Category: Basis

basis

Load balancing analysis tool

With SAP note 3515065 – Load Balancing Analysis, SAP delivers a new load balancing analysis tool.

Prerequisites

There are 2 prerequisites for the new load balancing analysis tool to work:

  1. Install OSS note 3515065 – Load Balancing Analysis
  2. Make sure snapshot monitoring is active (read this blog on activation)

Running the tool

To start the tool go to transaction SE38 and start program /SDF/RSLOADANALYSIS.

Selection screen:

Select the date range you want to analyze. The delta factor is normally 10 but bit too low. Increase it for more realistic result. This is factor to conclude if balancing is ok or not. Only 10% difference from average is too idealistic.

Output screen has 3 parts.

The first part is the load balancing analysis.

An overview is given on batch server groups, logon groups and RFC server groups. You can see which groups are defined, and how they are distributed over the application servers.

The second part is the work process analysis part.

Here you can see how load is distributed over the application servers using the snapshot monitoring statistics. The central instance can be excluded from the load balancing and hence show as ‘not balanced’.

The third part is host machine data.

Here you can see if the servers are having equal CPU power and memory. If no data for a sever: check in ST06 if it is configured properly.

It can be that CPU and memory are identical, but that older infrastructure was used. Then the CPU and mem look the same, but there can still be significant difference in CPU speed and memory speed. To rule this out, run the ABAPMETER tool.

SAP GUI for slow or remote network

Sometimes SAP users are far away from the server. There is much latency. For a global SAP system this is unavoidable. In some cases there might be a remote location you need to support which has a slow and/or low bandwidth connection.

In that case you best setup the SAP GUI to use

Default is as above. For low speed users, ask them to select the Low Speed Connection.

Some minor usability functions will be lost (see OSS note 161053 – Use of SAP GUI in WAN – SAP for Me):

But overall, the performance gain will outweigh normally these minor setbacks.

SAP help file: reference.

/SDF/SMON_DISPLAY to display snapshot monitoring data

The snapshot monitor tool is capturing a lot of good data. Displaying it can be bit harder. Here is where the /SDF/SMON_DISPLAY is helping.

Generic OSS note for this display is: 3210905 – Display Snapshot Monitor Data.

Setting link to plotly upfront

Before /SDF/SMON_DISPALY is working, you have to set a link to the plotly library. You can do this for all users, or for your personal user by setting a SU3 parameter:

Using /SDF/SMON_DISPLAY

Simply start transaction /SDF/SMON_DISPLAY:

Fill out the measurements you want to see. And the last n minutes. Automatically the results are shown in a separate window:

Extra enhanced functions

Extra functions are released in new OSS notes:

S4HANA conversion downtime

When converting from ECC 6.0 EHP8 to S4HANA, you will have to face a significant downtime. In most cases a whole weekend or more.

To get insights into your estimated business downtime, first run the SAP S4HANA Readiness Check.

On the results website, scroll to the Planned Downtime Calculator tile:

Now the details will show the total estimated downtime split into phases:

Phases:

  • System Ramp-Down
  • Downtime Preparations
  • Technical Downtime (SUM)
  • Technical Postprocessing and Data Conversion Preparation
  • Finance and Material Ledger Data Conversion
  • Application Postprocessing
  • Business Validation
  • Go/No-Go Decision
  • System Ramp-Up
  • Fallback Buffer

Each of the phases is described and a amount of estimated hours are put into the estimation. Some are empirical, some are based on your data volume.

You can update the times in the graph by entering the number relevant for your situation and then press Save:

SAP Menu

In some cases you might be asked on the SAP menu. How it is build up, which transaction codes are in there, who is using SAP menu, and how is using the company created menu. And other questions.

Getting menu data can be done in several ways.

Who is using which menu

Check who is using SAP menu is explained in OSS note 3074602 – How to check who are using user menu and who are using SAP menu for all users.

Structured download of menu

Start transaction SE43N and select the menu and press display. In our example S001 for ABAP workbench:

For the main menu in ECC or S4HANA, check for SAP1 as the entry.

You now see the menu in not-expanded mode:

If the tree is large, you get a warning that the full tree is not exploded:

Make sure all the nodes you need information from are expanded.

Now select the menu option Area Menu and then Print to switch to the print mode:

With function System / List / Save / Local file, you can download the list to CSV or TXT file. And import that again to Excel if needed.

ABAP or function module to get data

You can run program SSM_LIST or check Function Module MENU_GET_MENU_TREE_NEW or MENU_R3_SSM_LOAD_MENU_DATA.

This gives list of transaction codes. The texts for the transaction codes are stored in table TSTCT.

Solved: How to download list of transaction from SAP area … – SAP Community

SAP compatibility packages for S4HANA

In the EWA alert solutions or EWA workspace, you might get warnings from SAP regarding usage of S4HANA compatibility packs.

These alerts can look like below:

or

The background explanation

Both lead to the same background OSS note: 2269324 – Compatibility Scope Matrix for SAP S/4HANA.

