SAP Community - Software Logistics

How project44 and SAP Maximize Network Effects for a More Agile Supply Chain

2021-01-12T09:14:54+01:00

Over the years, companies have expanded their supply chain footprint, sourcing and manufacturing goods in various locations before shipping them to destinations around the world. While this evolution has benefited companies and consumers in many ways, it has made the supply chain increasingly complex.

This complexity has created more opportunities for delays or gaps in information, which is why shippers and logistics service providers have searched for technology to help them connect their end-to-end supply chain and ultimately improve collaboration.

project44 and SAP have partnered up to help solve this exact challenge. To explain how these two innovative companies are working together, David Deutsch, Manager of Solutions Engineering at project44, and Bill King, Director of Solution Management for Digital Logistics at SAP, hosted a webinar to walk through the solutions.

Why SAP Built a Logistics Business Network

SAP Logistics Business Network was created when SAP saw the redundancy of onboarding across multiple transportation and logistics tools as well as the siloed direction of these solutions. They knew there was a way to connect all of the business players involved in the process to achieve better outcomes.

The SAP Logistics Business Network is an overarching solution that provides a number of capabilities. The solution offers freight collaboration, more comprehensive track and trace, and material traceability. project44 and SAP have partnered on the Freight Collaboration and Global Track and Trace options of SAP Logistics Business Network. We’ll take a closer look at these solutions here.

Freight Collaboration

Freight Collaboration is about how a logistics team communicates and transacts with external transportation partners. Within freight collaboration, SAP offers three key function categories:

Order collaboration, including contracting, milestones and documents, and settlement

Dock appointment scheduling, allowing to collaboratively manage appointments based on slot availability

Standardized visibility, meshing up transportation business context with real-time shipment visibility data to understand where the shipment is located

Freight Collaboration in the SAP Logistics Business Network is about communicating with the various partners and parties in the ecosystem, meaning it’s essential to have the necessary connections in place.

King explained, “This is where you’re connecting to those outside parties. The more folks you have on the network, the more meaningful it is.”

Global Track and Trace

The Global Track and Trace option focuses on business operations and the order fulfillment. The tool enables users to define a tailored process for how to for example track the sales order process, including what milestones, exceptions, scenarios, and information to escalate to which stakeholders.

Global Track and Trace also can deliver predictive insights into a shipment and visualize the impact of that. For example, beyond seeing exactly where your shipment is located, you can gain a predictive and dynamic ETA of the goods in a delivery or order to understand when it will arrive.

“The idea behind Global Track and Trace is that you’re able to track what you planned versus what’s actually happening, so you can react as needed whether proactively or reactively, but then also take that data at a later point and do some analysis to find trends and any changes that need to be made to the process,” explained King.

Using project44’s High-Fidelity Data to Power the SAP Logistics Business Network

How does proect44 fit into the picture? project44 provides high-fidelity visibility data across an extensive global network.

When discussing the SAP Logistics Business Network King said, “What we really needed to do is connect to the outside parties. And that’s where project44 comes into play. They bring that connection to a huge number of carriers and transportation providers in multiple geographies and multiple modes.”

With an ultimate goal to track all freight from door-to-door, project44 has built a large global network and strong connections to gain accurate and timely information in an automated way, seamlessly connecting into the carriers’ backend systems or onboard devices, in case manual interactions are not an option.

“While this is a lofty ambition, we’re confident that we have a great foundation in place that has allowed project44 to scale at a rapid pace. The strength of this foundation is largely because of project44’s network-based approach to building out our platform,” said Deutsch.

Deutsch walked through four principals to project44’s network-first approach:

p44’s network is designed with the purpose of allowing participants to exchange and share data

The information shared on the network should be curated to ensure the network remains reliable and trustworthy

The network should be interoperable with systems participants are already using, resulting in lower onboarding costs and easier transitions

The network should deliver value to the entire transportation ecosystem

With these four guiding pillars, project44 focuses on delivering network effects to expand the value of SAP Logistics Business Network with instant access to reliable real-time data across an ever-growing transportation visibility platform.

What the project44 and SAP Partnership Can Mean for Your Supply Chain

project44 data and the SAP Logistics Business Network offer numerous benefits for global supply chains. The partnership has started with out-of-the-box content for full truckload and less than truckload visibility in North America and Europe as well as ocean globally.

The partnership empowers supply chains to:

Meet growing expectations around delivery experience, leading to customer retention and expansion

Improve exception management, flagging orders that are deviating from expectations and proactively managing by exception

Improve resource allocation, optimizing labor and time at the dock, yard, and store

Gain a more accurate picture across shipments to alleviate bottlenecks and make decisions about network design

By using the SAP Logistics Business Network, enriched by project44’s data, shippers can better understand their transportation landscape and make more intelligent business decisions faster. Not just at a tactical or individual shipment level, but from a broader operational perspective.

Watch the full webinar recording, Meeting Customer Demands with project44 and SAP, to learn more about the partnership and solutions.

My experience during a SAP technical upgrade (Pre-implementation & Post-Implementation)

2021-02-03T17:55:52+01:00

A typical SAP upgrade project would require technical as well as functional adjustments/modifications, which any implementation team would need to follow. The following blog discusses mainly on few technical aspects, a technical consultant (Mainly an ABAP consultant) would need to follow, which are based on experience on multiple system upgrades that I was involved in.

This blog covers from the pre-implementation phase, to the post-implementation phase, where it also contains information with regards to the SPDD/SPAU corrections and modifications.

Pre-implementation

Basis consultants would follow a set of processes during the system preparation process, which includes data backups and many other tasks. Once these steps are completed, the basis consultant would begin the upgrade via the software upgrade manager (SUM).

The typical steps in the SUM (Figure 1) would be as follows.

Extraction

Configuration

Checks

Preprocessing

Execution

Postprocessing

Figure 1: Software Update Manager

Open transactions in SPDD/SPAU

At first, the involvement of an ABAP consultant would be required during the Preprocessing phase. Here, the system would first check for any open transactions in SPDD and SPAU, which we need to correct, in order to proceed to the next step (Figure 2). This is not a mandatory correction that we need to do as the system would prompt again with the same list of open transactions during the actual SPDD/SPAU phase. But I would recommend to correct them here as it would reduce the number of corrections that we need to do in the next steps.

Figure 2 - Open Transactions in SPDD/SPAU

Inactive objects

Once the above corrections are made, again it would prompt a warning message if there are any inactive objects in the system (Figure 3).

Figure 3 - Preprocessing Inactive Objects

The ABAP consultant must either activate all these objects, or delete them from the system, in order to proceed to the next step in the software upgrade manager.

Note: This error would typically come if there are any inactive objects under local objects of system users. If activating them is not possible due to any reason, I would recommend deleting them as they are anyway local objects and it can do no harm to the systems in either Quality or Production environments.

If the inactive objects are in transport requests, they must be activated, and the respective requests must be released.

Errors causing to repeat the above phase

Once the above steps are completed, if there are any corrections yet to be made in the system, these will be populated in the ACTUPG.ELG file, which will be available in the SAP directory (AL11). This would contain a typical set of error as follows, which needs to be corrected by the ABAP consultant.

Removing duplicate table indexes.

Activation and adjustments of search helps that contains errors.

Removal of duplicated fields in table enhancements.

Given below is an example of how the errors would be displayed in the SUM (Figure 4), where the BASIS consultant could also provide the set of errors which needs to be corrected in an extracted PDF document.

Figure 4 - Repeat Phase

Once the above corrections are made, the SUM should run without any errors, which would then come to the next step in doing repository modifications in the Shadow system.

Note: Make sure to maintain a separate transport request for the corrections under the above steps, as the software component version for the corrections done until now would be lower, compared to the version that would be available after the system upgrade. If you miss this, there could be complications while importing the transport request to the systems that would be upgraded in quality and production environments.

Repository Modifications (SPDD)

The next step during the upgrade would be to do the repository modifications under transaction SPDD, where the SUM would populate a message as follows (Figure 5).

Figure 5 - Repository Modifications

A detailed guideline on how to carry out the SPDD phase could be found in the following blog, which has been posted by arjun.pawar .The information given in the blog is really helpful for a consultant to understand the entire SPDD phase.

https://blogs.sap.com/2013/10/14/technical-upgrade-spdd-spau-phase/

Note: Make sure to maintain a separate transaction request for the SPDD corrections, as the software component version of the system is higher than the previous level now. You cannot import this transaction to the systems quality and production environments, as the system have not been upgraded yet and the software component over there is old.

Post-implementation

Once the pre-implementation steps are completed, the BASIC consultant would continue to upgrade the system via the SUM, where the next step would be to do the adjustment of modified repository objects (Figure 6).

Modified Repository Objects (SPAU)

Figure 6 - Adjustment of Modified Repository Objects

A detailed guideline on how to carry out corrections and modifications under the SPAU transaction could be found in the following blog, which is the same blog as mentioned in the SPDD phase.

https://blogs.sap.com/2013/10/14/technical-upgrade-spdd-spau-phase/

Important thins to know while committing SPAU corrections/adjustments.

Always maintain a separate transaction request for the SPAU phase.

The system will be open for 14 working days, for any modifications.

Make sure to confirm all obsolete notes, after having a discussion with relevant owners (Consultants who implemented the notes). Sometimes they would want to re-import the objects under the note, even though it is obsolete.

Make sure to check whether the objects under the delete tab should be deleted or re-implemented. Sometimes you may require them again. As an example, if any third part packages have been imported to the system, they will be marked as deleted objects during the upgrade. I'm pretty sure you will want to have those objects even after the upgrade.

Make sure to get everything tested (A full cycle test) within the given 14 days. The technical consultant does not know what processes would be impacted after the corrections are been made and it is the process owners’ responsibility to make sure that all processes used by the business runs without interruptions.

