The Service Management Experts
Menu

Basis

Home / SAP / Archive by category "Basis" (Page 3)

Configuring Web Dynpro in SAP ERP

Well, since creating my new EHP4 system, I’ve had to do a lot of activities.  For me, the most important was getting Web Dynpro working.  I created this whole system with the intent of using it for webdynpro development.  Anyway, again, no straightforward documentation that talks about what needs to happen.  So, here’s my notes on configuring web dynpro in SAP.
First, you need to implement an OSS note:
After applying the note, go to transaction SICF and activate the following services.
/sap/public/myssocntl
/sap/bc/wdvd
/sap/public/bc/icons
/sap/public/bc/icons_rtl
/sap/public/bc/webicons
/sap/public/bc/webdynpro/*
/sap/public/bc/pictograms
/sap/bc/webdynpro
Now, you can use the layout designer for Web Dynpro.  It’s that easy.
Hope this helps,
Mike

Installing SAP ERP 6.0 EHP4

Well, if have one complaint as a non-basis person, it’s that I wish SAP would just tell me what files I need to install something.  For example, there were about 50GB worth of files that I copied off of DVD’s, just to find that I only needed about 1/2 of those.  OH well, I get my system running.  Now, if you care, here’s what you need for installing SAP ERP 6.0 EHP4 on a windows 64 bit operating system and Oracle database (I used 10.2.0.4).
Please note, the disks that I used may not be the most recent, however they work, and you can always upgrade your support packs/kernel later.

First thing you need is the installation master:
51038620 is the disk I used
51036902 – Installation Export
51036767 – UC Kernel (7.01)
51033272 – Oracle Client

Just a note on the oracle install, be sure that you use the sapserve.cmd to start the install, it does all the work for you.  One things aobut this, the cmd file will only work if all the directories have NO spaces in the names.  For example, oracle install won’t work, but oracle_install will.  Just a little lesson learned.

Also, during the install, if you get the step about DB statistics, or anything related to the DB and you get a 1034 error, try this trick.

open up a cmd prompt.
type in the following:
sqlplus /nolog
connect /as sysdba
startup

when this finishes, try the step again.  You may need to completely stop the installation, and restart the system, then do the sqlplus command.
Otherwise, it should go pretty smooth.  With my system, I was able to finish the installation in about 12hrs + 2 hrs for oracle + 3 hrs for copying files.  LOL

Anyway, hope you might find this helpful.  For my basis friends, feel free to laugh at me…  I know I stumble through this the hard way.
Mike

Configuring STMS – Transports you can collect

Anytime you create a new system for SAP development, you need to configure the transport management system (STSM).  I’ve struggled with this in the past, but after enough trial and error I finally figured out what needs to happen.  Please keep in mind, the system that I’ve configured is all about collecting the transport files so I can manually move them to other systems, I do NOT have a multiple system environment.  Configuring STMS isn’t bad, just make sure you hit all the steps.

Start at transaction STMS
Menu:  Overview–>System
Menu: System–>create–>virtual system

give your VS a name
green arrow back when you’re complete.

Menu: overview–>transport routes
Press Pencil to go into change mode
Drag the boxes of the actual system and virtual system into the big working window
Menu: edit–>transport layer–>create

Give your transport layer a name.
Menu: Edit–>transport route–>create

Enter in the Actual System, then the transport layer you just created, then the virtual system.

Finally save, and distribute the changes across all systems.  That’s all there is to configuring STMS.

