Supporting Software Maintenance With SAP Solution Manager

©SAP AG 2005

Supporting Software Maintenance with SAP Solution Manager

Product Management SAP Solution Manager, SAP AG

©SAP AG 2005

Supporting SP and SP Stack Maintenance

Processing Change Requests

Overview

Supporting SAP HotNews Maintenance

Prerequisites

© SAP AG 2006

SAP Solution-Based Software Maintenance

SAP provides a method to more efficiently communicate solution-specific software maintenance recommendations to customers and facilitates them to easily apply the proposed changes.

The new Approach

! Customer operates a complex solution landscape consisting of several key components, e.g. ECC, APO, CRM, BW etc.

! SAP provides notes, patches, legal changes, support packages, and even upgrades. As of today, customers have to find out and judge by themselves if those are applicable to their solution.

Customer Situation

Record solution

structure and transfer to

SAP

Identify applicable software changes

Propose solution specific software

maintenance plan

Initiate software application via change request

Execute maintenance

process

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Software Maintenance

Management Summary"Support of software maintenance activities by offering easy retrieval of

relevant SAP HotNews and granting dedicated access to relevant support packages and support package stacks for selected components and systems of an operative solution

" Integration into Change Request Managament process to initiate and execute the installation of the respective SAP software updates

Business Value/Benefits"Transparency of software updates required for customers to facilitate

seemless system operation"Controlled download and application of software updates"Easier software update handling and reduced costs for customer

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Better Handling of Customer Support Processes

Planning of maintenance" Notes" Top Notes" Hot News" Support Packages and Stacks

Administration

Provide transparency

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Overview


Prerequisites

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Hot

New

sP

lann

ingSAP HotNews Inbox (DSWP)

Retrieve relevantHotNews from SMP*

Postpone HotNews for later administration

Set HotNews to not relevant (not applicable, read only)

Filter HotNewsview

Transaction Processing (CRMD_ORDER)Create change request

Process change request – start standard „urgent correction process“

Log activities

Hot

New

sP

roce

ssin

g

Check change request data

Approve change request for HotNews

Based upon infrastructure (see prerequisites)

* SAP Service Marketplace

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Software Maintenance – SAP HotNews

Retrieve SAP HotNews from SAP Service Marketplace(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab, HotNewsInbox, New tab)

" Retrieve relevant SAP HotNews using Refresh button

SAP HotNews retrieved for# matching application components

(as assigned to logical component) in combination with

# matching product version of the logicalcomponent and software component version of the source system (here TW2)

Displayed SAP HotNews Component is alwaysthe primary component

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Filter settings in SAP HotNews Inbox(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab, HotNewsInbox, New/Postponed/Not relevant tab)

" Filter displayed data according to your areas of responsibility

Hide the filter to save space

Check filter settings first if you missEntries, active filter indicated by “Filter is Active” at the top of the News tab (not shown)

12

3

© SAP AG 2006


Create change request for SAP HotNews (1/3)(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab, HotNewsInbox, New tab)

" Create change request for selected SAP HotNews in order to apply for SAP HotNews installation for the respective system, here TW2

1

2

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Create change request for SAP HotNews (2/3)(Transaction: CRMD_ORDER)

" Change request pre-filled with SAP HotNews and solution-specific information including notes requested for installation

Fast Entry– SAP HotNews

Transcation Data/Context tab– Solution-specific informationIncluding SAP Hot News (see Notes)

3

4

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Create change request for SAP HotNews (3/3)(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab, HotNewsInbox, New tab)

" Change requests with their status can be viewed anytime

Change request display possible# per system # per logical component (as shown)# for status values except confirmed/

rejectedActivity status change traced andvisible on the Log tab

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Postpone SAP HotNews (1/2)(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab, HotNewsInbox, New tab)

" Postpone SAP HotNews for administration at a later point of time

1

2

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Postpone SAP HotNews (2/2)(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab, HotNewsInbox, Postpone tab)

" Comment the reasons/background for postponing SAP HotNews to increase transparency

Comments listed in chronological order

Log allows status change trackingfor respective SAP HotNews

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Set postponed SAP HotNews back to New(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab,HotNews Inbox, Postpone tab)

1

2

3 Comment handling after status change# Comment history is saved per status

(New, Postponed, Not Relevant) # History records proposed as default

description for new comment

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SAP HotNews Set to Not Relevant(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab, HotNewsInbox, Not Relevant tab)

" Set SAP HotNews to not relevant if – after thorough investigation –they are not applicable for the system in your solution or of type information only

" Comment the reasons/background setting SAP HotNews to not relevant to increase transparency

1

2

Not relevant SAP HotNews can be set back to status New

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SAP HotNews activity logging(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab,HotNews Inbox, Log tab)

" Every activity resulting in a status change (such as New -> Postponed) is recorded

" Creation of change requests recorded as well

Click on comment icon to see Complete comment

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Overview


Prerequisites

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Supporting Support Packages and Stacks Maintenance

SP

/sta

ck

plan

ning

Support Packages and Stack Inbox (DSWP)

Navigate to support package and support package stack informationin SAP Service Marketplace

Filter SP/Stacks view

Transaction Processing (CRMD_ORDER)

Create change request

Process change request – start SP/stack implementation process

SP

/sta

ckpr

oces

sing Check and enchance change request data with SP/stack information from

SAP Service Marketplace

Approve change request for SP/stack

Based upon infrastructure (see prerequisites)

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Software Maintenance – Support Packages/Stacks

Explore Support Packages/ SP Stacks Inbox(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab,Support Package and Stack Inbox)

1

2

Software components, releases, and SP levels corresponding to those of leading and source systems in transaction SMSY