Note: A functional overview of the upgrade process could be found in the following blog, which has been posted by n.palanisami , which I found very interesting and important in grabbing the above said knowledge and experience from a functional perspective.

https://blogs.sap.com/2012/11/16/sap-technical-upgrade-and-sap-ehp-a-functional-overview/

I hope the above experience gained through the system upgrades, would be helpful for anyone who is involved in a SAP upgrade. I know for a fact, it is not easy to do a proper SAP upgrade if you are not familiar with the above steps. And getting familiar with it is not an easy task as SAP technical upgrades are not carried out frequently, for the same system.

Keep me posted with any questions you have with regards to the above mentioned content, I will be adding more such experiences in near future.

Thank You!

Live Now! SAP BTP DevOps Podcast Series

2021-02-28T20:14:52+01:00

So what's the news?

Exciting times! 📢📢📢

I am glad to announce the launch of our SAP BTP DevOps Podcast Series! 🚀🚀🚀

This month's episode features our lead product manager for SAP BTP DevOps, boris.zarske , who will take us through the overview of our offerings and talk about what makes SAP BTP DevOps special, especially when you are just starting out in the SAP BTP environment.

You can find this month's episode here 👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻 : Episode 1

Cool! What comes next?

The overall series will focus on SAP's offerings in the DevOps space for SAP Business Technology Platform and beyond!

In the following episodes, we will talk about more specific areas like CI/CD, Delivery and Change Management in Hybrid Landscapes, and Operations Automation.

Each month I will focus on a different topic and invite an expert from that area to introduce us to the topic and answer the top questions for that particular topic.

This is also a chance for you (our listeners and SAP DevOps practitioners) to get your questions answered. So please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions! 🙏🏻

What else?

You can reach out to Boris on Linkedin here

You can reach me on LinkedIn here

You can check out our DevOps community here

For any questions/feedback, please feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment below.

I'll keep you posted as each episode is released. Looking forward to your impressions.

Stay tuned and have fun listening 🎧 🙂

Your Chance to Influence SAP BTP Products and Tools

2021-03-01T10:59:01+01:00

📢📢📢Call for Registrations 📢📢📢

SAP Customer Engagement Initiative #2021🤝🏻👔

SAP Customer Engagement Initiative gives customers the opportunity to influence SAP software development decisions and adopt new innovations early on. 👨‍💻🤝

Under this initiative, I have created a project where SAP customers and partners shall have the opportunity to help shape and influence the lifecycle of various types of application and configuration content on the SAP Business Technology Platform.

Please make use of this great opportunity to influence our lifecycle management, software logistics, and DevOps processes (such as around deployment, change/transport management and observability) on SAP Business Technology Platform!

And don't forget to spread the word! 😀 🙌

Register here 👉👉👉 : Registration Link

Episode 2 Live Now! | SAP BTP DevOps Podcast Series

2021-03-31T14:48:32+02:00

Great! What are we talking about in Episode 2?

An exciting interview with my friend and colleague irina.kirilova! 📢📢📢

Irina is a Product Manager in the SAP Business Technology Platform area focusing on Continuous Integration and Delivery topics, and has been with SAP for more than two decades now! 😎😎😎

Irina and I talk about the CI/CD story in the context of the SAP Business Technology Platform, with topics like ‘Getting started with CI/CD’, ‘SAP Continuous Integration and Delivery, and ‘Project Piper’.

We also talk about making important decisions like when to use which CI/CD tool, why customers should care about CI/CD, and some best practices. 🙌🏻

You can find this month’s episode here 👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻 : Episode 2

Cool! What comes next?

Like I mentioned last time, the overall series will focus on SAP’s offerings in the DevOps space for SAP Business Technology Platform and beyond!

In next month's episode, we will talk about a topic that's of strategic importance to most of SAP's customers: DevOps in the ABAP world!

This is also a chance for you (our listeners and SAP DevOps practitioners) to get your questions answered. So please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions! 🙏🏻

What else?

You can reach out to Irina on Linkedin here

You can reach me on LinkedIn here

You can check out our DevOps community here

For any questions/feedback, please feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment below.

I’ll keep you posted as each episode is released. Looking forward to your impressions.

Stay tuned and have fun listening 🎧 🙂

Episode 3 is out! | ABAP DevOps | SAP BTP DevOps Podcast Series

2021-07-15T18:59:11+02:00

Awesome! What's in the spotlight in Episode 3?

An exciting interview with my friend and colleague karin.spiegel! 📢📢📢

Karin is a Product Manager in the SAP Cloud and Lifecycle Management area focusing on topics related to change and transport management in the ABAP and non-ABAP worlds. 😎😎😎

Karin and I talk about the BTP ABAP Environment, the importance of DevOps in the ABAP world, CI/CD options for the SAP BTP ABAP environment, and many more topics. 🙌🏻

You can find this month’s episode here 👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻 : Episode 3

Great! What comes next?

Like I mentioned last time, the overall series will focus on SAP’s offerings in the DevOps space for SAP Business Technology Platform and beyond!

In next month’s episode, we will talk about a topic that’s gaining more and more importance, as we are moving from an on-premise to a hybrid or cloud-focused world of enterprise software: Delivery and Change Management!

This is also a chance for you (our listeners and SAP DevOps practitioners) to get your questions answered. So please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions! 🙏🏻

What else?

You can reach out to Karin on Linkedin here

You can reach me on LinkedIn here

You can check out our DevOps community here

For any questions/feedback, please feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment below.

I’ll keep you posted as each episode is released. Looking forward to your impressions.

Stay tuned and have fun listening 🎧 🙂

Get Certified: C_TADM_21 | SAP Certified Technology Associate - SAP S/4HANA System Administration

2021-07-17T12:44:40+02:00

In this blog, you will find some personal suggestions about how to get certified as SAP Certified Technology Associate - SAP S/4HANA System Administration.

This exam is available as of June 2021.

For the Fiori system administration exam, see

SAP Certified Technology Associate – SAP Fiori System Administration

For the previous version of the certification (and exam), see

SAP Certified Technology Associate – System Administration (SAP HANA) with SAP NetWeaver 7.5

For the posts about the SAP HANA 2.0 SPS 05 exams, see

SAP Certified Technology Associate – SAP HANA 2.0 SPS05 (TEC | IMP | DEV)

For the posts about the ABAP specialisation exam, see

SAP Certified Development Specialist – ABAP for SAP HANA 2.0

About braindumps and cheat sheets, see

100% Free Blogpost about SAP HANA (Braindumps and Cheat Sheets)

Questions? Post as comment.

Useful? Give us a like and share on social media.

Thanks!

Once you passed the exam, you will receive a digital badge from Credly (Acclaim).

SAP Certified Technology Associate - SAP S/4HANA System Administration

See the FAQ for more information about SAP Global Certification Digital badges.

About the Exam

Associate Level

Information about the exam is published on the SAP Training website. This is also where you can book the exam (or get a Certification Hub subscription).

training.sap.com/certification/c_tadm_21

TADM is the code for Technical Administration. The C_ stands for the associate (consultant) level type exam.

Validity

Previous editions of this certification still valid and available are

C_TADM55a_75 = SAP HANA 2.0

C_TADM54_75 = SAP ASE

The editions for other databases and previous SAP NetWeaver versions have expired.

You can check the validity of the certifications at training.sap.com/certification/validity.

For the certification FAQs, see

SAP Global Certification FAQ – Overview

SAP Global Certification FAQ – Exam Process

SAP Global Certification FAQ – Post-Exam Process

SAP Certification Hub

To take the exam visit SAP Training and select Access the Certification Hub.

training.sap.com/access

Topic Areas

Exam Page

Information about the topic areas covered is listed on the exam information page together with the corresponding SAP training courses, either the Academy track or the individual courses (see below).

Note the small print: "SAP reserves the right to update the exam content (topics, items, weighting) at any time" make sure to check the exam page before applying.

What's New

Compared with the previous edition, the topics areas are similar except that the "minor" topics System Administration (AS Java) and User Administration (AS ABAP and/or AS Java) now have been merged into a "major" topic area: System Administration (AS ABAP; AS Java Basics; User Management Basics).

The topic area Browser-based UI is now labeled Technology Components for HTTP-based Communication but still covers the same material: Configure ICM and install and configure SAP Web Dispatcher.

The software release has been updated to SAP S/4HANA 1909 (from SAP NetWeaver 7.5).

For the details about how SAP NetWeaver evolved into the ABAP Platform (not covered in the exam), see

ABAP Platform – Part 1 – Evolution from SAP Netweaver

How to Prepare

SAP Training and SAP Learning Hub

The C_TADM certification is entirely based on SAP training courses and although not formally listed as a requirement, it will be challenging to pass the exam without taking any classes (be it in classroom or e-learning format).

The topic areas are covered in the following courses (consultant academy trainings).

TADM10 (SAP S/4HANA 1909) | 10 days

TADM12 (SAP S/4HANA 1909) | 10 days

TADM55 (SAP HANA 2.0 SPS05) | 5 days

Alternatively, you can follow the track from the learning journey but this takes will take you a couple days more as ADM800 covers AS Java in more detail than the technical academy courses.

If classroom training brings you bad memories, consider a SAP Learning Hub subscription. There is a trial edition available for you to try it out.

SAP Learning Hub

Included with the training is access to a test environment with exercises.

The learning journey shows a visualisation of the courses to take. You can logon and mark your progress.

SAP S/4HANA - Technical Implementation & Operations (Administrator | Consultant)

Note that there is a lot of overlap between SAPTEC, recommended as prerequisites for some courses, and ADM100.

The tiles for each of the courses show the available formats: classroom and e-books. When subscribed to the learning hub, you also have access to an SAP HANA system for hands-on exercises (Live Access). The assessment contains the sample questions from the course.