Good luck

Applying SAP Support Packs

I have had my basis hat on a lot lately, so I might as well cover another piece of the basis puzzle.  For anyone like me, you don’t have a lot of time to figure out exactly how to upgrade the system, but you want the stability (at least usually) that comes with an updated system.  For me, I was trying to upgrade my system to a point that my BSP application would be supported on the Mozilla Firefox browser.  I’ll talk more about this at a later time (I’m still collecting details on that portion).  Needless to say, I read an OSS message that said, get to support 19, and I was at 12.  So today I thought I’d talk about applying SAP support packs.
Step 1. Figure out the components you’ll need to update, and what your current version is.  If you go to system->status, and look at the detailed levels, you’ll see things like BASIS, ABAP, etc…  based on the OSS message, you’ll what you need to update.  Find the component, and then find the SAP naming convention.  For example the BASIS stuff is KB700<XX>.  This is important because it’s an easy shortcut to download exactly what you need.
Step 2.  go to service.sap.com and head to the software area: and select the Search for Software Downloads.  Take the naming convention from above and one by one, find the pieces you need.  If you need a lot, it’s probably faster to go to the support section.  Me, was only doing 6 files.
Step 3.  Once everything is downloaded, log into SAP (your dev system/client) and go to transaction SPAM.  Select the import and one by one, import each of the files you downloaded.  Don’t apply the packs one by one…  it’s a long enough process, so do the whole group at once.
Step 4.  Once all the pieces have been imported, press the truck to start a new “installation”.  you’ll have the options to select the area you want to update, for example BASIS.  It will show you all the new imports and will lump them into a package.  From here, just keep hitting OK.  Give yourself plenty of time to be without the system.  This could easily take several hours based on the power of your system.
***  Note:  you might have to upgrade your SAINT as well.  If this happens, you’ll get a message that support pack XXX must have SAINT version YY.  Simply repeat step 2 & 3 for the SAINT update.  There is another menu option to update the SAINT.  run this, and wait for it to finish.  It typically takes a while, and sometimes even shortdumps.  If this happens, you can generally jsut log back in and restart the process.  It will pick up where you left off and finish up the install.  Then you can go back to step 4.
Step 5.  Run SGEN.  I’ll typically pick the software component to update, but feel free to select what works best for you.  Short story, this will help compile the thousands of program that need it, and hopefully save you quite a bit of time for every transaction you visit for the first time.
If all goes well, your system is running better than ever after the update…
Good luck,

Mike

SAP Webgui – Turning it on

Well, now that I have someone else working with me, I needed to be able to get the system up and running so he can help with testing and data stuff.  Since logging into SAP doesn’t always work behind a firewall, I figured I should get the SAP webgui turned on.  Well, I stumbled upon a blog: (I just subscribed to his RSS, since I can always use extra basis help).

https://sapbasis.wordpress.com/

Anyway, here are the simple steps to turning on the SAP webgui (provided your server is available to the outside world.  See my previous post: http://paperstreetenterprises.com/networking-sap…l-server-world/

Check if you have activated:
1) With transaction SICF and locate the services by path
/sap/public/bc/its/mimes
/sap/bc/gui/sap/its/webgui

2)With Transaction SE80 locate from the menu, Utilities –> Settings–>Internet Transaction Server (Tab)–>Publish (Tab) and set “On Selected
Site” = INTERNAL.
This restricts the publication in the next step to the integrated (internal) ITS.  Please note, on my ERP 6.0 SR3 system I didn’t need to do this.  My system was already set to INTERNAL.

3)In SE80 only, Locate the Internet Services: SYSTEM and WEBGUI.
Publish these services with the Context Menu -> Publish -> Complete Service

4)Now Browse to http://<server>:<icmport>/sap/bc/gui/sap/its/webgui/! and login to the webgui.

Thanks for reading…

Creating the printer LOCL

I know this is an easy one for most basis folks, but I had to do some hunting to find it.  So, maybe it’s useful for you too.
This is the guide to creating a local printer LOCL on your SAP system.  Pretty easy.  enjoy:

Follow the procedure below to create a device definition for frontend printing:
1.      Call transaction SPAD, and choose Output Devices.
2.      If you are not in change mode, switch to this mode by choosing This graphic is explained in the accompanying textChange.
3.      You can now do the following:  Create a new entry
4.       Fill out the mandatory fields of the device definition as follows for frontend printing:

Device Attributes Tab Page

Output device

Enter a name for the output device that makes it clear to your users that this is the frontend printer, such as Locl.

Device Type

We recommend that you use the device type  SWIN, SAPWIN, or a language-specific version for Microsoft Windows PCs. However, you can use any device type.

Use the device type pdf1 or a language-specific version for Frontend Printing Using SAP GUI for HTML.

Host Spool Access Method tab page

Access Method

Specify the access method F for frontend printing.

Host Printer

Enter the name __DEFAULT to use the default printer at a Microsoft Windows system.

