SAP Lock Monitoring and lock performance issues analysis

In my previous post, I talked about how to run SAP SM12 and understand SAP SM12 functions. In this post, I would cover What is SAP lock and how is SAP lock different from database lock? SAP lock/enqueue solution architecture overview SAP lock operation health monitoring Monitoring various SAP lock fill levels Monitoring SAP lock rejected…

Frequent operations On SAP tables in SAP performance analysis

In performance analysis, we often use different sap transactions to get information related to a SAP table like table attribute, table structure, index, table size, storage quality, column statistics, table content and etc. involving SAP transactions SE11, SE16, SE14, SE13, DB02, DB05, db20, TAANA, RSANAORA, RSORAISQN and /SDF/RSORADLD_NEW. In this post, I would talk about frequent…

What is SAP Router and how to configure it in SAP

  SAProuter is an SAP program that acts as an intermediate station (proxy) in a network connection between SAP systems, or between SAP systems and external networks.

We use SAP router to do the following.

  It controls and logs the connection to the sap system.

Ø  A password, which protects your connection and data from unauthorized external access

Ø  Allowing access from only particular SAP routers

Ø  Only allowing encrypted connections from a known partner (using the SNC layer)

Ø  Increase performance and stability by reducing the SAP system workload within a local area network (LAN) when communicating with a wide area network (WAN)

      SAProuter examines any incoming data packets, checks the route and authorization and then sends them to their specified targets. The partner that sets up the connection specifies the route (from SAProuter to SAProuter and to the target). This procedure is known as source routing.

      If we want a connection, from a SAPgui to an R/3 System for example, to run through a SAProuter, then you need to enter the SAP Router string in the SAPgui command line.

      we can use SAProuter if there is no direct IP connection between the communication partners. SAProuter must be running on a host that is connected to both IP networks. It can then receive data from the SAPgui in one IP network and relay it to the R/3 server in another IP network, and vice versa. Normal IP routing is used between the application programs and the SAProuters.

      Connections established using SAP router have the additional advantage that no end-to-end connections between the participating systems are necessary on network level. For example, if accessing a frontend PC on an R/3 server with an intermediate SAP router, it is not necessary to define the complete path between the two systems at TCP/IP level. It is 

We can check SAP Router version in windows which as follows.

Go to saprouter directory in command prompt   cd: \usr\sap\saprouter

Type saprouter -v

You can see result like below

SAP Network Interface Router, Version 38.10

compiled Mar  1 2013 01:38:53

start router : saprouter -r

stop router  : saprouter -s

soft shutdown: saprouter -p

router info  : saprouter -l (-L)

new routtab  : saprouter –n

Steps to install SAP Router in Unix environment

Perquisites for configuring SAP Router

Download SAP Cryptographic Binary from SAP Market Place.

After click on SAP Cryptographic Software you will get new browser window, where you have to select the file and download the file depend upon the OS platform on which you have to configure SAP Router.

SAP router use port 3298 & 3299 for communication.

Steps for Configuring SAP Router

Create SAP Router Folder in /usr/sap

 Go to location /usr/sap

Cd /usr/sap

Mkdir

saprouter Change owner of folder saprouter to<Sid> adm:sapsys

Copy Downloaded Cryptographic Binary to saprouter folder and extract the binary using SAPCAR exe

Extract “saprouter_514-20010605.sar” using “-xvf” command by “SAPCAR.EXE” program.

Extract “SAPCRYPTOLIB_36-10010895.SAR” using “-xvf” command by “SAPCAR.EXE” program. Set Variable SECUDIR, SNC_LIB

Variable Name: - SNC_LIB

Value: - C:\usr\sap\saprouter\ntintel\sapcrypto.dll

Variable Name: - SECUDIR

Value: -C:\usr\sap\saprouter

After setting environmental variable at os level.

System Landscape in SAP

   Diff Types of Landscape

v  Landscape is like a server system or like a layout of the servers or some may even call it the architecture of the servers.

SAP is divided into three different landscapes DEV, QAS and PROD.

Ø  Development

Ø  Quality

Ø  Production

There are three types of landscape which are following.

1)      One system landscape

2)      Two system landscape

3)      Three system landscape

Three-System Landscape

We recommend a three-system landscape in which each of the central clients has its own SAP System.