TADM55 corresponds to the HA200 training. If you already participated in this training or passed the C_HANATEC exam, no need to join this course again

Additional Resources

SAP Press

There is no SAP Certification Success Guide for the C_TADM exam (yet) for the exam as a whole. However, the Database Administration topic area (course TADM55 / HA200) is covered in

SAP HANA 2.0 Certification Guide: Technology Associate Exam

For the exam, see the blog post

SAP Certified Technology Associate – SAP HANA 2.0 SPS05

For more detailed coverage, beyond the scope of the exam, see

SAP S/4HANA Architecture | 2020

SAP Gateway and OData | 2019

There are also some older books about SAP NetWeaver administration still in print and available covering earlier software releasesf.

SAP Administration | 2015

SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP—System Administration | 2012

Related but for a different persona and exam, are the certification success guides

ABAP 7.5 Certification Guide covering C_TAW12_750 | 2018

SAP Fiori Certification Guide covering C_FIORDEV_21 | 2021

SAP Help Portal

Although most material covered in the training courses is also documented "somewhere" in many of the product guides on the SAP Help Portal, trying to pass the exam on documentation study alone is not very realistic. However, doing some extra study by searching for some key terminology and relevant parts in the guides might be helpful.

SAP S/4HANA 1909

SAP HANA Platform 2.0 SPS 05

SAP Notes and Knowledge Base

In the training manuals and documentation many references are made to SAP Notes and knowledge base articles (KBAs). Although the articles are not part of the study material, reading the notes is always a good idea to strengthen your understanding. You need a S-user account to access the launchpad.

SAP Support One Launchpad Knowledge Base Search | e.g. filter on BC (Basis Components) and Knowledge Base Articles.

Sample Questions

On the exam page, there is a link to a trial exam with 15 sample questions which closely resembles the real exam experience.

If it is obvious what the answer should be for all questions, you are ready to take the exam. If you have no clue, you might want to study some more.

Share and Connect

Questions? Please post as comment.

Useful? Give us a like and share on social media.

Thanks!

If you would like to receive updates, connect with me on

LinkedIn > linkedin.com/in/dvankempen

Twitter > @dvankempen

For the author page of SAP PRESS, visit

Denys van Kempen | SAP PRESS

Over the years, for the SAP HANA Academy, SAP’s Partner Innovation Lab, and à titre personnel, I have written a little over 300 posts here for the SAP Community. Some articles only reached a few readers. Others attracted quite a few more.

For your reading pleasure and convenience, here is a curated list of posts which somehow managed to pass the 10k-view mile stone and, as sign of current interest, still tickle the counters each month.

Good Reads (my two cents)

Updates to enhanced Maintenance Planner

2021-09-02T16:24:00+02:00

As you might be aware, Maintenance Planner got enhanced with some new features in July 2020. These include:

Hybrid Landscape Visualization

Product Analytics

New Cloud Integration Automation planning

New SAP Fiori theme

Home page of Maintenance Planner

These enhancements are running on SAP Business Technology Platform infrastructure (see also SAP Business Technology Platform Regions, technical key ‘cf-eu10’), which runs on AWS. During initial rollout we followed ticket-based approach where customers were required to create an onboarding ticket and provide explicit consent for data replication and further handling and storage.

Starting September 2021, we now support seamless onboarding/experience for most existing customers using the maintenance planner. Onboarding will be done in phases in the month of September. For more details, refer the updated SAP Note 2921927 and FAQ SAP Note 2973010.

For customers who have not been onboarded automatically and intend to use the new capabilities, the ticket-based onboarding is still applicable.

Further information

Short video giving you a glimpse of new innovations

Refer SAP Note 2921927 to learn more about rollout and onboarding

SAP Help Portal

SAP Support Portal Page

SAP Community Blog: Visualize System Landscapes using Maintenance Planner

SAP TechEd 2020 replay: Navigate Your Cloud Journey with Maintenance Planner

SAP Community webinar replay

Episode 4 is out! | Delivery and Change Management | SAP BTP DevOps Podcast Series

2021-10-13T17:06:01+02:00

Awesome! What's in the spotlight in Episode 4?

An exciting interview with my friend and colleague harald.stevens! 📢📢📢

Harald is a Product Manager in the SAP Cloud and Lifecycle Management area focusing on topics related to Delivery and Change Management. He has been with SAP for 27+ years. 😎😎😎

Harald and I talk about Delivery and Change Management in the BTP Cloud environment and also for hybrid environments, as is the case for many of SAP's customers 🙌🏻

You can find this month’s episode here 👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻 : Episode 4

Great! What comes next?

Like I mentioned last time, the overall series will focus on SAP’s offerings in the DevOps space for SAP Business Technology Platform and beyond!

In next month’s episode, we will talk about a topic that is of strategic importance, especially in the cloud world: Operations Automation!

This is also a chance for you (our listeners and SAP DevOps practitioners) to get your questions answered. So please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions! 🙏🏻

What else?

You can reach out to Harald on Linkedin here

You can reach me on LinkedIn here

You can check out our DevOps community here

For any questions/feedback, please feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment below.

I’ll keep you posted as each episode is released. Looking forward to your impressions.

Stay tuned and have fun listening 🎧 🙂

Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA is Now Generally Available

2021-11-17T07:53:29+01:00

In this blog I describe the general availability of Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA.

Abstract: With SAP S/4HANA 2021 and SUM 2.0 SP 12, the Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA is generally available. This blog describes the prerequisites to successfully leverage ZDO for SAP S/4HANA.

Initial version (November 17, 2021): Blog published

Minor update (January 20, 2022): Youtube link to SAP TechEd 2021 replay added

Training material update (June 17, 2022): ADM330e and ADM330k have been re-released with updated content

Training material update (April 29, 2023): ADM330e and ADM330k have been replaced by new SAP Learning Journey Leverage SAP S/4HANA Updates and Upgrades with Zero Downtime Option of SUM on SAP Learning

Overview

Until now, Zero Downtime Option of Software Update Manager for SAP S/4HANA was only available to pilot customers like described in the SAP Community blog Leveraging Zero Downtime Option of SUM for SAP S/4HANA release upgrades and updates.

We're pleased to announce that as of November 17, 2021, Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA is generally available.

Availability and Boundary Conditions

Let's take a look to the availability in terms of supported products and add-ons and how you can get educated on Zero Downtime Option.

General availability of the Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA

First: the general availability of ZDO for SAP S/4HANA applies to systems running SAP S/4HANA 2020 or higher. There, ZDO can be used to perform major release upgrades as well as feature or support package updates.

Besides SAP S/4HANA 2020 (or higher), also SAP S/4HANA Foundation 2020 (or higher) is supported by ZDO. Please note that the product SAP S/4HANA Foundation is not allowed to be used standalone but only as a foundation in combination with a defined list of add-on product versions. Further details can be found in the release information SAP Notes:

SAP Note 2912919 - SAP S/4HANA FOUNDATION 2020: Release Information Note

SAP Note 3015497 - SAP S/4HANA FOUNDATION 2021: Release Information Note

The supported update and upgraded paths to utilize Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA are described and visualized in SAP Note 2707731 which is the comprehensive entry point to get all relevant information before starting a ZDO project.

Second: SAP S/4HANA supports add-ons from different vendors like SAP or 3rd party:

Standard add-ons delivered by SAP for SAP S/4HANA

Add-ons delivered by SAP Innovative Business Solution Organization (former SAP Custom
Development)

Partner add-ons

For details, see SAP Note 2214409 - SAP S/4HANA: Compatible Add-Ons.

However, not all add-ons available for SAP S/4HANA implicitly are equipped with zero-downtime maintenance capability. Hence, Software Update Manager is equipped with an automated check that detects if all products and add-ons installed in the system are supported by ZDO. The full list of add-ons supported by ZDO is attached to the central SAP Note 2707731. If ZDO is not possible because of addon products in the system, potentially a custom-specific project can be started.

Third: Along with the general availability, the SAP Learning Journey Leverage SAP S/4HANA Updates and Upgrades with Zero Downtime Option of SUM on SAP Learning was launched. Both, the e-learning, as well as the assessment are mandatory in order to get started using ZDO. The two new training modules are part of the Learning Journey "Software Lifecycle Management Tools".

After graduating from the mandatory SAP Learning Journey Leverage SAP S/4HANA Updates and Upgrades with Zero Downtime Option of SUM on SAP Learning, you'll receive a digital badge from credly.com.

By having the digital badge, you'll be eligible to request a password which is asked by Software Update Manager after choosing the Scenario Strategy Zero Downtime Option (ZDO):

Selection of ZDO in Software Update Manager 2.0 SP 12 and higher

Summary

Zero Downtime Option (ZDO) does not require an additional license as it comes along with the standard tool for maintenance: Software Update Manager.

ZDO for SAP S/4HANA reduces the overall business downtime for maintenance events like upgrades and updates.

From SAP S/4HANA 2020, ZDO is generally available. For details on prerequisites and restrictions, see SAP Note 2707731.

The SAP Learning Journey Leverage SAP S/4HANA Updates and Upgrades with Zero Downtime Option of SUM on SAP Learning.

More Information

For more information, you can refer to the following sources:

SAP Note 2707731 – Prerequisites and restrictions of Zero Downtime Option of SUM for SAP S/4HANA

SAP Support Portal page on Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA

SAP Community Blog posts
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA 2021 Product Release
- Zero Downtime Option (ZDO) of SUM – Project Planning

Replay of SAP TechEd 2021: DT111 – Enjoy a Next-Generation, Zero-Downtime Experience with SAP S/4HANA Upgrades

Replay of SAP TechEd 2020: DT111 – Discover Zero Downtime Maintenance for Upgrading SAP S/4HANA

Replay of SAP TechEd 2019: CAA301 – Leveraging Zero-Downtime Maintenance for SAP S/4HANA

Replay of SAP TechEd 2018: CNA306 – Get Your SAP S/4HANA Ready for Running a Zero-Downtime Update Project

Jens Fieger

Product Management SAP SE, Software Logistics

Note Assistant Made Easy

2022-01-07T12:05:05+01:00

Happy New Year to everyone! I am delighted to share some great news to start off this Year. The well-known Note Assistant tool is now more intuitive, simplified, customizable and provides a new user experience!! Watch the video giving you a glimpse of the enhancements.