If you specify __DEFAULT as the host printer, and the user enters the name of the output device, such as LOCL, in the print window and chooses enter, the system displays other printers defined on his or her work station PC. However, you can deactivate this list for users by selecting No Device Selection at Frontend on the Host Spool Access Method tab page.

4.      Save your entries.
Result

When you save the device definition, it is available for your users’ use. To print documents using their frontend, users must enter the name of the output device that you have just created in the Output Device field of the print window.
Example

 

Upgrading the SAP Kernel

You never know what I’m going to talk about next.  Even I wonder if there is a method to my madness (I hope so 🙂 ).  Anyway, today’s task is to update the SAP kernel on my ERP 6.0 EHP4 system.  I can’t get the crazy thing to start, so one of the suggestions online was to upgrade to the latest kernel, so here I am.

Step one.  Download the files.  YOu need the database file, the database independent file, and of course SAPCAR.EXE.  You can find all this on service.sap.com.  Normally, I just do a search and look for Kernel and my version.  In this case, I needed to find Kernel 7.01.  From here, SAP will guide you down the path depending on your OS and your DB type.  Look for the file with the biggest number or latest date.

Next up, save all these files to a location, and extract them.  This is what SAPCAR is for.  Since I’m on windows, I use the cmd.exe and navigate to where I saved the files.  I then use the command sapcar -xvf *.SAR.  The only catch is that once you start the extract, make sure and move SAPCAR.EXE to a different directory.  It gets extracted out the files you are extracting and will dump when it encounters the same file.  You can also extract to a different directory, which probably the better approach.

Next, save a copy of your current kernel, just in case.  For me, the path is:  c:\usr\sap\<SID>\SYS\exe\us\NTAMD64\.   I’ll just grab all of these files and save them somewhere else.  If things go horribly wrong, I’ll just wipe out the changes and paste these files back in.

So obviously, I copy the extracted files to the kernel location.  Be sure to leave all of the existing files in the directory.  Depending on the Kernel, not everything gets updated.

Now test.  I usually restart my system, just to be safe and then fire up SAP. in general, it’s that’s easy…  Hopefully this gets my EHP4 system working so I can take advantage of the new testing and debugging tools not available in kernel 7.00.  Unfortunately, for me, my Kernel doesn’t seem to be the issue.  So back to the drawing board.  It might mean a new install 🙁

Thanks,

Mike

Installing SAP – What do you need?

Well, for the small business person, the task of installing SAP can be quite daunting.  Take me for example, when I first tried to install SAP it took me a couple months.  Here’s why:

1.  I had to learn how to use virtual server
2.  I didn’t have CD/DVD’s of the SAP software, so I had to download everything
3.  I didn’t have an appropriate operating system.
4.  I didn’t have the first clue about settings for the SAP installation
5.  Woefully deficient hardware

So, those 4 minor points, made things go a little slower.  Luckily, SAP has provided some Netweaver trial systems that I could use while I figuring this all out.  Well, Step 1 I talked a lot about yesterday, so I won’t go into too much detail.  Just remember, VirtualBox is far better than Virtual Server (in my humble opinion).  Step 2…  This was just time consuming.  Downloading SAP 1 file at a time from service.sap.com was quite an ordeal.  Then to make things worse, I would often encounter an error half way through my installation because one of my downloads was corrupt.
The next thing I quickly found is that SAP can’t run on the standard windows software.  So I had to go get a license for Windows Server.  Initially, I chose 2003 (32 bit) because it was affordable, and for running a 4.7 SR2 system, it worked.  Not a huge deal, but it did require me to start my whole virtual system over again, since I originally installed it with Windows XP (I’m sure many of you are laughing at me right now wondering how the hell did this guy ever make it this far).  Like I mentioned in earlier posts, I learn really wall the HARD way.
Next, my hardware is way underpowered.  I was running off my laptop (I still am today, but I’ve since bought a much better laptop).  So I only had 4GB of memory to run my laptop and my entire SAP system.  Needless to say, an installation would run for 5 days, if it didn’t encounter an error forcing me to start over.  It could be painful, including waking up in the middle of the night, just see if things had failed, so I could start the install again with slightly different settings.

Eventually, it did all happen and my 4.7 system has been happily running ever since…  well, I did learn some valuable lessons about backing up…  but I’ll save that for a another time.

Thanks for reading,

Mike