System with leading role, usually production

System with role development in the respective log. component

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View support package/SP stack information in SAP Service Marketplace(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab,Support Package and Stack Inbox)

1

2

Product release-specific entry intoSAP Service Marketplace

Detail you support package/stack search for software components(SAP ABA 6.20 etc.) based on the SP/stacklevel of your source system

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Create change request for SPs/stacks (1/3)(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab,Support Package and Stack Inbox)

" Create change request for SPs/stacks in order to apply for their installation" Using Change Request Management, the SPs/stacks will be from transported in

a controlled fashion from source to production systems

1

2

© SAP AG 2006


Create change request for SPs/stacks (2/3)(Transaction: CRMD_ORDER, Transaction Data button)

" Change request pre-filled with solution-specific information" Manually enhance Support Packages or Stacks section

Pre-filled solution-specific information3

4Support package added manually based on SAP Service Marketplace input (via context menu)

© SAP AG 2006


Create change request for SPs/stacks (3/3)(Transaction: DSWP, Operations area, Change Management tab, Support Package and Stack Inbox)

" Change requests with their status can be viewed anytime

Display possible# per system (as shown)# per logical component

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Overview


Prerequisites

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Software Maintenance – Change Requests

Check and approve change request (1/2)(Transaction: CRMD_ORDER, Transaction Data button)

" Access change request via Transaction Monitor (such as new change requests)

" Check respective – here – SAP HotNews in SAP Service Marketplace

Change Manager

Use context menu to navigate to SAP Service Marketplace (directly on note Number) or to add additional note (on Notes)

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Check and approve change request (2/2)(Transaction: CRMD_ORDER, Fast Entry area)

" Maintain additional change request data and approve the changerequest and start urgent correction process

1

2

Change Manager

3

Approved

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Process Urgent Correction and apply note without correction (1/3)(Transaction: CRMD_ORDER, Fast Entry area)

" Current processor (developer) sets urgent correction to development and is added to transport request with task created in development system

Developer

1

2

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Process Urgent Correction and apply SAP note without correction (2/3)(Transaction: CRMD_ORDER, Transaction Data area, Context tab)

" Access SAP note documentation in SAP Service Marketplace" Add depending/side-effect notes

Developer

Use context menu to navigate to SAP Service Marketplace (directly on note Number) or to add additional note (on Notes)

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Process Urgent Correction and apply note without correction (3/3)(Transaction: CRMD_ORDER, Transaction Data area, Context tab)

" To apply the note(s), transaction SNOTE is automatically processed for SAP HotNews implementation

Developer

Use context menu on note number levelto implement the note (example shows note without correction instruction)

Final implementation remains manual step

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Process Urgent Correction and apply note with correction (1/3)(Transaction: CRMD_ORDER, Transaction Data area, Context tab)

" Direct lauch of SAP Note Assistant in satellite system to process note implementation

Developer

Use context menu on note number level to implement the note

1

© SAP AG 2006


Process Urgent Correction and apply note with correction (2/3)(Transaction: SNOTE in satellite system, Implement SAP Note from menu)

Developer

Implementation status for SAP noteon “Can be implemented”

Select workbench request to store corrections for transport

2

34

© SAP AG 2006


Process Urgent Correction and apply note with correction (3/3)(Transaction: SNOTE in satellite system)

" Change is implemented in satellite system

Developer

5

Implementation status for SAP notechanged to “Completely implemented”

Implemented change now readyfor testing

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Overview


Prerequisites

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Prerequisites

Prerequisites" Change Request Management is configured" Connection to SAP Service Marketplace has been established

(connection SAP-OSS)" Maintenance Project was created " Solution with logical component serving as input for the software

maintenance infrastructure

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Software Maintenance - Prerequisites

Maintain SAP-OSS connection to SAP(Transaction: SPRO, SAP Solution Manager Implementation Guide)" Required to retrieve SAP notes from and navigate to support package and

support package stacks information in SAP Service Marketplace

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Create/Assign Maintenance Project(Transaction: DSWP, Operations Setup area, Solution Landscape Maintenance, Solution Settings tab)

" Assign maintenance project to allow integrated use of Change Request Management

# Project type: Maintenance project# Identical project context:

same KW context required# Create & Assign:

Project contains subset of log. componentsfrom solution, otherwise missing log.component added from solution into project

# Assignment cannot be changed once a change request has been created within thesoftware maintenance procedure

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Assign Application Components (for SAP HotNews)(Transaction: SMSY, System Groups and Logical Components area, Component Group field)

" Assign component group hosting application components relevant to the respective SAP product

" Required to retrieve SAP NotNews information from SAP Service Marketplace

SAP HotNews retrieved for# matching application components

(as assigned to logical component) in combination with

# matching product version of the logicalcomponent and software component version of the source system (here TW2)

© SAP AG 2006


Assign SP stack information (for SP stacks)(Transaction: SMSY, Landscape Components, Systems)

" Assign stack information to leading system of respective solution (in general production system)

" Required to retrieve stack information from SAP Service Marketplace

# Stack information is updated in allsolutions where system is used as leading system role

# Same behavior for source system# Stack information of source system serves

as input for software maintenance

© SAP AG 2006

Software Maintenance – Further Information

Solution Manager in General:General Information on SAP Solution Manager:http://www.service.sap.com/solutionmanager

SAP Online Documentationhttp://help.sap.com, Documentation area, SAP Solution Manager (4.0) -> Change Request Management

-> Change Transactions in Change Request Management-> HotNews-> Support Packages/Stacks

© SAP AG 2006

Copyright 2006 SAP AG. All Rights Reserved

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Supporting Software Maintenance With SAP Solution Manager