The Note Assistant (transaction SNOTE) enables you to download, display, implement and de-implement SAP Notes. Note Assistant has been there for quite a while and has gone through as many enhancements. Over the last few years, we have been consolidating feedback from our customers and end users, in addition to which we collaborated closely with customers through a Customer engagement initiative (CEI) project. As part of CEI, we conducted customer interviews and workshops to gather concrete feedback, outside of which our experiences based on customer support and internal feedback was also considered. Based on the comprehensive feedback, we worked on the design and revalidated the same through CEI engagements. At DSAG 2019 Usability testing of the enhancements gave us fruitful insights and we received extensive feedback. Our aim has been to address these collective pain points in the revamped tool.

Highlights of key enhancements

A new Home screen,
- Single screen integrating Worklist and Note Browser
- The worklist and search results are displayed in tabs to improve usability

Note Assistant Home Screen

Streamlined SAP Notes Implementation

SAP Notes Implementation

Enhanced SAP Notes display screen

Enhanced SAP Notes display screen

Note Assistant User Settings

User settings

How to Update to revamped Note Assistant

Enhancements are available from SAP_BASIS 7.50 SP0 onwards, automatically or by implementing a SAP Note

Implement SAP Note 3051466 (valid from SAP_BASIS 7.50 SP0) to update your system to revamped Note Assistant. For details please refer implementation guide attached to SAP Note 3051466.

Enhancements are included in the below SAP_BASIS Release/Support Packages:
- SAP_BASIS 7.56 SP00
- SAP_BASIS 7.55 SP03
- SAP_BASIS 7.54 SP05
- SAP_BASIS 7.53 SP07
- SAP_BASIS 7.52 SP09
- SAP_BASIS 7.51 SP13
- SAP_BASIS 7.50 SP22

For more information, Please refer:
- PDF documents attached to SAP Note 3051466
- FAQ SAP Note 3131774
- Webinar replay

With this announcement we wish you a great start to 2022 and hope the enhancements to the Note Assistant make your experience a better one!!

Introducing the ZDO Preliminary Checks as part of SUM Toolbox

2022-07-08T14:07:51+02:00

Introduction

Software Update Manager (SUM) Toolbox is an ABAP-based transaction that allows you to run certain tools and reports related to the various scenarios offered by Software Update Manager.
Starting from release 05/2022 of SUM Toolbox, the ZDO Preliminary Checks have been delivered. The main idea of the checks is to verify if a system can be upgraded or updated using Zero Downtime Option (ZDO) even before starting Software Update Manager.

Which Checks Are Performed?

As part of the SUM Toolbox, the ZDO preliminary checks are delivered with the focus on the consistency of the following topics:

Usage of SAP Business Warehouse

Status of Silent Data Migration Infrastructure

Consistency check of data dictionary and database

Consistency check of SAP HANA content deployment

Consistency check of active nametab objects

Check ZDO compliance of SLT setup

SUM Toolbox: ZDO Preliminary Checks Entry Screen

Usage of SAP Business Warehouse

The usage of SAP Business Warehouse (BW) can differ dependent on the applications used in the SAP S/4HANA system. SAP BW distinguishes between three different operating modes:

Data Warehouse

Embedded BW

Embedded Analytics

This check requires the following SAP Notes to be applied beforehand:

SAP Note 3006375 - BW operating mode and zero downtime maintenance

SAP Note 3098968 - BW operating mode and zero downtime maintenance

SAP Note 3154703 - Enhance CL_RS_UTILITIES=>GET_SYSTEM_SCOPE

If a critical object like an Info Cube, Data Store, or Advanced Data Store is found, these object would have to be checked in detail as they potentially leverage data warehousing which is not supported by ZDO.

Note:

If a ZDO update or upgrade is blocked because of determining data warehousing in the SAP BW check,

create an incident via SAP ONE Support Launchpad for component BC-UPG-DTM-TLA.

Exemplary result:

ZDO Preliminary Checks: BW Check

Status of Silent Data Migration Infrastructure

Typically, Silent Data Migration Infrastructure (SDMI) classes have to be finished in all clients prior an upgrade is started. However, there might be also SDMI classes with an extended release validity. This check outlines the SDMI classes which must be finished before starting the ZDO upgrade procedure. For more details, see SAP Note 2907976 - Silent Data Migration (SDMI) - FAQ.

Exemplary result:

ZDO Preliminary Checks: SDMI Check

Consistency Check of Data Dictionary And Database

During a ZDO update or upgrade, all database and data dictionary objects have to be in a consistent state. The check as part of SUM Toolbox determines a broad spectrum of potential erroneous objects like:

Missing tables and indexes in data dictionary but present in database

Inconsistent indexes, views, and tables

Exemplary result:

ZDO Preliminary Checks: DDIC Check

Consistency Check of SAP HANA Content Deployment

This check validates the consistency of all objects in SAP HANA content deployed by HANA Transport Container (HTC), SAP HANA Transport for ABAP (HTA), and SAP HANA Deployment Infrastructure (HDI). During the ZDO procedure, the HDI containers need to be re-deployed for the bridge sub-system. Hence, all objects have to be in a consistent state. Also, this check lists the custom-created objects created in SAP HANA Repository which require a manual migration into an HDI container.

Exemplary result:

ZDO Preliminary Checks: HANA Content Check

Consistency Check of Active Nametab Objects

The nametab (short for name table) or sometimes also called runtime object is read by the kernel in all places when Information about ABAP Dictionary objects is requested. Inconsistent nametabs can have an impact on the ZDO procedure, especially in case tables are classified as cloned tables. Hence, this check provides a consistency check if all active nametab objects have a corresponding object in the ABAP Dictionary. Also, it's checked if the ABAP dictionary object belongs to a valid and consistent database table.

Exemplary result:

ZDO Preliminary Checks: Nametab Check

Check ZDO Compliance of SLT setup

ZDO supports RFC-based SLT replication. It's essential that the SLT setup is fully consistent. In case SLT triggers are attached to a database table, a logging table must exist in the ABAP Dictionary as well as on database level. The same hold true for the other way round: if a logging table exists, SLT triggers must be present in the database.

Exemplary result:

ZDO Preliminary Checks: SLT Check

When And Where Should The Checks be Executed?

It's recommended to run the ZDO Preliminary Checks in all systems which should be upgraded or updated using ZDO. Of course, it's important to start with the sandbox system as outlined in the ZDO e-Learning ADM330e (linked here: SAP Support Portal page on Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA). The sandbox should be created out of a recent copy of your production system to get the most value out of the checks.

More Information

SAP Community blog posts:
- Software Update Manager Toolbox is Available Now
- Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA is Now Generally Available

SAP Notes:
- SAP Note 3092738 - Software Update Manager Toolbox – Central SAP Note
- SAP Note 2707731 - Prerequisites and restrictions of Zero Downtime Option of SUM for SAP S/4HANA

SAP Support Portal page on Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA

HA/DR Architecture on SAP Shared File system on Windows in Azure Cloud

2022-10-07T21:34:51+02:00

Introduction: This blog explains a reference architecture of a High available SAP system in Windows in Azure Cloud with DR solution. This is one of the recommended architectures from Microsoft & SAP in Windows in Azure cloud where we will be utilizing Windows DFS-N to support flexible SAP shared file systems.

We will be referring shared file system as below, but same architecture can also be followed in case we have any other shared file system (e.g Interfaces which we would like to have in both regions):

\\<ANF or AFS name >\sapmnt

\\<ANF or AFS name >\trans

Scenario: We can refer this in below scenario:

Implementation of SAP systems in High available scenario

Configuring SAP Disaster Recovery Solution

Operating System will be Windows

Azure Site Recovery (ASR) is used for creating Application VMs in DR Region

Benefits:

Significant reduction of RTO during Disaster

Controlling number of characters on hostname which has limitations (Refer SAP NOTE: 611361,2718300)

Motivation:

Here is a high level architecture (See Fig 1):

ASCS, ERS, PAS and AS are part of Application Subnet which will access their sapmnt or trans directory configured in AFS or ANF which is accessible in that region.

AFS or ANF has been provisioned with their physical name as result of that all the profiles, registry, Configtools parameters, interfaces will point to that physical name.

Database subnets are not shown below as they used local FS ( e.g /hana/data, /hana/log) and async mode replication is configured between primary and secondary region.

Fig 1

Now during Disaster, as per recommendation from Microsoft Azure, ASR will be used to provision VMs in secondary DR region as below (Check Fig 2):

Fig 2

Now, here it comes the difficulties as with ASR , all details of registry values, profiles, configtool parameters of region1 has come to region2. Basis team will need significant amount of time to change this and aligned as per Region2. Also when we need to fail back again to Region1, that time also we need to change those details as per Region1.

Hence, instead of using direct AFS or ANF physical name its strongly advised to use windows DFS-N which will support the naming convention of all these File shares(Check Fig 3).

Fig 3

And During Disaster, here is what can be achieved as target architecture ( Fig4):

Fig 4

With this, we can achieve significant reduction of RTO and completely reduce entire steps of changing registry values, profiles or configtool parameters which will help Basis team. During failback to Region1 also, same can be followed without any manual intervention.

NOTE: We still need to perform few parameters changes ( e.g ASCS, DB load balancers in default profiles).

High Level Technical Steps:

Here is the high level steps I tried to update :

Install and Configure DFS-N for /sapmnt and /trans shared FS which should point as per above diagram( Please refer : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/dfs-namespaces/dfs-overview)

Make sure newly DFS are pointing correctly from all the Azure Application Subnet VMs.

