Month: March 2020

Webdynpro unified rendering updates

Webdynpro for ABAP and SAP GUI for HTML use the unified rendering framework as enabler for high performance. Bugs and issues in this framework are solved in unified rendering updates. Also new functions are deployed in this way.

Questions that will be answered in this blog are:

  • How do I find my current versions for the unified rendering framework?
  • How to see if there are new patches for the unified rendering framework?
  • How to execute patches for the unified rendering framework?

Current version of unified rendering framework?

You can get the current version information of the unified rendering framework by starting program WDG_MAINTAIN_UR_MIMES. Then click on the option Show Extended Info:

In newer versions (pending on support package, see OSS note 2257042 – Support Information in SITSPMON) you can also the versions directly in the ITS monitoring transaction SITSPMON:

OSS note 2936178 – How to check the UR version used by applications and custom themes is describing this process as well.

Patch information

The main note for unified rendering for all technologies are 2500800 – UR: General information about cumulative patches for Unified Rendering and 2090746 – WD ABAP: Unified Rendering Update with TCI – Instructions and Related SAP Notes.

This note refers to the collective note for SAP GUI for HTML (2504011 – SAP GUI for HTML: Unified Rendering Update – Instructions and Forecasts) and the note for Webdynpro for ABAP (2090746 – WD ABAP: Unified Rendering Update with TCI – Instructions and Related SAP Notes).

Applying the updates

In case of a webdynpro for ABAP update, you will have to apply the corresponding OSS note from the previous section via the TCI update procedure (see blog on TCI notes). After applying the note, run program WDG_MAINTAIN_UR_MIMES to check the consistency.

The SAP GUI for HTML patches are delivered on kernel level.

Background OSS notes

Internationalization: time zone settings

The SAP system can deal with multiple time zones. This blog will explain the settings.

Questions that will be answered are:

  • How can I check my current time zone settings in my SAP system?
  • How can I check and update time zone customizing settings?
  • If there is a time zone or day light saving change, in which note can I find which settings I should change?

Check the current time zone settings

The active time zone of your system can be checked via transaction STZAC:

Time zone customizing

Detailed time zone customizing settings can be made via transaction STZBC:

Changes that are needed to time zone settings (for example new change for daylight saving) can be found in the central OSS note 198411 – Current data and information about time zones. For daylight saving, read this special blog.

Background information

More background information can be found on the SAP wiki on time zones.

Timezone settings in HANA database

For Timezone settings in HANA database, read OSS note 1791342 – Time Zone Support in SAP HANA.

S4HANA embedded livecache activation

In S4HANA you have a choice to activate the embedded livecache for SCM functionality. Or to keep your current SCM livecache in a separate system.

This blog will describe the steps to activate the SCM livecache embedded in S4HANA.

Questions that will be answered in this blog are:

  • How to activate the embedded S4HANA livecache technically?
  • How to monitor the embedded S4HANA livecache?
  • How to activate the embedded S4HANA livecache functionally?

Installation

First read the embedded livecache OSS note: 2593571 – FAQ: SAP HANA Integrated liveCache.

Then determine via OSS note 2074843 – Version Matrix for HANA integrated liveCaches, which exact version to download and install.

Then follow all the manual installation steps described in OSS note 2407589 – Manual installation of liveCache for S/4HANA.

Installation will take few hours, up to a few days (depends on your experience).

Technical checks

When you start LC10 transaction, like you are used to on an SCM server, you will be re-directed to DB50 or DBACOCKPIT transaction:

In DBACOCKPIT you can see the 3 schemas for Livecache:

And you can see all livecache related technical parts:

Functional activation

After the technical activation the functional activation has to be done in customizing for advanced planning and scheduling:

And separately for global ATP:

Functional testing

After the activation you can check to see all works by creation of new material in transaction MM01. The new tab Advanced Planning should be available now:

PP/DS optimizer

The PP/DS optimizer still needs separate server and installation.

See this blog and OSS note 1686826 – Installation help for installing SCM Optimizers.

FIORI cache refresh

After update of a FIORI app UI5 code you will sometimes face issues that the browser or server still holds components from the old app version. This issue is there for both custom developed and for standard SAP UI5 apps. The root cause is the caching at multiple levels to assure highest performance. There are caches on frontend browser, gateway server and backend server.

Questions that will be answered are:

  • What do I need to do on the browser for refresh?
  • How do I clear the caches on the gateway frontend server?
  • How do I clear the caches on the backend server?

When to perform all the cache refreshes?

The below full procedure of cache refresh at all levels is only to be performed:

  • When upgrading or applying support pack of SAP_UI component
  • When facing severe distortions on the UI that can’s be solved after browser cache

Background: the server cache refresh will invalidate all caches for end users. This means that all end users need to get the download the FIORI app again. Each FIORI app is between 5 to 15 MB large and takes time to download and render on the front end. This will take 10 to 60 seconds, during which the end users gets a full white screen.

Avoid cache refresh to keep happy users.
Only mandatory at support pack or upgrade.

Browser cache refresh

After an update of the UI code best to clear the browser cache. In Chrome also: open the application in chrome and use key combination ctrl + shift + R to perform a hard reload.

Or run in Private or Incognito mode.

Best browser for testing is Chrome.

Gateway and backend server cache clearing

Use the following sequence to clear all caches:

1. Execute /IWBEP/CACHE_CLEANUP transaction in ECC system (or other backend system) as well as Gateway system (this is program /IWBEP/R_MGW_MED_CACHE_CLEANUP) .

2. Execute /IWFND/CACHE_CLEANUP transaction in Gateway system with checkbox checked (this is program /IWFND/R_MED_CACHE_CLEANUP).

3. In the gateway system, you need to do the below steps:

  • Go to transaction SMICM
  • Click on ‘Goto’ menu bar button
  • Select option ‘HTTP Plug-In’ Select option ‘Server Cache’
  • Select option ‘Invalidate Globally’

4. Execute reports /UI2/INVALIDATE_GLOBAL_CACHES, /UI2/INVALIDATE_CLIENT_CACHES, /UI5/APP_INDEX_CALCULATE in front-end gateway system.

For the last program (/UI5/APP_INDEX_CALCULATE) you can do a delta or full for all or for a specific application.

Note on the cache cleanup: 2319491 – How to clean up the cache after applying changes that affect SAP Fiori apps.

Background

More background on caching can be found in OSS note 2626394 – Troubleshooting Fiori Apps Cache issue – how to information.

Other interesting OSS notes:

Bug fix notes: