A new Home screen, where the user work list and Note Browser is integrated in a single screen. The work list and search results are displayed in tabs to improve usability
Possibility to perform a Note Search for Valid Notes in SAP ONE Support Launchpad, and then download it from the search results
Provision to mark/unmark Notes as your ‘Favorite’
Option to set up background jobs which will automatically look for and if required, download newer version of Notes which are already in your system
Implementation of Notes has been streamlined with lesser pop-ups and better error handling
Improved display of Manual Text during a Note implementation. It will now also be displayed during de-implementation of a Note.
Changes in the Note Display screen, including a compact header section, provision to display only valid corrections and only the actions that will be possible for the given Note will be displayed
An improved display of Note Log
Provision to launch reports which will show the details of all the prerequisite and successor Notes, or the list of repository objects affected by the Note
Ability to customize the Note Assistant using the ‘Note Assistant User Settings’. The Note download procedure can also be provided here
Additionally, the tool will now automatically remember some of the user choices made in the user interface
Starting SNOTE now looks like this:
The settings button shows easily you can set your own preferences:
Updating OSS notes versions is possible now via the menu Download latest version of Notes, and then you can choose to run in foreground or (new great function) in background.
For the last update run you now can get a nice overview of the results of the updates:
Installation of new SNOTE revamp version
The new revamp version of SNOTE is standard in S4HANA 2021. You can also install it separately.
Steps to follow:
First apply the prerequisite notes listed in OSS note 3051466
Make sure the TCI file of OSS note 3051466 is placed in your system (read more on TCI notes in this blog)
If you are in an SAP transaction and you are confronted with a strange error message, you would like to know if there are OSS notes for this message you are having.
As example we take a message in ME21N transaction. If you have the error, double click on the error message for the details:
Now press the SAP Notes/Search KBA button highlighted in the screen shot above. The system will now search in OSS notes for this specific message and situation. Since our case is simple we get a nothing found message:
The SAP support backbone update is live per 1.1.2020. Blocking started as of 8.1.2020. If you did not prepare your systems for it, you might loose support functions.
Quick overview of all your systems in SAP service marketplace
SAP now provides the overview of your systems which are not ok in a special online overview. Follow this link. Your result can look like this:
What will change per 1.1.2020?
Basically the connection from SAP solution manager and the on premise SAP systems connection to the SAP backbone will change. This will impact many areas like OSS notes, EWA’s, landscape planning etc.
What do you need to do if you don’t want to loose any functionality?
Solution manager
If you don’t want to loose any functionality in SAP solution manager you will need to upgrade to Solution manager 7.2 to support package 7 or 8. If you are on 8 you have to do less manual work than on 7. On solution manager support packs 5 and 6 some functions will work, but with manual work and limitations. On solution manager 7.1 and solution manager 7.2 up to support pack 3, the connection to SAP support backbone will be lost on 1.1.2020. You can already upgrade to SP8 now and prepare solution manager.
OSS notes via SNOTE must be switched to digitally signed OSS notes. How to do this: see blog.
Next to this, you will need to change the OSS note RFC destination. The generic user will no longer work. You will need to change it to named technical user, or change to the connection from RFC to https connectivity.
If you setup digitally signed OSS notes there is an option for fallback to insecure.
Attention: this fallback will no longer work after 1.1.2020.
SAP has now published online checklists, based on your solution manager version. You can find the checklists on this link.
Support backbone configuration check in EWA report
If you install ST-A/PI 01T sp02 or higher in your system (see OSS note 2827332 – Service Data not Complete due to ST-A/PI not Up-to-date), the EWA report of that system will give information about the correct connection to SAP support backbone and correct use of technical user for the communication.
When you are using DMIS plugin for SLT data replication you will need to regularly apply OSS notes to solve bugs. This blog will explain how to quickly analyze the needed notes using the DMC note analyzer program.
Minor manual work is needed for the implementation of this OSS note.
Running the old DMC note analyzer
With transaction SE38 start program DMC_NOTE_ANALYZER. On the start screen select whether you want to check for the central system or the source system:
Now start the run.
After the run is done the missing notes are listed:
From the overview you can start to download the notes and apply them.
Downloading and implementing new versions of OSS notes
SAP regularly updates its own OSS notes. To check in your system if there are new updates for OSS notes relevant to you go to transaction SNOTE. Then choose “Goto -> SAP Note Browser ->Execute (F8)”, and then choose “Download Latest Version of SAP Notes” in the application toolbar. This will download all the latest versions. Check for the status “Obsolete version implemented” in the implementation state column.
Issues with OSS note downloads
In rare cases OSS note download and extractions might fail.
Activation of inactive objects after implementing OSS note
In rare cases after implementing an OSS note some of the ABAP objects are in an inactive state. To activate them, select the menu SAP note and then Activate SAP note manually.
Or you can run program SCWB_NOTE_ACTIVATE to activate the coding of the note:
Transport based correction instructions contain notes that are larger than normal OSS notes. This tool leverages the SPAM transaction to apply these large packages.
Start with reading the PDF document attached to OSS note 2187425: TCI for customer. This contains the exact instructions to enable TCI based correction instructions.
The TCI only recently has a rollback function. Please check if you can update/patch to the version where the rollback works. See the PDF document in OSS note 2187425 on the undo function.
Applying TCI note
There are 2 ways to upload TCI note.
Basis way: you will need SPAM access rights and 000 actions are involved. Upload the TCI file in SPAM in client 000. Then apply the note via SNOTE in main client. The note tool will ask you to confirm to use the TCI mechanism.