Install SAP HA system with File share Cluster mentioning DFS-N names.

Check window registry , profile parameters. Now all should point to DFS-N names and should not point to any physical AFS/ANF names.

NOTE: In case , SAP is already installed and we need to change from physical name to DFS-N names , then we need to change registry , profiles and configtool parameters manually which will be one time activity.

Simplification List for Plant Maintenance (Enterprise Asset Management)

2022-11-22T16:38:39+01:00

Introduction:

While delivering SAP S/4HANA on-premise services at customer site or when I meet any consultant from the implementation partner company, the first question I get is the list of pre-requisites to be handled before SAP S/4HANA transition with respect to Enterprise Asset Management (formerly Plant Maintenance. Henceforth it will be termed as EAM in this blog) application. This happened many times & still I am getting this question. So, I thought of writing a blog which helps customers, partners, consultants, users & other stake holders with this frequently asked questions.

Simplification List/Items (SI checks):

Simplification list provides detailed functional-level descriptions of the required changes to individual transactions and solution capabilities in SAP S/4HANA. It supports customers who are converting from SAP ECC/on-premise edition to SAP S/4HANA. The Simplification List provides information on the activities customers need to complete before, during, and after the conversion to SAP S/4HANA.

This list is prepared during “prepare phase” of the transition. The list is available in the system using the TA: /SDF/RC_START_CHECK. These pre-checks will check the usage of the existing SAP Business Suite system during the planning phase prior to the actual conversion to SAP S/4HANA, identify the relevant Simplification Items.

Different actions/steps have to be taken for different applications for the smooth SAP S/4HANA transition. SAP provides SAP S/4HANA Transition Worklist item ( which I will refer here in this blog as S4TWL ) NOTES for each item.

Transition phases to SAP S/4HANA:

SAP S/4HANA Transition Phases

Prepare Phase

The Simplification List, therefore, serves three purposes:

Planning the actual system conversion from a traditional ERP solution to SAP S/4HANA.

Reducing efforts during the actual conversion by taking necessary steps/actions for each simplification items in advance.

Avoids re-work by implementing SAP S/4HANA-compliant strategic capabilities (when rolling out new capabilities).

Note:

All the items mentioned below may not be valid for all the customers. Run the TA: /SDF/RC_START_CHECK to know the items which are valid for you.

Following simplification is valid as of SAP S/4HANA 2022. New items may be added in future.

Impact & validity of each simplification items will vary across different customers.

Simplification List for the EAM Application:

Overall list & comments:

SL #	Title	SAP Note #	Result
1	S4TWL - Object List Number Field Length Extension	2580670	Increase in the DDIC length. SUM tool will take care of this automatically.
2	S4TWL - LIS in EAM	2267463	Future PM analytics will be based on HANA & CDS views. User can still access the classic LIS.
3	S4TWL - Download Data in MS Access out of List	2270076	Use MS Excel instead of MS Access DB.
4	S4TWL - Scheduling of Maintenance Plan	2270078	TA: IP30 & its report RISTRA20 still exists in SAP S/4HANA system. User can evaluate new TA: IP30H & its new report RISTRA20H for reference.
5	S4TWL - Batch Input for Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)	2270107	TA IBIP is not support further. Use corresponding BAPI’s.
6	S4TWL - Changes In List Reports For Order and Notification	2270108	TA: IW37 & IW49 exists in SAP S/4HANA system. User can evaluate & use the new TA: IW37N & IW49N.
7	S4TWL - WebDynpro Application for Maintenance Planner (<= EhP4)	2270110	Use the new Maintenance Planner and Maintenance Worker Roles instead of maintenance technician role.
8	S4TWL - Enterprise Search in EAM	2270123	The way the search is performed is changed. No action is required.
9	S4TWL - SAP Graphics in EAM Transactions	2482659	Tabular or other formats display exists & no graphical display.
10	S4TWL - Mobile Asset Management (MAM)	2270080	Use "asset manager" instead of MAM.

Details of each item:

S4TWL - Object List Number Field Length Extension

Note# 2580670

SAP has decided to extend the object list numbers (data element OBJKNR, domain OBJKN) from the data format INT4 to the data format INT8. This change affects all the tables (e.g: OBJK) that contain a field with a reference to the data element OBJKNR.

OBJK table in ECC System

OBJK table in SAP S/4HANA System

Required actions:

Its information only.

SUM will take care of it automatically.

2. S4TWL - LIS in EAM

Note# 2267463

Its an information only item where future analytical reports, transactions are based on HANA & CDS which simplifies the process by reducing the tables & improves the performance.

Required actions:

Enhancements and modifications of the LIS will not work for the future analytic solution.

Custom report will stop working after update which are accessing the tables S061 to S065, S070, S114 to S116.

3. S4TWL - Download Data in MS Access out of List

Note# 2270076

SAP GUI supports downloading data to MS Access. This functionality is not the target architecture. Though, this functionality is available in SAP S/4HANA on-premises but not considered as future technology.

Notification to MS Access DB

DB Details for storing Notification data

Required actions:

Stop downloading data to MS access.

Use download to Excel or Open Office. Within Excel / Open Office you can use the embedded tools for populating to DB.

4. S4TWL - Scheduling of Maintenance Plan

Note# 2270078

Maintenance scheduling transaction IP30 (Reports RISTRA20) uses the outdated technology & it is still available in SAP S/4HANA system but not considered for future. This transaction is replaced by new transaction & report -- IP30H & RISTRA20H.

TA: IP30H in SAP S/4HANA System

Required actions:

Check for the scheduled background jobs (SM37) with the old report RISTRA20. Delete those jobs & replace them with the new report (RISTRA20H).

5. S4TWL - Batch Input for Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)

Note# 2270107

Transaction IBIP uses Batch Input (outdated) technology to create transactional data for EAM objects. This is still available in SAP S/4HANA system but not considered for future.

TA: IBIP in both ECC and SAP S/4HANA systems

Required actions:

Plant maintenance offers lot of BAPI’s (mentioned in the note 2270107) to create transaction data. Create custom programs using these API’s to create EAM object data in the system instead of TA: IBIP.

6. S4TWL - Changes In List Reports For Order and Notification

Note# 2270108

Transactions IW37 & IW49 are w.r.t order operations are improved further (performance) in new TA: IW37n & IW49n. Though the existing TA’s IW37 & IW49 are available in the SAP S/4HANA system but are not considered for future.

TA: IW37N and IW49N

Required Actions:

run the reports 'QM_PHASE_FILL' and 'RIAFVC_IPHAS_FILL' before the upgrade to SAP S/4HANA.

start using the new TA: IW37n & IW49n instead of IW37 & IW49.

7. S4TWL - WebDynpro Application for Maintenance Planner (<= EhP4)

Note# 2270110

Maintenance Technician role is obsolete for SAP S/4HANA release. Though it is still available in SAP S/4HANA but not in future.

Use the new Maintenance Planner and Maintenance Worker Roles available in SAP S/4HANA.

Required Actions:

Activate the Business Functions (LOG_EAM_SIMPLICITY_2 to 6) in TA: SFW5 to get the full functionality of Maintenance Planner and Maintenance Worker Role.

SFW5 in ECC System

SFW5 in SAP S/4HANA System

8. S4TWL - Enterprise Search in EAM

Note# 2270123

With SAP S/4HANA, on-premise edition, the Enterprise Search models are now replication free search models using HDB. This means reliance on TREX & other replication data processes are eliminated. Now, the searches are based on SAP S/4HANA DB tables directly.

Required Actions:

Check the note 2270123 to follow the mentioned steps to activate the search models or if you are intending to use value help within WebDynpro App.

Enterprise Search in S/4 HANA

9. S4TWL - SAP Graphics in EAM Transactions

Note# 2482659

SAP Business Graphics used in Plant Maintenance applications are no longer supported in SAP S/4HANA. Example of affected TA: IP19.

TA: IP19 in ECC

TA: IP19 in SAP S/4HANA

Other affected transactions are available as the PDF attachment in the NOTE.

Required Actions:

Use the tabular display.

10. S4TWL - Mobile Asset Management (MAM)

Note# 2270080

The 'Mobile Asset Management' solution is not supported in S/4HANA. User can use the fiori apps on mobile or use “asset manager” (additional license required).

Additional Information:

Simplification items check:

can be run manually in advance on the actual SAP ERP system.

It is necessary to resolve all "red" inconsistency checks, otherwise the system conversion will fail.

will be run by the Software Update Manager (SUM) at least twice during the conversion procedure

Next Steps:

This blog detailed out the list of EAM items which are changed or deleted in SAP S/4HANA product compared to Ehp/ECC product & consultants are required to demo these changes to stake holders before SAP S/4HANA transition so that their daily work is not affected by these changes.

Overall, I have shared the contents with respect to all the EAM simplification items which are valid till SAP S/4HANA 2022.

Plan Your Conversion to SAP S/4HANA – Expert Guided Implementation

2023-02-02T16:11:47+01:00

Is your organization planning to take the next big digital move from SAP ERP to SAP S/4HANA or SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Private Edition? Are you wondering where to start and curious about what’s involved in this journey? You are in the right place!

Transforming your digital business core from SAP ERP to SAP S/4HANA could be complex but rewarding - so is the process of planning such a project. Planning an SAP S/4HANA conversion project involves various tools, teams, and expertise for a smooth and successful Go-Live. This is where SAP Enterprise Support Academy helps you in being informed of all the tools, technologies, and techniques you need to consume and apply along different phases of the project.

The EGI “Plan Your Conversion to SAP S/4HANA” covers a range of topics that are key to planning your SAP S/4HANA conversion project. The session answers topics like how SAP S/4HANA is better and different from SAP ERP, discusses the different editions of SAP S/4HANA and how to plan and successfully execute the transition to SAP S/4HANA. This session also highlights the starting points and best practices for the conversion.

