SAP new license model for indirect access

This blog will explain about the new SAP license model for indirect access, also known as Digital Access license.

Questions that will be answered in this blog are:

  • Where to find reference material on the new SAP license model?
  • How does the new SAP license model look like?
  • What are the exact definitions inside the documents for digital access?
IMPORTANT:
The explanation in this blog is to help you understand. This is not a replacement of the official SAP site. Please always check the latest official SAP site on the latest status of licensing. The document to search for in the SAP site is called SAP licensing guide (a guide for buyers).

For measurement of digital access in your system read this blog.

References

Before starting the explanation these are important and useful references:

The new model

The new model consist of 3 components:

New indirect access model
  1. Direct human access
  2. SAP applications (engines)
  3. Indirect access / digital access
Formal definition:

Digital Access to SAP ERP (“ERP”)

This Package grants (a) humans a license to Use ERP through Non-SAP Application(s) that is/are directly integrated to ERP without the need to be licensed as a “Named User” of ERP and (b) non-humans (e.g. bots, sensors, chips, devices, etc.) a license to Use ERP directly or through Non-SAP Application(s) that is/are directly integrated to ERP and without the need to be licensed as a “Named User” of ERP (collectively, “Digital Access of ERP”).
All Digital Access of ERP will be licensed based exclusively upon the number of Documents created annually by such Digital Access of ERP.  Documents are unique records (i.e. unique digital line-items/objects) as defined in the “Document Definitions” column of the below table.  Each Document shall count as one (1) Document, except for Material Documents and Financial Documents which shall each count as two tenths (0.2) of a Document.  However, where the automated processing in ERP of a Document from one Document Type results in the subsequent creation in ERP of one or more additional Documents of different Document Type(s), such additional Documents shall not be counted.
Where a Non-SAP Application is connected to ERP via a Connectivity App, such Non-SAP Application is still deemed directly integrated to ERP for purposes of this provision.  Any humans and/or non-humans using ERP through application(s) (e.g. Ariba, Concur, Successfactors, Hybris) that is/are integrated to a Non-SAP Application that is directly integrated to ERP do not need to be licensed as a “Named User” of ERP.

In practice this should means documents posted via generic interface user, IOT device, 3rd party application, cloud application posting data in SAP system, etc.

By simply counting documents and agreeing on a price per document, this will simplify the ever ongoing discussion on indirect access.

Digital access based on output

Document definitions

SAP starts with 9 documents. You can find the list and definition in the table below.

Digital access based on documents
Document TypesDocument Definitions
Sales DocumentA Sales Document is (i) a line item record that represents the material and/or service being sold or quoted and/or (ii) a record that represents an individual order/release against a scheduling agreement which indicates the material and/or service being sold.
Purchase DocumentA Purchase Document is (i) a line item record that represents the material and/or service being ordered or requested and/or (ii) a record that represents the release against a scheduling agreement which indicates the material and/or service being procured.
Invoice DocumentAn Invoice Document is a line item record that represents the material and/or service being billed.
Manufacturing DocumentA Manufacturing Document is (i) a record which represents the production-related details associated with manufacturing a material, including: the type, quantity and color of what to produce, when to produce it, where to produce it and/or other distinguishing characteristics, and/or (ii) a record that represents a confirmation which indicates the status of the processing activities associated with manufacturing orders.
Material DocumentA Material Document is a line item record that represents a specific material being received, issued or transferred to, from or within a storage location or plant.
Quality Management DocumentA Quality Management Document is (i) a record that represents the details of a nonconformance being reported including the information required for problem solving and/or (ii) a record that represents results of an inspection.
Service & Maintenance DocumentA Service & Maintenance Document is (i) a record that represents the details of work to be performed including the information needed to plan, execute and bill for a service or maintenance request , and/or (ii) a record that represents the details of a problem being reported including the information required for problem solving and/or (iii) a record that represents the status of the processing associated with service orders and maintenance orders  and/or (iv) a record that represents a claim by a customer for repair or replacement or compensation for under-performance, pursuant to terms in a warranty document.
Financial DocumentA Financial Document is a record that represents accounting information in a financial journal.
Time Management DocumentA Time Management Document is (i) a record that represents an employee’s time worked and assigned to business related objects and/or (ii) a record that represents a confirmation (e.g., a progress update) which indicates the status of the processing activities associated with manufacturing orders.

USMM2: new user license measurement program

This blog will explain on the new USMM2 user license measurement procedure.

Questions that will be answered are:

  • When do I get the new USMM2?
  • How to technically activate the new USMM2?
  • How to run the new USSM2?

In the previous blog on USSM the user classification principles are explained. These principles are still valid for USMM2. If you want to know more about the technical working and mechanics behind the user measurement, read this blog.

Activation of USMM2

USMM2 is activated if you install a recent support package: SAP_BASIS release 7.50 (SP 11), 7.51 (SP 06) and 7.52 (SP 02). With the import of the support package the old USMM is simply replaced with the new one. Official background document from SAP: please follow this link.

The old transaction USMM is still available using transaction USMM_OLD. The only action to do is to activate the new SICF nodes:

USMM2 SICF nodes

New USMM master data

After starting USMM you reach the new start screen:

USMM new start screen

The basic options are still the same. Here you set the basic master data for the user measurement.

Newer feature is the rule-based classification:

USMM rule based classification

More information from SAP on this feature: follow this link.

Executing the new system measurement

From the USMM start screen hit the system measurement button. The new web part of USMM will start.

USMM check notes

The first part is to update the USMM tool and measurement programs.