ABAP way: you will need SPAM access rights. In transaction SNOTE use menu option Goto / Upload TCI. After uploading the file, choose Decompress. Now apply the note via SNOTE. The note tool will ask you to confirm to use the TCI mechanism.
During the implementation, it can be that you are forced to delete all BI queues.
Transporting obsolete TCI packages
When you upgraded earlier to S4HANA or other recent version, some of the TCI notes might be obsolete. There is an issue moving this through the landscape. Read and apply the solution from OSS note 3116396 – How to Adjust Obsolete TCI Notes in Downstream Systems for the fix.
For digitally signed oss notes see the special blog.
KBA notes
Some notes don’t contain coding updates, but are KBA’s: Knowledge Base Articles. You have to read the note which contains manual instructions or explanation in detail.
In newer netweaver versions SNOTE is revamped. You can apply this version earlier if you want to use it. Read more on the SNOTE revamp in this blog.
Applying notes in shadow during upgrade
In rare cases you might need to apply and OSS note in the shadow system during a system upgrade. Basis team will usually use the SUM tool. Applying notes to shadow during upgrade can be needed to solve upgrade stopping bugs.
Always handle with care. If you are not experienced with upgrades, let a senior handle it.
This blog will explain one of the most useful new tools from SAP when having to find bugs in standard SAP coding. The ANST (automated notes search tool) is not receiving the recognition that is should get. In usability it is same ease as the SNOTE tool.
If you love SNOTE you will also love the ANST tool! Just try it out.
Questions that will be answered in this blog:
What is the ANST automated notes search tool?
How does is work?
Why should I always use this tool before submitting an incident to SAP?
ANST (advanced notes search tool)
The ANST tool can help you in:
Quickly finding OSS notes for your issue
Check if you Z code is causing the issue or dump, or it is a standard SAP issue
OSS note 1818192 is the ANST FAQ note which also has the minimum version. This note also has an extensive explanation. The how to use below is just a summary.
OSS note 2605555 also contains an excellent PDF inside as attachment, that gives a step by step manual.
How to use the ANST tool?
Start transaction code ANST.
If you launch it for first time you might get an error "ANST001 Fatal Error. Customizing table is not filled". If this is the case follow the solution steps in OSS note 1909768.
In the transaction code box key in the transaction where you have the issue. As example we will use transaction code S_BCE_68001417 (search for authorizations by complex criteria). The user admin is complaining about an incorrect number of selected authorizations that are shown in that transaction.
So key in the transaction code and description (you can keep it same).
Now press execute: the transaction will be called. In the authorization object screen fill out S_DEVELOP and execute again to get the results:
Now leave the transaction recording.
In the left bottom of the screen you can see the recording being written into the trace file:
Depending on the complexity and amount of screens you have passed this can take up to 1 to 10 minutes.
The result is shown after the trace file. The result is sorted per SAP module. If you open the details, you can also see the exact program blocks that were hit during the recording.
Now you can select the modules (if wanted specific code blocks) where you thinks is the issue. After selection hit the Note Search button. The SAP system will now connect to SAP service marketplace and look for the most recent notes for your version, which have not yet been implemented.
The middle note seems to be very relevant. From this screen you can can already link to the note (click on note number) and start download to SNOTE already.
Tips on the selection of the components:
1. Never select more than 1000 components: ANST will reject this
2. The less components you select the faster you get results, and shorter list of potential notes as well
3. If you want you can later retrieve the recording and make a different search on different components: no need to re-record
4. Most of the times you can ignore the basis and cross application and basis notes
5. Run the recording and the result together with your functional consultant: he can help filter the components and select useful notes
Changing settings for maximum amount of notes
Especially in the basis or core ABAP area you will notice that ANST cannot read more than 1000 notes at once. This is a default setting you can easily change. In the main ANST screen hit the Settings button and scroll to the right to increase the maximum notes number:
Using ANST to analyze short dumps
The ANST tool can be used as well to analyze short dumps. Just start the ANST tool and run the steps including the step where the dump occurs. After the dump the ANST tool will trace the modules including the point where the dump occurs.
Make sure OSS note 2535278 is applied: this contains bug fix for the short dump case.
Checking for customer code issues
After the trace file is generated and you have searched for OSS notes, it can be there is still an issue caused by your own customer code. To exclude this (or to check it anyhow), you have to use the button Customer Code from the trace result screen with all the components. Be a bit patient while the tool is scanning for modifications, user-exits, BADI implementations and enhancement spots it came across in the recording.
If you want to analyze implicit and explicit enhancements as well with ANST you must apply OSS note 2408785 first.
ANST clickable demo
SAP has made a nice clickable demo to show you how it works: link to demo.
Use of ANST tool before submitting incident to SAP
Even if the ANST tool does not help you search for the correct OSS note for your issue, the ANST tool can help you in speed up of the incident solution for SAP.
If you want to report the issue to SAP as an incident download the ANST trace file. If you report the incident mention:
ANST tool is used and add the recording
Add list of already implemented OSS notes
You already checked for customer code
With this information the first line processor will have a quick job assigning the incident to the real issue solvers in Walldorf. This will save you valuable time, since the first line normally come with simple list of notes, or also run the ANST tool themselves, and then come with obvious notes.
Increasing the maximum number of objects limit
If you are using the ANST tool on a transaction with many objects (for example ME21n purchase order), you will notice that you cannot search for more than 1000 objects at the same time. Then you have to open subsection and select subtree and run it more than once with different selections. But sometimes one node really expands into more than 1000 objects. In this case, you best increase the maximum object limit. In ANST start screen choose the Settings button can increase the Max.Object counter on the far right of the settings (scrolling required)
Needless to say, more objects do take more time to analyze. But it is worth the wait.