What is an Expert Guided Implementation?

An expert-guided implementation (EGI) is a remote training session delivered virtually over several days. For further details on the EGI format and a list of the SAP S/4HANA related expert-guided implementation training sessions, see the blog: Expert-Guided Implementation (EGI) – The practical training option

When should I attend this Expert Guided Implementation?

Customers usually attend this EGI during the Discover phase of their SAP S/4HANA conversion project. From the session, you will know how the data model of SAP S/4HANA is simplified and better suited for running your business processes simpler and faster. We will also discuss about SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud and On-Premise deployment options and what “RISE with SAP” has to offer. You will be equipped with all the essential planning elements of your conversion project by the end of this EGI.

* Before you can access the registration links, a one-time registration in SAP Learning Hub, edition for SAP Enterprise Support, is required. A detailed step-by step guide to registration can be found  here

What topics will be covered in this EGI?

A summary of the contents is listed below. For the full schedule see the abstract listed here

Plan Your Conversion to SAP S/4HANA*

Day 1 Major Topics

SAP S/4HANA introduction

Transition scenarios to SAP S/4HANA

Key activities and planning elements of an SAP S/4HANA conversion project

Day 2 Major Topics

SAP Readiness Check for SAP S/4HANA

Simplification Items Check

Functional Preparations – Finance, Customers and Vendors

Day 3 Major Topics

SAP Maintenance Planner

Custom code activities in SAP S/4HANA Conversion Projects

Recommended activities for SAP Fiori and SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics

Day 4 Major Topics

Software Update Manager (SUM) and DMO Option of SUM

Downtime Minimization Approaches

SAP HANA 2

Target System Sizing

What are the key benefits of attending this EGI?

This EGI is power packed with a lot of essential information and knowledge pointers that you need right from the start of the project until the Go-Live on SAP S/4HANA. Attending this EGI will also reduce the time required to upskill for planning an SAP S/4HANA Conversion project. At the end of the EGI, you will be empowered with the approaches and techniques you need to apply to efficiently convert your SAP ERP systems to SAP S/4HANA. To attend one of the upcoming sessions, Register Now*

Further information on Expert-Guided Implementations to support your SAP S/4HANA journey

For a list of SAP S/4HANA related Expert-Guided Implementation sessions see blog: Expert-Guided Implementation (EGI) – The practical training option.

View the full Expert Guided Implementation portfolio here > Complete Portfolio

You’ll find much more in the relevant value maps, see blog: SAP S/4HANA: Let’s Get Moving with SAP Enterprise Support Value Maps.

Before you can access the value maps or the EGI registration links, a one-time registration in SAP Learning Hub, edition for SAP Enterprise Support, is required. A detailed step-by step guide to registration can be found here.

If you have any further questions or comments on the contents of this EGI, please feel free to post them in the section below and I hope to see you soon in one of our Plan Your Conversion to SAP S/4HANA - EGIs!

Near-Zero Downtime Maintenance for High Availability / Disaster Recovery (HA/DR) SAP Java Systems

2023-04-04T01:50:29+02:00

Overview

Being up-to-date with the latest technologies and aiming the production stability and consistency are the top priorities for most businesses. However, that often requires business critical downtime for production systems. SAP offers a solution to this problem by providing its clients with the near-Zero Downtime Maintenance (nZDM) for SAP Java procedure for its SAP Java systems.

This blog gives an overview of the nZDM Java solution and the specifics of performing it on High Availability / Disaster Recovery (HA/DR) SAP Java systems.

What is the nZDM Java procedure?

The near-Zero Downtime Maintenance for SAP Java is a procedure that enables you to perform maintenance activities with greatly reduced business downtime on SAP Portal, SAP Process Orchestration (PO) and SAP systems that have only some of the usage types part of SAP Process Orchestration. nZDM Java deliveries are part of SAP SL Toolset program.

The nZDM Java procedure allows SAP customers to perform all maintenance activities on a copy or clone of the system (also called ‘target system’ in the context of nZDM) while the production system (called ‘source system’) is still in use.

More information about the nZDM solution can be found here:

nZDM Java: minimize the business downtime of your SAP Process Orchestration maintenance activity

Approaches for performing nZDM Java

Depending on the client’s system landscape and complexity, there are two main approaches for performing nZDM Java. Both rely on the copy or clone of the production system and include some basic common steps but the finalization steps differ.

Below the different approaches are explained via diagrams. The following legend describes the meaning of the different colors:

System switch

This approach is suitable for virtualized systems as well as HA/DR systems. The system’s clone will become the new production system. Before replacing the production system with the target system, testing the updated clone is possible without downtime. This happens in a special ‘nZDM test mode’.

The technical downtime is approximately the time needed to restart the system. It varies depending on the type and load of the system.

These are the generic steps of performing a ‘System Switch’ on a standard Process Orchestration system:

0. Initial State

The system on which we perform the ‘System Switch’ is a SAP Process Orchestration (PO) system consisting of several components: one or more Java Application Servers (AS), SAP Web Dispatcher (WD), SAP Central Services (SCS), SAP Enqueue Replication Service (ERS) and a database.

1. Preparation

Prepare the production system for nZDM Java: configure database settings, deactivate background jobs, set the landscape directory (SLD) to read-only mode, download and run the nZDM Java GUI on a separate host.

2. Connect the nZDM Java GUI to the source (production) system

Connect the nZDM Java GUI to one of the application servers of the source system.

3. Start recording

Initialize recording of the database changes on the production system.

4. Clone the source (production) system

Clone the source (production) system to create a target system.

5. Isolate the cloned system

Configure the isolation (network fencing) of the target system to avoid conflict with the source (production) system.

6. Start the target system

When the isolated clone is started, it starts as a target system.

7. Update the target system

Perform the desired maintenance activities on the target system.

8. (optional) Test the updated system

The updated target system can be tested before replacing the production system. No production system downtime is required for while testing on the target system. However, before performing tests it is important to do a backup of the target system. After the tests, the target system is restored to that backup.

9. Connect nZDM Java GUI to the target system

10. Start DB data replication from the source system to the target system

Replicate all available data changes from the source’s DB to the target system.

11. Stop source system / enter downtime phase

To replicate the last data changes the source system is stopped, starting the downtime phase. Only the DB of the source system remains active so that the replication can be finished.

This phase is activated via the nZDM GUI.

12. Stop and unfence target system

After finishing the replication, the updated target system is stopped and unfenced. Once unfenced, it can be started.

13. Start updated system / end of downtime phase

After starting the updated system, it replaces the original and becomes the new production system.

Database switch

Recommended when there is no virtualization of the system and not suitable for High Availability / Disaster Recovery systems. It uses the newly created database on the existing source system DB host. The data is cloned on the existing database server or on a shared storage. This approach is useful when the existing productive environment has a large scale and complex configurations. Therefore it might be the least costly way to use the already existing environment.

nZDM Java on High Availability / Disaster Recovery (HA/DR) SAP Java System

Depending on the scenario and the suitable approach for it, the steps of the nZDM Java procedure may differ. This section contains a step-by-step description of a successfully performed scenario of nZDM Java on HA/DR systems.

nZDM Java on HA/DR System: Cluster Clone

This approach for nZDM Java on HA/DR system is more suitable for virtualized systems or other environments where making a clone or a copy of the system can be easily performed. With the HA/DR ‘Cluster Clone’ the update is performed on a clone / copy of the production system. During the maintenance performed on of the clone (target system), the production system (source system) is active. The downtime is required for completion of the replication of data changes from source to target and takes about one system restart time.

These are the generic steps of performing a ‘Cluster Clone’ on a two-node HA/DR system setup:

0. Initial State

The system on which we perform the ‘Cluster Clone’ is a HA/DR SAP Java system with two nodes and multiple application servers. Each node may have SAP Web Dispatcher (WD), SAP Central Services (SCS), SAP Enqueue Replication Service (ERS) and a database. The nodes are bound together in a HA/DR cluster via HA/DR software.

There is only one active WD, SCS, ERS and DB instance in the cluster of nodes at any given moment. If an active instance fails, the inactive activates and replaces it.

1. Preparation

Prepare the production system for nZDM Java: configure database settings, deactivate background jobs, set the landscape directory (SLD) to read-only mode, download and run the nZDM Java GUI on a separate host.

2. Connect nZDM Java GUI to the source (production) system

Connect the nZDM Java GUI to one of the application servers of the source system.

3. Start recording

Initialize recording of the database changes on the production system.

4. Clone the source (production) system

Clone the whole cluster of nodes to create a target system.

5. Isolate the cloned system

Configure the isolation (network fencing) of the target system to avoid conflict with the source (production) system.

6. Start the target system

When the isolated clone is started, it becomes our target system.

7. Update the target system

Perform the desired maintenance activities on the target system.

8. (optional) Test the updated system

The updated target system can be tested before replacing the production system. No production system downtime is required for while testing on the target system. However, before performing tests it is important to do a backup of the target system. After the tests, the target system is restored to that backup.

9. Connect nZDM Java GUI to the target system

10. Start DB data replication from the source system to the target system

Begin replication of data changes from the source’s DB to the target system.

11. Stop source system / enter downtime phase

To replicate the last data changes the source system is stopped, starting the downtime phase. Only the DB of the source system remains active so that the replication can be finished.

This phase is activated via the nZDM GUI.

12. Stop and unfence target system

After finishing the replication, the updated target system is stopped and unfenced. Once unfenced, it can be started.

13. Start updated system / end of downtime phase

After starting the updated system, it replaces the original and becomes the new production system.

