SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP—System Administration

Frank Föse, Sigrid Hagemann, Liane Will

• Publisher: SAP PRESS
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9781592294114
• eBook ISBN: 9781592298112
• Edition: 4
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Computer Science General
• Index: Computer Science

In the fourth edition of this flagship reference, you'll find updated, expanded, and revised information of the most important administration topics for SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP. From getting started with the system, to client administration and authorization concepts, to system monitoring, and SAP Solution Manager, you'll find all administration tools and practical instructions to optimally configure your system. This book is an essential companion for your daily work. 1. All Concepts Explained Learn everything you need to know about the functioning of SAP Basis. After reading this book, SAP specifics such as work processes, authorizations, and monitoring will no longer baffle you. 2. Tools in Practical Use Get to know the function and handling of all administration tools, which includes SAP NetWeaver Administrator, DBA Cockpit, transport tools, and many more. 3. Concrete Instructions Reproduce the most essential administrator tasks, based on detailed descriptions and comprehensive screenshots. 4. Tips from SAP Support Experts Gear up for critical situations, and benefit from the day-to-day experience that the authors gained in many years of working in SAP support. 5. New in this Edition Expand your knowledge with this new edition. It now includes sections on SAP Solution Manager 7.1, Monitoring and Alert Infrastructure, System Landscape Directory, and CTS+.

Highlights:

• SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP architecture
• Dialog and background processing
• Accounting and lock management
• Setting up a system landscape
• Client administration
• SAP clients, users, and authorizations administration
• Software logistics and instance maintenance
• System monitoring
• SAP Solution Manager

SAP’s Basis technology, for a long time known only as R/3 Basis, has proven itself as a platform thanks to its high-performance architecture. Consequently, SAP NetWeaver Application Server (AS) ABAP is used as the Basis component not only of SAP ERP; it also fulfills this role for SAP components that have a similar structure, such as SAP SCM, SAP SRM, and SAP CRM.

1 Architecture of SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP

The underlying technology for SAP components is based on the multitier client/server architecture. In the following sections, you’ll learn how this concept provides a reliable, flexible, and scalable basis for operating complex systems.

In this chapter, we’ll first consider the areas an SAP system administrator needs to influence to ensure that the application runs smoothly. The following sections cover different aspects of system administration, the basis of which is established by the architecture.

1.1 Components of SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP

SAP NetWeaver Application Server (also known as SAP NetWeaver AS and previously SAP Web AS up to Release 6.40) is the underlying technological basis for each SAP component. It supports applications developed in the established and stable programming language ABAP as well as applications developed in Java. Therefore, SAP NetWeaver AS is no longer only the technical basis for SAP applications; it can also be used as the development platform for non-SAP applications.

Depending on the demands you place on SAP NetWeaver AS, you can install it on different instances. Figure 1.1 provides an overview of the installation options available.

SAP Note

This book concentrates on the administration tasks concerning SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP. We don’t discuss administration activities of SAP NetWeaver AS Java.

Figure 1.1 Installation Options for SAP NetWeaver AS

You have three installation options:

• SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP
  This provides a complete infrastructure in which ABAP-based applications can be developed and used.
• SAP NetWeaver AS Java
  This provides a complete infrastructure in which J2EE-based applications can be developed and used.
• SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP + Java (Double Stack)
  This provides a complete infrastructure in which ABAP-based and J2EE-based applications can be developed and used. This installation focuses on seamless Java/ABAP integration.

One of the key characteristics of SAP NetWeaver AS is that ABAP tables, programs, and application data are saved in the ABAP schema of the database, whereas Java data is saved in the Java schema. Therefore, the ABAP runtime environment can access the ABAP schema of the database, and the Java runtime environment can access the Java schema. The SAP Java Connector (JCo) facilitates integration between the ABAP and Java environments.

1.2 Client/Server Architecture in SAP NetWeaver

From a software perspective, we distinguish between the following layers in a three-tier client/server architecture:

• Presentation
• Application
• Database

Hardware implementation can move between the following two extremes: all components on one host and one host for each instance in a layer. When determining the best variant, you must consider the planned system usage alongside the requirements for availability and performance (see Figure 1.2).

Operating all three layers of the client/server architecture on one host is only suitable for demonstration or test purposes.

Smaller SAP systems are frequently operated in one central configuration with a separate presentation layer (see Figure 1.2). The database and application run together on one server, and PCs or other workstations are used for the frontend systems. This two-level configuration is frequently used for development or test systems, but also for smaller productive systems.

Figure 1.2 Configuration Variants

If a two-level configuration no longer satisfies user requirements, the database server and application server are separated. The SAP software architecture allows the application layer to be distributed across several instances, which can also be operated on separate hosts. This results in a highly scalable SAP NetWeaver AS...

Table of contents

• Notes on Usage and on the Screen Presentation
• Dear Reader
• Table Of Contents
• Foreword
• Preface to the 4th Edition
• Introduction
• 1 Architecture of SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP
• 2 Process Concept of SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP
• 3 Getting Started
• 4 Setting Up the System Landscape
• 5 Client Administration
• 6 Software Logistics
• 7 Maintaining Instances
• 8 SAP Users and Authorizations
• 9 System Monitoring
• 10 Tools for Creating and Analyzing ABAP Programs
• 11 Monitoring Architecture
• 12 Data Archiving
• 13 Data Distribution and Transfer
• 14 Installation Concepts
• 15 SAP Solution Manager and Service and Support
• A Control Questions and Answers
• B Important Transaction Codes
• C Profile Parameters
• D Glossary
• E References
• F The Authors
• Index
• Service Pages
• Legal Notes