Enabling ABAP backend for ABAP Eclipse

This blog will explain the actions you need to perform to enable an ABAP backend for ABAP Eclipse tools (ADT = ABAP Development Tools).

Questions that will be answered are:

  • How to enable ABAP backend for ABAP Eclipse?
  • Where to find more background information on ADT (ABAP Development Tools)

For the installation of the front end tool ABAP Eclipse (ADT tools) read this blog.

Background information

The up-to-date information on the ABAP Development Tools and how to install ABAP Eclipse with the correct versions can be found on the SAP site. This site contains on the ABAP tab also the most up-to-date manual on the backend configuration.

The section below will describe the main steps.

Enabling ABAP backend for ABAP Eclipse

In transaction SICF enable node ADT:

Also activate the ABAP documentation tool nodes:

If not yet active, also activate SICF node wdy_aie_vd_preview.

Now start to test ABAP in Eclipse. Pending on the authorizations it might already work. If it does not work, check the standard SAP manual on the required RFC authorizations you need as ABAP developer to run ABAP in Eclipse.

In the manual you will read about SFW5 switch SRIS_SOURCE_SEARCH. Be very careful to switch this on. It is very resource intensive and there is limited added value.

Bug fix OSS notes

There might be bugs in Eclipse backend code. In SAP OSS search for component BC-DWB-AIE.

Adjusting standard SAP code in S4HANA

In S4HANA the SSCR and developer key procedure are no longer present. This means you have to use proper authorization concept to determine which person is allowed to developer Z ABAP code and which developer is allowed to modify standard SAP ABAP code.

Questions that will be answered in this blog are:

  • Why has the has the procedure been removed?
  • How do I protect code adjustments from unauthorized changes?

S4HANA developer key

The title is a bit misleading. In S4HANA there are no developer keys and object keys any more.

Background of this change be SAP can be found in OSS note: 2309060 – The SSCR license key procedure is not supported in SAP S/4 HANA.

So in S4HANA, you must set up authorizations for S_DEVELOP properly. The development key and SSCR procedure are hacked anyhow (see blog).

With S_DEVELOP you have to set create/change rights for the packages and or objects. For custom code only hand out Z* privileges.

If you hand out a * for the objects or classes, then the developer can also change standard SAP.

Changes to standard SAP in S4HANA

The SCCR procedure is gone in S4HANA. This means if you want to adjust standard SAP code and you have the authorizations, you can without any SSCR screen asking you for the modification key.

Again also here: i you hand out a * for the objects or classes, then the developer can also change standard SAP.

All protection of ABAP code in S4HANA is arranged via authorization. 

Developer license measurement in S4HANA

The move away from DEVACCESS has also made the developer license measurement in S4HANA complex. Read more in this blog.

Include usage data in S4HANA custom code migration FIORI app

With the new S4HANA custom code migration FIORI app you can include system usage data (from productive system) to see which code blocks are used and which ones are not.

This blog will give answers to the following questions:

  • How to collect usage data from productive system?
  • How to include the usage data in the S4HANA custom code migration FIORI app?

This blog assumes you have already setup the S4HANA custom code migration FIORI app. If you have not done this, follow the instructions in this blog.

Collecting usage data in production with transaction SUSG

General recommendations for the use of transaction SUSG can be found in OSS note 2701371 – Recommendations for aggregating usage data using transaction SUSG. SUSG assumes you have already activated the SCMON ABAP call monitor. If that is not done, read this blog.

In your productive system start transaction SUSG and activate the usage data aggregation:

If you don’t have sufficient authorizations, you might get this weird screen:

If you see this screen, first check your user authorizations.

SUSG performance impact

SUSG performance impact is negligible. SCMON might have an impact. See the blog on SCMON.

Background: 3100194 – Memory Requirement and Performance Impact of transaction SUSG.

SUSG installation

If SUSG does not start in your productive system it needs to be installed first. To install SUSG apply OSS note 2643357 – Installation of Transaction SUSG. This is a TCI based OSS note (see blog).

After the TCI note also apply these OSS notes:

Creating the snapshot

Now that the data collection and aggregation is activated, you will need to be patient. Let the system collect the data for the next few days. Now goto transaction SUSG and check the log that the aggregation went fine:

Now you can create a snapshot in the Manage Snapshots section:

Create the snapshot and download it to a file on your desktop or laptop. If wanted you can setup RFC connection as well.

The security and basis team normally does not like any RFC going from production system to non-production system. So the file option is normally the best way.