This consists of a development system DEV, a quality assurance system QAS and a production system PRD. The development system contains the Customizing client CUST, the quality assurance system contains the quality assurance client QTST and the production system contains the production client PROD. Make all changes to Customizing data and Repository objects in the Customizing client. When you release the corresponding change requests, they are transported into the quality assurance client. This means that changes to cross-client data only appear in the quality assurance client after the transport. In the quality assurance client you can test whether the transports are complete, or whether any linked changes are missing and are still in unreleased change requests. If the test is successful, the change requests are transported into the production client. The production client is completely separate from the other clients as regards cross-client data. If you need other clients with additional roles you can set them up in one of the three systems. Set up the development test client (TEST) and the prototype client (SAND) in the development system. Set up the training client (TRNG) in the quality assurance system.

            DEV would have multiple clients for   ex: 190- Sandbox, 000- Golden, and 180- Unit Test.

Two-System Landscape

A two-system landscape is an alternative for smaller SAP implementations where little Workbench                     development takes place. The two-system landscape does not include a separate quality assurance system QAS. The quality assurance client is also in the development system DEV. As in the three-system landscape, the production client is completely separate from the other clients. The disadvantage of a two-system landscape is that cross-client data is used in both the Customizing and quality assurance clients. This means that any changes that are made to cross-client data in the Customizing client can affect the tests in the quality assurance client. You can also not guarantee that transports from the Customizing client will be complete. Although all tests in the quality assurance client were successful, errors could still occur after the transport into the production client. This problem is caused by changes being made to cross-client data and then not being transported.

One-System

We do not recommend a one-system landscape containing all central clients in a single SAP System. Joint    usage of hardware resources and cross-client data places serious restrictions on how a single system operates. In particular, once the system is used productively, you can no longer develop in it, unless you stop productive operation for the development and test phases.

Roles & Responsibilities of BASIS Consultant

 SAP Basis consultant should able to do the following tasks:-

Ø  SAP application server monitoring, ABAP dump and system log analysis.

Ø  Performance tuning

Ø  Database maintenance , Database backup schedule and restore

Ø  R/3 solution manager installation, etc.

Ø  SAP license maintenance.

Ø  SAP landscape, transport management system installations, etc.

Ø  Client creating, client copying, client deletion, etc.

Ø  Creating user, assigning roles , locking and unlocking users,etc

Ø  Background jobs scheduling, job monitoring, job deletion, etc.

Ø  Profile and operation mode maintenance

Ø  Applying support patches, upgrading and installing add-ons

Ø  SNOTE applying and removing errors.

Ø  System copy, System refresh, etc.

 SAP SYSTEM LANDSCAPE

     Clients & Their Role

Ø  A client is organizational and legal entity in the sap system. All the business management data is protected here because other clients cannot access them.

Ø  The main objective of the client is to keep the data isolated.

Ø  The data in a client can be only visible within that client.

Ø  A client has its own separate master records and own set of "tables"

v  Each system has a specific role within the system landscape and there is a configuration for each role. As well, each client in a system has its own settings.

System Settings in a Two-System Landscape

Ø  Development system(DEV)

Ø  Production System(PRD)

v  The client settings define the Customizing and development functions in the SAP System

  Description of Clients in the Development System DEV (Two-System Landscape)

Ø  000: SAP standard

This client is used to set up new "neutral" clients by client copy. Do not change or delete this client.

Ø  001: SAP standard

This client is used to set up new "neutral” clients by client copy. Do not change or delete client 000 or client 001.

Ø  066: Early Watch

This client is purely a service client that enables SAP to access remotely the customer system with regard to analyzing errors and performance. You must not change or delete this client.

Do not change or delete this client.

Ø  100 : sandbox

Changes and transport for client specific object is set for option 4 which restrict this client to make

Changes without automatic recording and no transport allowed.

Ø  110 : ABAP

Ø  The best practice while creating ABAP client is to assign option 2 which is cross client object –allowed to make changes.

Ø  120 : Golden client

Ø  The best practices while creating Golden client is to set option 2 for client specific object and that’s automatic recording of changes. This client is considered as neat and clean client and only well configured objects are kept into this client.

Client Roles

 This attribute indicates the role of the client in your R/3 system.

 Possible roles are:

1.      Production client

2.      Test client

3.      Training client

4.      Demo client

5.      Customizing client

6.      SAP reference client

 This field should be maintained by the customer for documentary

 Purposes. It is particularly important for the production client.

 Production clients and SAP reference clients are protected from the

 Client copy tools, including "Copy by Transport Request"

 (Transaction SCC1).

 There is corresponding protection from the automatic Customizing

 Distribution and other tools.

 In a production client, customizing settings that can be maintained

 As "current settings" are excluded from a client lock or transport

 Connection; this means current settings (e.g. exchange rates,

 Posting periods) can always be maintained in a productive client

 Without recording changes. Other clients usually require a transport

 Request.