Yes, also the user measurement programs are written by SAP and are definitely not bug free.
If the measurement program measures too much, apply the notes you find. If the measurement program measures not accurately and SAP does not inform you to apply the note, then you cannot help it that SAP makes a mistake and charge you too little. 
When SAP asks you politely to apply the OSS note best to comply to the request.

In the second step you can do the user classification check and adjust when needed:

USMM user classification

The third step will fire the regular measurement jobs:

USMM peform measurement

In the last step you can transfer the results or download the LAW file:

Result transfer

Further processing in SLAW2: read this blog.

Printed format

You can use transaction USSM_PDF to get a PDF format of the user measurement.

License measurement tips & tricks

For license measurement tips and tricks, read this dedicated blog.

LUI License utilization information

The LUI (license utilization information) tool is an online SAP tool that has all the information on your on premise and cloud licenses information combined. For cloud the usage is automatically visible. For on premise systems you can upload the usage via the SLAW files. This can give you insights into under-consumption and over-consumption of licenses. Read more in this blog.

Developer licenses

USMM2 runs typically on a productive system. For developer licenses the process is more tricky. Also due to the fact that SAP in S4HANA removed the simple DEVACCESS measurement. Read more in this blog.

Bug fix OSS notes

Following list contains recent bug fix OSS notes:

SLAW2: license measurement consolidation

This blog will explain about the SLAW2 tool as successor of the SLAW tool used for license measurement consolidation. For background information on SLAW tool, see this blog.

Questions that will be answered in this blog are:

  • How to technically activate SLAW2?
  • How to setup system master data in SLAW2?
  • How to consolidate user measurement data in SLAW2?
  • How to use the SLAW2.0 information system?
  • Differences between SLAW and SLAW2?

SLAW2

Depending on your system, when you start the SLAW transaction, you might be mandatory routed to SLAW2.

SLAW1 replaced by SLAW2

In this case you are forced to use SLAW2.

Basic activation of SLAW2

Before you can use SLAW2 web part you have to enable the corresponding SICF nodes:

LAW2 SICF nodes

SLAW2 system settings

If the basic activation is done, start SLAW2 by using the transaction SLAW2. This will open the SLAW2 start screen:

SLAW2 start screen

In the master data you start first with checking the already present systems (if you were using SLAW before) or adding a new system.

SLAW2 create new system

In this screen you can also go to the general SLAW2.0 settings:

SLAW2 settings

Running the consolidation in SLAW2

The basic principle of SLAW2 and SLAW are the same. The buttons are in different place. SLAW2 is helping you in bit more fancy roadmap style.

If your system data is properly set up, you can select the Start new or Change Consolidation button in the start screen:

SLAW2 consolidation

The roadmap on top shows in which part of the process you are.

You can show the results and start the Combine Users process.

SLAW2 combine users

Next step is the Consolidate users step:

SLAW2 consolidate users

As last step you can see the results and submit to SAP.

In contrast to the old SLAW, the consolidation is done. If you want to repeat, you have to create a new consolidation.

SLAW2 information system

On the start screen of SLAW2 you can go to the LAW2.0 information system.

SLAW2 information system

From here you can create lists and filter them. The results can be exported to excel for further processing, analysis and clean up.

SLAW versus SLAW2.0

The features in SLAW2.0 and SLAW are basically the same. The positives of SLAW2.0 are the information system and roadmap support. The old SLAW is easier if you have more iterations in cleanup.

As said before, depending on your version, SAP forces you to use SLAW2.0.

License measurement tips & tricks

For license measurement tips and tricks, read this dedicated blog.

LUI License utilization information 

The LUI (license utilization information) tool is an online SAP tool that has all the information on your on premise and cloud licenses information combined. For cloud the usage is automatically visible. For on premise systems you can upload the usage via the SLAW files. This can give you insights into under-consumption and over-consumption of licenses. Read more in this blog.

Relevant OSS notes

If you are facing bugs or issues, you can check these OSS notes:

SAP user measurement consolidation for multiple systems: SLAW

This blog will explain how to consolidate multiple SAP user measurements into 1 combined measurement using the SLAW tool.

Questions that will be answered are:

  • How to use the SLAW tool?
  • Which options and help does it bring for consolidation of user measurement?
  • How to consolidate if users have different user ID’s across the systems?

SLAW2

The SLAW tool has a successor in the SLAW2 tool. See this blog to see how SLAW2 works.

Preparation of consolidation

In each of the systems where you have run USMM user measurement, you have to export the data in the LAW file format. To do this go to USMM and select menu option System Measurement and Export to LAW file:

Export of LAW file

Save as local file is the most common and easy option. Repeat this for all your systems.

LAW consolidation

You need to select one system for consolidation. This can be your main ECC productive server or for example your solution manager system.

In the consolidation system start transaction SLAW:

SLAW start screen

The consolidation process consists of 4 steps:

  1. Load all the LAW files
  2. Combine the users
  3. Consolidate
  4. Send consolidated results

First load all of your LAW files, before going to the user combination.

In the step Combine Users you have several options to combine the users:

Combine users

The best option for your consolidation is dependent on the differences per system. If you user name is the same per system, then this is good option. If the username is different per system, but your email is kept consistent per system, then this is a better option. Last resort is to do by name.

After the combination you can start the consolidation. Result of the consolidation for test users on name looks as follows:

Consolidation on name

If you see cleansing opportunities, do use them. After the cleansing start USMM again, export LAW file and rerun the consolidation.

Tips & tricks for license measurement

For tips and tricks for license measurement read this dedicated blog.

Bug fix notes