Loading the data into your upgraded S4HANA system

In your S4HANA system where your custom code analysis runs now start transaction SUSG and make sure it is active. Now you can upload the snapshot from the productive server you have downloaded in the previous step.

Please make sure that the OSS notes on both your productive system and your S4HANA system are identical. The notes have changes to file format of the download file. If the notes are notes identically applied, you will have file format upload issues. Recommendation is to apply all recent SUSG note to both your productive server and the S4HANA system.

S4HANA custom code migration app with usage data

Now you can finally launch the S4HANA custom code migration app. Create a new analysis. In the usage data part of the app, you can assign the snapshot you have uploaded in the previous section:

Now start the custom code analysis and let it run.

The end results of code being used or not can be seen in the column Usage Information in the Analyze Findings section:

Background information

More background on SUSG setup can be found on this blog.

Deletion of SUSG data

Deletion can be done after applying OSS note 3130631 – SUSG: Report to delete programs from usage data.

S4HANA setup FIORI my Inbox app

If you have followed all the instruction in the blog about embedded FIORI activation in S4HANA, you will find that the my Inbox app is still not working.

This is correct since extra steps are required to setup the FIOIR my inbox app. This blog will answer the following questions:

  • Which extra steps to perform to activate the FIORI my inbox app?
  • Where to find more background information on the FIORI my inbox app?

Basic setup of FIORI my inbox in S4HANA

After you have finished the embedded FIORI activation in S4HANA (see blog), you must follow the extra steps in OSS note 2902673 – Rapid Activation for SAP Fiori in SAP S/4HANA – Overview. This note refers to specific version like 2834415 – Composite SAP note: Rapid Activation for SAP Fiori in SAP S/4HANA 1909. In this note there is a special section on the extra steps to activate the myInbox.

Goto the following customizing tree entry:

Now setup an extra system alias, name can be freely chosen:

It is very important here to notice 2 things:

  1. The local GW (gateway) tickbox must be set
  2. The software version MUST be set to /IWPGW/BWF

In transaction /IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE activate the service TASKPROCESSING version 2 for the system alias you just created.

It is very important to take version 2 and not the version 1.

In SICF activate the FIORI inbox tile itself: CA_FIORI_INBOX.

In PFCG activate role SAP_BR_MANAGER and assign it to your user.

MyInbox app

Now goto the FIORI launchpad (/ui2/flp transaction) and the MyInbox tile should be visible with the number showing you the amount of workflows:

If you see the number zero, you might not have any workflows assigned to your user. See the blog on S4HANA workflow activation to make sure the workflow system is properly activated and instruction to generate some test items for you.

Background information

The best source of public information is the SAP wiki on myInbox.

Official SAP note: 2676990 – Release Information note for SAP Fiori My Inbox. (this note contains the list of patch notes for the My Inbox FIORI side).

Release information note, which refers to patch notes: 2221151 – Release Information note for SAP Fiori My Inbox 2.0.

Specific useful notes on how-to OSS note for my Inbox FIORI app :

SMENQ: new SAP enqueue management transaction

When you have installed and activated SAP enqueue server 2 (this will happen when you move to S4HANA), the transaction SMENQ is available to manage lock entries. This replaces transaction SM12.

Questions that will be answered in this blog are:

  • Where to find more information on SAP enqueue server 2?
  • What are the new functions in SMENQ?
  • How to solve lock overflow issues?

SMENQ transaction

When you start SM12 you see that a new button SMENQ is available if you have activated SAP enqueue server 2:

You can enter this way, or directly via transaction SMENQ:

From the start screen you can search for locks, just like SM12 can. The new functions are in the Server Administration button.

Enqueue server administration

From the start screen of SMENQ goto the Server Administration:

Now you can launch a lot of tool.

Interesting tool is the Functional Tests tool to quickly check the correct functionality of the enqueue server to be fully working:

Lock overflow issues

If you experience issues with lock overflow on standalone enqueue server 2, read OSS note 2917868 – ENQU, ENSA 2.0: Lock Table Overflow.

2942857 – ENQU 2.0: Maximum number of locks cannot be increased above 2 million.

Other issues

High wait times: 3250533 – High “Waiting Time for Lock Operations” statistic in Enqueue Server Administration.

Update pending: 2832507 – SMENQ shows replication status as “Active (update pending)”.

Trace file

ENSA trace file download is enabled via OSS note 2887346 – SMENQ: adjust the functionality.

Bug fix notes

Bug fix notes:

Background information

More background information on the functions of enqueue server 2 can be found at this blog.