NetWeaver 7.5 has its versions: 7.50, 7.51 (Innovation Package) and 7.52.

The SAP NetWeaver reached its maturity level and now it is not being developed any more. Instead, it is being transitioned to ABAP Platform. ABAP Platform provides technology and integration platform underlying SAP’s digital core. The new ABAP Platform (1809) is the foundation of the S/4HANA products starting with S/4HANA 1809.

One of differences while comparing ABAP platform to NetWeaver AS ABAP is that the ABAP platform is not shipped independently but only indirectly. That means it is embedded with the shipment of SAP S/4HANA. Applying of patches can be done separately.

Versioning of the ABAP Platform followed two digits that describes a year followed by another two digits that describes a month when the version was shipped - YYMM. E.g. ABAP Platform 1809 was shipped in September 2018. This was valid until year 2020 year when versioning of SAP S/4HANA was changed. Going forward on-premise releases are named for the year only (YYYY). This started from S/4HANA 2020 in October 2020. However, cloud releases of S/4 are continuing with the YYMM naming convention. As the ABAP Platform follows the S/4 versioning, it changed too.

For details on how long classic SAP NetWeaver will be supported refer to my blog post Life after life of SAP NetWeaver and Business Suite/ECC.

Below is an overview table that depicts a relations between SAP Kernel, NetWeaver / BASIS  / ABAP component  /ABAP Platform and corresponding ERP version with almost all its versions. Notice that these are on-premise versions only.

More information:

Life after life of SAP NetWeaver

SAP NetWeaver is 10 years old!

Introducing ABAP Platform 1809

Support package stacks  - product versions

ABAP platform part 1 whats new in ABAP Platform 2020

ABAP platform part 4 whats new in ABAP Platform 2020

2322469 - Support package levels for newly installed SAP systems (NetWeaver, Solution Manager, ERP/ECC etc.)

774615 - Support Package levels of ERP/ECC installations/upgrades

2236608 - Support Package levels of SAP S/4HANA ON-PREMISE installations/upgrades

Upgrade of SAP ABAP Platform 1909, Developer Edition

SAP issued a developer edition of their ABAP application server based on ABAP platform 1909 in February this year. They call it ABAP Platform 1909, Developer Edition. Installation guide of how to deploy it is available here.  I have used this system very often basically for practicing my BW and ABAP skills. I was wondering whether the system can be upgraded to the newer version of Support Packs that became available in between. So I gave it a shoot and result is very promising – the system can be upgraded.

Before you read any further I strongly suggest that following these activities require knowledge of SAP systems especially in SAP Basis area.  The upgrade activity may cause a harm to your installation of the system thus be aware that you are doing it on your own risk!

I upgraded my A4H system with respect to components: SAP_BASIS, SAP_ABAP, SAP Gateway, SAP_UI and SAP BW. Mostly from SP level 0002 to the level 0004.

These are above mentioned components as they come after the AH4 system installation:

.

Here’s status after of the SAP components the upgrade:

Below is a short summary of all involved steps of the SP upgrade:

 

1. Change SAP* user logon possibility to client 000 via setting up below parameter (in DEFAULT profile, via t-code RZ10)

login/no_automatic_user_sapstar to value 0

Once the parameter is set the A4H system needs to be restarted.

 

2. Unlock user SAP* in t-code SU01 in client 001 and set some password. This can be done e.g. by deleting the SAP* user by writing a small ABAP program like below:

PARAMETERS: user LIKE usr02-bname DEFAULT 'SAP*'.

SELECT SINGLE * FROM usr02 USING CLIENT '000'
  INTO @DATA(ls_usr02)
  WHERE bname = @user.

cl_demo_output=>display( ls_usr02 ).

DELETE usr02 USING CLIENT '000' FROM @ls_usr02.

 

3. Login as DDIC user into client 000. In some cases, a new user can be created in 000 client and then that user is used for rest of the activities.

 

4. Run t-code SPAM by DDIC or newly created user in client 000.

 

5. Upgrade of SPAM/SAINT tool. Download (here’s path on SAP ONE Support Portal: SAP TECHNOLOGY COMPONENTS/SL TOOLSET/SL TOOLSET 1.0/ENTRY BY COMPONENT/SPAM UPDATE 754/SAPKD75477, the path may vary…) the latest SPAM update as per your release from marketplace and then upload to your server.

SPAM t-code before its upgrade:

SPAM t-code after its upgrade:

Once you have a file downloaded, choose "Import SPAM/SAINT" item from "Support packages" menu in SPAM.

See here blog for details.

 

6. Import SP in SPAM in following sequence:

 

6.1 SP 03:

6.1.1 import of SAP_GWFND 754 SP 0003:          SAPK-75403INSAPGWFND

6.1.2 import of SAP_UI 754 SP 0005:       SAPK-75405INSAPUI

6.1.3 import of SAP_BASIS 754 SP 0003:  SAPK-75403INSAPBASIS

6.1.4 import of SAP_ABA 75E: SP 0003:   SAPK-75E03INSAPABA  

6.1.5 import of SAP_BW 754: SP 0003:    SAPK-75403INSAPBW

 

6.2 SP 04:

6.2.1 import of SAP_GWFND 754 SP 0004:          SAPK-75404INSAPGWFND 

6.1.2 import of SAP_UI 754 SP 0006:    SAPK-75406INSAPUI   

6.2.3 import of SAP_BASIS 754 SP 0004:  SAPK-75404INSAPBASIS

6.2.4 import of SAP_ABA 75E: SP 0004:   SAPK-75E04INSAPABA   

6.2.5 import of SAP_BW 754: SP 0004:    SAPK-75404INSAPBW

 

After you load particular SP file (SAR extension) in t-code SPAM via menu: Support Package -> Load Packages ->SAR Archive from Frontend, you need to go to section “Directory -> New Support Package” from main screen of the t-code SPAM. Here you can see of there any dependency. Means if the particular SP requires any other component to be upgraded first:

If that is the case the required component needs to be installed first to resolve the dependency. For each of the upgraded component first a Queue needs to be defined, this is done via button “Display/Define” on main screen of the SPAM t-code:

During an import of the SP it can be observed on OS level that SAP is running command called R3trans that is importing the package.

Once the import is over below pop-up window is show. Confirmation needs to be done from menu: Support Package -> Confirm.

Repeat all those steps e.g. 6.1 for all SP levels that you want to do the upgrade for.

 

More information:

SAP ABAP Platform 1909, Developer Edition – installation on WINDOWS OS

SP overview page, e.g.: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/supportpackage/SAPK-75405INSAPBW

SP download link, e.g.: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/softwarecenter/search/SAPK-75406INSAPUI

Notice that to download support packages from SAP ONE Support Portal a registered user credentials is needed!