From the note: “Through the Compatibility Packages (CP) listed in the attachment “Compatibility Scope Matrix”, SAP provides a limited use right to SAP S/4HANA on-premise customers to run certain classic SAP ERP solutions on their SAP S/4HANA installation. Condition is that these customers have licensed the applicable solutions as set forth in their License Agreements. Compatibility Pack use rights may apply to selected private cloud deployments as well, without the prerequisite of an on-premise classic license.”.

Basically it means SAP did not have time enough to redo all the old solutions for S4HANA, but reserved the rights to do so later.

In the first years of S4HANA this did not used to be a big issue. Now SAP is catching up and will remove compatibility functions in upcoming versions, or will stop support.

Next steps

What do you need to do:

  1. Check if you have any systems with this alert in your EWA. The EWA is detecting this based on system usage/configuration settings.
  2. If you have them, read OSS note 2269324 – Compatibility Scope Matrix for SAP S/4HANA carefully. There are good attachments to the note that explain for each use case.
  3. Determine the impact of the note for your situation with both the functional team and your management (since it can have license impact as well)
  4. Create action plan for your situation

Since the compatibility packs are coming from diverse functional background with diverse solution routes, there is no generic advice possible.

Except one advice: don't ignore this alert, but pick it up seriously. Investigate and take appropriate action in time to avoid license rights discussions and/or support issues.

File interface discovery tool

The file interface discovery tool is a nice tool to find out which file processing is happening on your productive system.

The tool is part of the S4HANA readiness check, but can also be used as a standalone tool.

File interface discovery tool background

All the background of file interface discovery tool is described in OSS note 3322944 – File interface discovery for SAP Readiness Check – incl. corrections for ST-A/PI 01V* SP01 or SP02 (or SP03 if AIX).

The tool re-uses the STUSERTRACE trace function.

Launching the file interface discovery tool

In ST13 choose tool FILE_INTERFACE_DISCOVERY:

Start screen:

Before you start using the Activate traces with filter, please make sure you have sufficient authorizations as described in OSS note 3322944 - File interface discovery for SAP Readiness Check - incl. corrections for ST-A/PI 01V* SP01 or SP02 (or SP03 if AIX).

To start the trace, you have to follow a roadmap guided by the Activate traces with filter button:

Activate the traces:

A switch to RZ11 happens:

Rz11 warning:

Make the setting in RZ11:

Jump back to the roadmap screen (click enter and back). Roadmap will launch trace tool:

Entries will be added:

Reconfirm again RZ11 and finalize the roadmap:

The trace is active now.

File interface discovery tool results

After activation you need to wait for the system to record all actions.

When sufficient time has passed, go back to the ST13 tool FILE_INTERFACE_DISCOVERY and select the function to display the results:

Results list:

You can see:

  • Entry point (in this case LSMW)
  • ABAP include that does the actual file call
  • Activity (R = read, W = write)
  • File names involved

Flat file interface as part of S4HANA readiness check

The file interface discovery tool is part of the S4HANA readiness check. If you did not run the tool, you get an errror:

After you run the tool, download the results and upload in the readiness check portal, the results will be available:

Advanced table buffer analysis

SAP has a new program /SDF/ST10 to execute advanced table buffer analysis.

This is a great new program that finally gives a good overview of the buffer status on high level, without swarming immediately into all the details.

Installation and documentation of /SDF/ST10 advanced table buffer analysis program

Apply OSS note 3478095 – Advanced Table Buffer Analysis to get the new /SDF/ST10 program installed.

This note also contains the documentation of the program itself.

Running advanced table buffer analysis

In SE38 on your productive system start program /SDF/ST10. If you have multiple application servers, run it per server, since the buffering can be locally different per application server.

Start screen:

After pressing execute you are reminded this is an expert transaction and you must read the note 3478095 – Advanced Table Buffer Analysis.

Result screen:

By default the screen is unsorted. Sort on the item you think is interesting to analyze in more detail.

Note: on the bottom you can see the double click links to more detailed tools.

Actions that can be done to improve

All the actions below are Expert actions. Don’t execute or propose them if you do not have in-depth understanding of SAP table buffering.

De-buffering

De-buffering of custom or even standard SAP tables can be a solution. For SAP tables, notes can be found for certain use cases.

Example notes:

Change table buffer parameter

OSS note Author saptechnicalguruPosted on Categories BufferTags Leave a comment on Advanced table buffer analysis

SAP and Oracle JRE/JDK

Oracle has started to charge companies for using Oracle JRE and JDK. Questions might come to you on the relationship and use of Oracle JRE/JDK in SAP products.

More background information can be found on for example these sites:

All statements and notes below are only generic and not legally checked in any form! It is your job to check your companies situation and contracts. The listing below is only made to help speed up your research.
This blog is also not complete. See it as hints and starting point. Use Google and Support.sap.com more full search on your specific questions in your specific situation.

Potentially relevant OSS notes and blog

General notes and blogs

FAQ

SAP GUI

Use of JRE in SAP GUI

146505 – SAP GUI for the Java environment (Platform Independent GUI)

Compatibility issues