Conclusion

The nZDM Java procedure offers a flexible and effective solution for updating SAP Java systems. It also supports various High Availability / Disaster Recovery landscapes of SAP Java systems. The main benefits of the procedure are the significantly reduced downtime and the ability to test the updated system before making it a production system, minimizing the risk of possible problems.

Further Information

nZDM Java user guides and the nZDM Java GUI are available at http://service.sap.com/sltoolset

Minimizing planned downtime during maintenance

What is High Availability system?

Plan, Transform & Operate SAP Landscape: SAP Cloud & Lifecycle Management Day 2023 is Here!

2023-05-30T16:19:10+02:00

Calling all SAP customers and partners! Get ready for an exciting opportunity to plan, transform and operate SAP landscape effectively. Cloud & Lifecycle Management Day 2023 is just around the corner, with events taking place in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Gurgaon. Mark your calendars, spread the word, and join us for a one-day event packed with valuable insights, best practices, and networking opportunities.

Save the Dates:

15^th June 2023 @SAP India, Mumbai

22^nd June 2023 @SAP Labs, Bengaluru

27^th June 2023 @SAP Labs, Gurgaon

Registration:

The event is free of cost, but seats are limited. Visit the registration page to secure your spot today.

Why Attend?

Cloud & Lifecycle Management Day 2023 offers a unique platform for SAP customers and partners to delve into the latest tools and processes to plan smooth adoption of innovations, reduce Total Cost of ownership (TCO) and get maximum value from your IT investments. Whether you are considering a seamless SAP S/4HANA transition, integrating your digital core with cloud LoB solutions, bringing innovations into ABAP systems, or managing your SAP system landscapes on IaaS, this event is tailor-made for you. Here are some key highlights of what you can expect:

We look forward to welcoming you at Cloud & Lifecycle Management Day 2023, where you'll have the chance to hear from SAP leaders and experts, connect with fellow SAP customers and partners. Don't Miss Out! Register today and secure your spot for this exclusive event!!

Two Major News with SUM 2.0 SP 17

2023-05-31T13:05:39+02:00

Hello SUM fans, this blog is a bit long and full of text, but it's worth reading, as we have great news!

1. Homogeneous option for DMO

SUM 2.0 SP 17 (available as of May 26th 2023) offers a homogeneous option for DMO!

Until now, DMO was always heterogenous: the database type was always changed, for example from DB2 to SAP HANA DB. Now, for the first time, SUM allows a homogeneous migration from SAP HANA DB to SAP HANA DB.

But this comes only for specific cases:

Only SAP HANA DB to SAP HANA DB is supported
(no plan to offer homogeneous DMO for other database types)

Only target product SAP S/4HANA is supported
(target "SAP ERP on SAP HANA" is not supported)

Some restrictions apply for schemas and partitioning
(documented in SAP Note 3296427 on DMO)

doDMO and doC are not (yet) supported for homogeneous DMO
(plan is to support this with a later SUM SP version, maybe SP 18 in October, or later)
(with SUM 2.0 SP 17, we accept pilot projects for homogenous DMO with doDMO or with doC)

1.1. Main Use Case

So, "DMO with system move" allows SAP HANA to SAP HANA migration. The main scenario that benefits from this new feature is the combined conversion & transition:
convert "SAP ERP on SAP HANA DB" to SAP S/4HANA and transition the system to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition (or any hyperscaler) in one step.

Up to now, this was a 2-step approach:

Now, it is a 1-step procedure:

(The illustrations are based on the PCE documentation: Transition Paths | SAP Help Portal)

1.2. Further use case

Another scenario that benefits from this new feature is the transition of an existing SAP S/4HANA (on-prem) system to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition.

Either upgrading to higher SAP S/4HANA release

Or keeping source product version level, combining it with „DMO without system update“
- For this, backup/restore or HANA tenant copy is probably the easier approach
- Keep in mind that with any DMO scenario, the System-ID of the source system will generally be kept

1.3. Minor further use case

The option can also be used purely on-premise for a change of the SAP HANA database during a conversion from SAP ERP on SAP HANA DB to SAP S/4HANA. Like starting SAP ERP on SAP HANA 1.0 and omitting the separate SAP HANA upgrade to SAP HANA 2.0.

1.4. Overview on new scenarios for "DMO with system move"

The illustration shows the main use case in the middle, the further use case above, and the minor further use case left hand side with a dotted line. All three cases are listed in orange. The thin blue lines on bottom indicate the already existing use case for "DMO with system move" from non - SAP HANA DB on source.

1.5. Further information

SAP Note 3296427 for DMO with SUM 2.0 SP 17
(sections on "Homogeneous database migration")

DMO Guide for SUM 2.0 SP 17
(sections on "Homogeneous database migration")

2. DMOVE2S4: "DMO move to SAP S/4HANA (on hyperscaler)"

2.1. Alternative to "DMO with system move"

For the combined conversion & transition, until now only "DMO with system move" was available and used for projects. Disadvantage is that the approach does not allow downtime-optimization techniques like downtime-optimized DMO (doDMO) or downtime-optimized Conversion. Now with SUM 2.0 SP 17, the DMOVE2S4 approach is available as an alternative to "DMO with system move" - under specific conditions (described below). It allows to use the plain-DMO (plain in the sense of "not-DMO-with-system-move") for the conversion and transition to a hyperscaler.

Note: you may have heard about this approach already, but with other names: "DMO to Azure", or "DMO conversion to hyperscaler".

2.2. Advantages

Proven SUM technology is used
(not brand new coding)

Approach works for source systems on anyDB as well as on SAP HANA DB
because SUM now allows homogeneous migration (SAP HANA DB to SAP HANA DB, see section 1 above)

DMOVE2S4 can be used as is, or additionally with downtime-optimization techniques
like doDMO, or doC (but currently only if source is on non-SAP HANA DB, see section 1 above)

R3load pipe mode is used, not file mode
so no dump files are created like for "DMO with system move"

So the approach comes with three potential usages / flavors:

DMOVE2S4 (plain)
DMOVE2S4 with downtime-optimized DMO
DMOVE2S4 with downtime-optimized Conversion

2.3. Main steps of approach

Install AAS in target
In the target environment, in which the target SAP HANA DB is installed, you install an Additional Application Server (AAS) which belongs to the source SAP ERP 6.0.

Extract and start SUM on that AAS
You start SUM for the conversion on that AAS host in the target environment.

You confirm the "ACSC instance move" offered by SUM
As SUM detects that it is not running on the Primary Application Server (PAS) host, it offers the ASCS instance move. This will install the ABAP central services on the AAS in the target, and the previous PAS will not be started again after downtime.

Post-activities
Some post activities are required which are described in the DMO Guide, like moving the directories sapmnt and trans to the hyperscaler.

Although it is not listed here, it is important to enable the required communication between the source and target environment, like opening ports.
The whitepaper "Converting from SAP ERP on Premise to SAP S/4HANA on Microsoft Azure" (listed below) explains those steps in detail, for the case of target hyperscaler MS Azure.

Note that the "ASCS instance move" will move the ASCS instance to a host on which an AAS is running. If the source system had the ASCS running separately from any Application Server Instances, this setup will not be restored by SUM (see blog post https://blogs.sap.com/2019/04/12/ascs-instance-move-use-sum-to-switch-your-ascs/). It is of course possible to afterwards manually create such a setup. In case of a transition to "SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition", the AAS is anyhow installed (by the executing partner) on the "migration server" which is provided by SAP (ECS). After the partner has finished the conversion run, the migration server will anyhow be dismantled.

Note on point 1: Install AAS in target [added on June 16 2023]
The OS of the AAS host has to be supported, e.g. for MS SQL database, it must run on Windows. You should check if the target environment supports that OS.

Note on point 3: Confirm "ASCS instance move" [added on July 6 2023]
If your ASCS instance is not yet running separately on your source system, SUM will automatically execute the "ASCS instance split" (see SUM guide: ASCS Instance Split | SAP Help Portal). The new ASCS instance will then be created on the AAS.

2.4. Approach is not a SUM option

Note that the DMOVE2S4 approach is the appropriate combination of SUM features and option, but it is not an option which is offered by SUM. The SUM is not aware if it is used for the approach, and will not show this for example in the title of the browser window. This is different to "DMO with system move" which is a SUM option, and which is shown on the SUM browser page.

2.5. Prerequisites and conditions

DMOVE2S4 is only supported for target SAP S/4HANA

It is supported if the technical requirements are met (actual values are listed in SAP Note 3296427 on DMO with SUM 2.0 SP 17)
- Latency < 20 ms
- Bandwidth > 400 MBit/s

Note: SUM runs a latency check (result is visible in DBSTAT.LOG file). For higher latency values, a warning is shown in log file CHECKS.log. The latency check is executed for conversion with migration and for an SUM "extended prerequisite check" (with target database).

2.6. Further information

DMO Guide: DMO Move to SAP S/4HANA (on Hyperscaler) | SAP Help Portal

SAP Note 3296427 for DMO with SUM 2.0 SP 17
(sections on "DMO Move to SAP S/4HANA")

White paper: "Converting from SAP ERP on Premise to SAP S/4HANA on Microsoft Azure":
https://www.sap.com/documents/2021/12/a8fcb608-097e-0010-bca6-c68f7e60039b.html

Initial blog post in SAP Community: “DMO to Azure”: combine SAP S/4HANA conversion with the move to Azure (without “DMO with System Move”) | SAP Blogs

2.7. Illustration

The illustration shows both options for a combined conversion & transition.
Note that DMOVE2S4 requires target product SAP S/4HANA, different to "DMO with system move".

So if two options are available, which one to chose?

First question is whether the latency and the bandwidth are good enough for DMOVE2S4. If not, then "DMO with system move" is to be used.
- Only if conditions are met to use DMOVE2S4, then the second question is:
  is downtime optimization required? If yes, then DMOVE2S4 is the right choice.

Boris Rubarth
Product Management SUM, SAP SE

Free Learning Journey That Qualifies You to Use Zero Downtime Option (ZDO) in SUM for SAP S/4HANA Updates

2023-07-21T11:13:27+02:00

Many blog posts have been released over the past years explaining the Zero Downtime Option (ZDO) in Software Update Manager (SUM) and how it ensures performing maintenance events without technical downtime. As of SAP S/4HANA 2021 release and with SUM 2.0 SP12, you can make use of Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA. In this blog, I want to introduce you to the free and self-paced learning journey Leverage SAP S/4HANA Updates and Upgrades with Zero Downtime Option of SUM on learning.sap.com. This self-paced and interactive learning journey provides you with all necessary information that is needed to operate SUM with ZDO, plan, and execute maintenance projects. When you choose in SUM the Scenario Strategy Zero Downtime Option (ZDO), you will be prompted for an authentication. Part of it is to successfully complete this learning journey.

ZDO decreases the downtime significantly. With the option, technical unavailability of a system can be reduced to a single restart of application servers. This is possible due to the temporary transition to a bridge subsystem. In the meantime, the maintenance is performed on the original system. After the restart of the application servers, there is a switch back and the original system is available in the new release. Since ZDO is part of the SUM tool, it does not require any additional license. You need, however, to ensure that a minimal additional space in the database is available.

The learning journey consists of five units, is 9h long, and describes what you as technical consultant or system administrator need to know. You will learn:

how ZDO is performed

what do you need to prepare

what are the different components in a maintenance project, like original system, bridge subsystem, database, releases

and what other options are there in SUM

One of the units explains the supporting tools, prerequisites and restrictions when using ZDO of SUM for SAP S/4HANA. Backup plan and recovery strategy are also important aspects of a maintenance event. The learning journey highlights how the strategy should be with ZDO.

At the end, you will get an overview of all important resources in one place: SAP Notes, which need to be implemented before and while the maintenance event, where to implement them, and guides describing the execution of the maintenance event in SUM:

What steps are required for a successful execution?

How to analyze errors and troubleshoot if something goes wrong?

What will be the impact on the business process and how to analyze it?

After completing the learning journey, you will get a record of achievement, which is a digital badge on the Credly platform. Only after receiving this badge, you will be able to request a password for SUM when you choose the Scenario Strategy Zero Downtime Option (ZDO).

Fill the gap through upskilling and enjoy SAP’s learning offerings on the SAP Learning site. This article is created and brought to you by SAP Product Learning CoE experts!

Keeping SAP System Landscape Secure and Up-to-Date With SAP Notes Recommendations in Maintenance Planner

2023-08-01T16:41:26+02:00

Introduction

Your SAP system landscape requires regular maintenance, updates, and security checks to ensure optimal performance and compliance. SAP Notes are delivered to address issues related to functionality, performance, security and compliance with legal changes to ensure optimal functioning and security of SAP systems.

In this blog post, we will explore the latest enhancement to Maintenance Planner - the View Recommended Notes feature. Let's explore its key features and how it helps administrators keep SAP systems up-to-date. With View Recommended Notes feature, you can view the SAP Notes that are recommended for your ABAP and JAVA systems in your landscapes. These recommendations provide a detailed list of SAP Notes which should be implemented based on the actual status of your systems and already implemented SAP Notes.

Key Features:

Allows filtering of list of systems using landscapes and other filters to identify and calculate SAP Notes accordingly.

Allows filtering of list of SAP Notes based on Security Notes, Hot News, Performance Notes, and Legal Changes.

Displays SAP Notes and its link to view its details and implementation prerequisites.

Detailed information on SAP Notes and the software components where it is applicable.

Logs show actions performed on SAP Notes including user ID, processing status, date, time, and comments.

Using View Recommended Notes, you can also manage the recommended SAP Notes by changing their processing status. This will help you in segregating which SAP Notes you want to implement. Once an SAP Note is completely implemented and has been registered by the LMDB, you can no longer see them in the application.

Calculating the Recommended SAP Notes

To calculate and view the recommended Notes for the selected systems, follow the below steps:

Choose View Recommended Notes tile from the home page.

Select the systems for which you want to view the Notes and click Calculate Notes.

A list of all the recommended SAP Notes for the selected systems is displayed.

To get more information on the Note, click the SAP Note number. The right panel displays Note details and the system to which it is applicable. It also displays the category, priority, component, CVSS score for security Notes, and logs of the actions performed on the Note.

You can filter the list of recommended Notes using the following options:

Results - Displays all the recommended Notes with their total count for the selected systems.

SAP Security Notes - Displays notes specific to security and protection of the systems.
Note: You need to have 'Security Contact' authorization to access security Notes of any system. For authorization, search and contact your administrator from this

Hot News - Displays Notes that are of the highest priority.

Performance Notes - Displays Notes that are critical for your system's performance.

Legal Change Notes - Displays Notes relevant for any legal changes required for your systems.

You can also perform the following actions:

Search- Search for a Note from the list using its name or number.

Filter- Filter the Notes list based on the displayed columns.

Reset Filter- Remove all the applied filters to view all the available Notes in the list.

Sort- Sort the list in ascending or descending order based on various properties like system, Note number, category, etc.

Group- Group the Notes together in ascending or descending order based on the properties.

Settings- Choose the columns that you want to see on the screen accordingly.

Export to Excel- Download and save the filtered list of Notes in an excel file format.

Edit Processing Status- Change the processing status of the selected Notes.

Processing the Recommended Notes

Maintenance planner not only gives you a way to view these SAP Notes, but you can also manage them using the View Recommended Notes section. It allows you to change the processing status of the Notes based on your requirements.

Pre-requisites

To change the processing status, you need to first enable the Processing Status column in View Recommended Notes. Click Username > Personalize > Notes Recommendation. Select Change Processing Status and click Save.

To change the processing status of the Notes, follow the below steps:

1. From the list of recommended Notes calculated for the selected systems, click the pencil icon displayed in the Processing Status column for the Note whose status you want to change. 2. In the Change Processing Status pop-up, enter the following detailsa. Select Status: Select the appropriate status for the Note from the drop-down list.

- - Transferring - Note is transferred for implementation.
  - In Progress - Note implementation is in progress
  - On Hold - Note is yet to be decided if it needs to be implemented or is irrelevant.
  - Not Relevant - Invalid or irrelevant Note for your system.

b. Comments: Enter additional information related to the Note.

3. Click Save to update the processing status.
Note: To change the processing status of multiple Notes, select the required Notes and click the pencil icon displayed at the right corner of the toolbar. Select the appropriate status from the drop-down list, enter a comment if any, and click Save.

After a Note is implemented on the target system, it's no longer recommended and automatically removed from the list.

Roadmap

For easier implementation of SAP Notes on the applicable systems, we are evaluating a new option to download the recommendations in XML file format. You can then upload the XML file in the Note Assistant tool to experience automated implementation process.

For more information, see FAQs in the SAP Note 3359264.

SAP Community - Software Logistics

How project44 and SAP Maximize Network Effects for a More Agile Supply Chain

Why SAP Built a Logistics Business Network

Freight Collaboration

Global Track and Trace

Using project44’s High-Fidelity Data to Power the SAP Logistics Business Network

What the project44 and SAP Partnership Can Mean for Your Supply Chain

My experience during a SAP technical upgrade (Pre-implementation & Post-Implementation)

Pre-implementation

Open transactions in SPDD/SPAU

Inactive objects

Errors causing to repeat the above phase

Repository Modifications (SPDD)

Post-implementation

Modified Repository Objects (SPAU)

Important thins to know while committing SPAU corrections/adjustments.

Live Now! SAP BTP DevOps Podcast Series

So what's the news?

Cool! What comes next?

What else?

Your Chance to Influence SAP BTP Products and Tools

Episode 2 Live Now! | SAP BTP DevOps Podcast Series

Great! What are we talking about in Episode 2?

Cool! What comes next?

What else?

Episode 3 is out! | ABAP DevOps | SAP BTP DevOps Podcast Series

Awesome! What's in the spotlight in Episode 3?

Great! What comes next?

What else?

Get Certified: C_TADM_21 | SAP Certified Technology Associate - SAP S/4HANA System Administration

About the Exam

Associate Level

Validity

SAP Certification Hub

Topic Areas

Exam Page

What's New

How to Prepare

SAP Training and SAP Learning Hub

Additional Resources

SAP Press

SAP Help Portal

SAP Notes and Knowledge Base

Sample Questions

Share and Connect

Updates to enhanced Maintenance Planner

Episode 4 is out! | Delivery and Change Management | SAP BTP DevOps Podcast Series

Awesome! What's in the spotlight in Episode 4?

Great! What comes next?

What else?

Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA is Now Generally Available

Overview

We're pleased to announce that as of November 17, 2021, Zero Downtime Option for SAP S/4HANA is generally available.

Availability and Boundary Conditions

Summary

More Information

Note Assistant Made Easy

Introducing the ZDO Preliminary Checks as part of SUM Toolbox

Introduction

Which Checks Are Performed?

Usage of SAP Business Warehouse

Status of Silent Data Migration Infrastructure

Consistency Check of Data Dictionary And Database

Consistency Check of SAP HANA Content Deployment

Consistency Check of Active Nametab Objects

Check ZDO Compliance of SLT setup

When And Where Should The Checks be Executed?

More Information

HA/DR Architecture on SAP Shared File system on Windows in Azure Cloud

Simplification List for Plant Maintenance (Enterprise Asset Management)

Introduction:

Simplification List/Items (SI checks):

Transition phases to SAP S/4HANA:

Simplification List for the EAM Application:

Overall list & comments:

Details of each item:

S4TWL - Object List Number Field Length Extension

2. S4TWL - LIS in EAM

3. S4TWL - Download Data in MS Access out of List

4. S4TWL - Scheduling of Maintenance Plan