Category: Basis

basis

SE16N_BATCH program

SE16N_BATCH is a very powerful and dangerous program. You can use it to run SE16 queries for large datasets in batch mode and later pick up the results from the spool.

But it can also be misused to fetch data that you are not authorized to see, but a batch user can see.

Good use

For example you need a lot of records from BSEG:

This might fail online. If you run it in batch mode, you can simply pick up the spool later with the needed data:

Misuse

The program can be used for hacking purposes as well. Suppose you want to get all user password hashes. SE16N for USR02 is blocked. Now run the program in batch (not with your own user, but with a batch job user with rights to read USR02 data). Now all data is available in the spool for the hacker….

OSS notes

3443282 – “submit se16n_batch exporting list to memory” doesn’t work in background run

Signavio process insights; discovery edition

SAP has acquired Signavio. Signavio provides tool for process insights into SAP ERP systems to help the users and business to optimize their processes.

The Signavio product is licensed. To see if the tool is interesting for you, there is an option to run the discovery edition on your productive system. At time of writing this blog the discovery edition is for free. But please check before submitting. The discovery edition is giving you a look and feel on the tool, but with limited functions and content.

Installation and preparation

Installation preparation consist of applying most recent versions of these 2 OSS notes:

Your ST-A/PI version must be 01V –SP0 or higher.

Running the tool and submitting the data

In your productive system (not a copy, not any other system) start program RC_VALUE_DISCOVERY_COLL_DATA and select the 3rd option (SAP Signavio Process Insights, discovery edition):

Run the program in batch and wait for it to finish.

After finishing run the program again and push the Download Analysis Data button. Store the results file on your laptop.

Now you can submit the file and create your request on the SAP Signavio Process Insights discovery site. It will take 5 to 10 business days before you receive the link with the results.

Results of the Signavio discovery edition

The results can be seen on website of SAP Signavio:

Process flows:

And details for process:

Keep in mind the discovery edition will only have limited content. It is meant to give you and idea on look and feel and see if the tool is usable for your business users.

Office integration tips & tricks

This blog contains tips and tricks for Microsoft Office integration with SAP applications (mainly SAP GUI). Although SAP is the company backbone for data, many users still love excel and word for pre and post processing of data.

General integration

Integration of office with SAP GUI; support and version information can be found in OSS note 722513 – Desktop Office Integration: Maintenance information. For 64 bits versions: 1442028 – SAP GUI for Windows / Desktop Office Integration: Support for Office 64bit editions. 365 support: 3301985 – Does SAPGUI For Windows support Microsoft Office 365 MSO?.

Unfortunately most integration is only possible with SAP GUI.

Not possible for ITS and JAVA GUI: 822867 – Desktop Office Integration: No support for ITS & Java GUI.

Not possible for WebGUI: 2717865 – WEBGUI: Office Integration is not supported.

Not possible for FIORI: 3322204 – Microsoft Options are not available in FIORI.

Multiple screens and high resolution

For supporting multiple screens and high resolution for office integration, read this OSS note: 3141383 – SAP GUI Desktop Office Integration: Guidelines for Handle high DPI and DPI scaling in Office applications.

Inplace/outplace

For inplace/outplace, read these notes: 2739132 – Office 365 – Excel and Word do not open in place (Inside SAPGUI Window) for some users when using Windows DPI over 100%,using multiple screens or after an Office update and 3350338 – OfficeIntegration opens Excel/Word outplace instead of inplace (inside SAP GUI).

Security patching of office products

In some cases security patching from office products causes issues on SAP GUI integration:

Word integration

Specific issue with word as SAPscript text editor: 2362509 – Performance issue with MS Word SAPscript text editor.

OneDrive limitation

OneDrive usage limitation in combination with SAP GUI: 3280505 – File upload to SAP from OneDrive not working when the file is open.

Transport tips & tricks

This blog is a collection of transport tips & tricks.

Questions that will be answered are:

  • What to do if my transport number range is getting exhausted?
  • How to find objects in transports?
  • How to unlock objects in a transport in emergency case?
  • How to put objects from different transport in new transport?
  • How to execute program directly after transport?
  • How to check transport parameters?

Transport number range getting exhausted

If your transport number range gets exhausted, no new transports can be created. To fix this issue run program RSWBO301:

Then acknowledge the new number range proposed.

See also OSS note 2951296 – Transport TR range getting exhausted, which points to OSS notes 1674286 – How to modify CTS transport number range (ABAP) and 106911 – Transport system: number range filled for requests (that explains RSWBO301).

Put objects from different transport in new transport

Go to transaction. SE10 and select your transport. Then select: Request/task –> Object list –> include objects –>  select other transport or object.

Find object in transport

Report RSWBO040 can be used to find and object inside transport(s):

Bug fix note for this program: 3237476 – Wrong result when searching for sub-objects in requests/tasks (SE03).

Unlock objects from a transport

In some special cases it might be needed to unlock an object from a transport. Be careful with this. Use program RSWBO099 to unlock objects from a transport:

Transporting ODATA

ODATA transports can be bit messy. Read the FAQ note 2244649 – SAP Netweaver Gateway Odata service transport FAQ.

Transporting in-app extensibility

For transporting FIORI in-app extension read this blog.

Execute program after transport

If you want a program to be executed directly after transport import, edit the transport and a a new object R3TR, XPRA (execute program after transport) and in the object fill the program name.

Most common use case is in transporting Requirements and formulas where it is common to add XPRA action for program RV80HGEN. See this blog.

Checking transport parameters

Start transaction code STMS, select menu Overview / Systems. Now choose a system and select display. On the tab transport tool you can see the transport parameters:

Including customer transports in SUM

You can include customer transports in the SUM procedure. Read more in this dedicated blog.

BRF+ transport issues

For BRF+ transport issues, read this dedicated blog.

Transport sequence and consistency check tool

SAP has a transport sequence and consistency check tool. Read more in this blog.

Table AQLDB clean up

Table AQLDB is used for storing data of SAP Queries created via SQ01 queries. Cleaning this up can be tricky job.

Deletion of old query data

Deletion of old SAP query data is performed via program RSAQQLRE_MASS:

Background OSS note: 2336268 – SQ01: Reorganization of saved lists.

In case of inconsistencies, install program Z_INCONSISTENT_SAVED_LISTS from OSS note 2173291 – Saved List cannot be deleted by program RSAQQLRE.

Clean up of generated programs

Program RSAQDEL0 can be used to clean up generated query program data:

System queries, generated programs and obsolete programs can be cleaned up.

Background notes:

Data archiving: material ledger data

This blog will explain how to archive material ledger data via object CO_ML_DAT. Generic technical setup must have been executed already, and is explained in this blog.

Object CO_ML_DAT

Go to transaction SARA and select object CO_ML_DAT.

Dependency schedule:

Main tables that are archived:

  • CKMLCR (material ledger data)
  • CKMLPP (period totals)

Technical programs and OSS notes

Write program: SAPRCKMN_NEU

Delete program: SAPRCKMO_NEU

Read from archive: SAPRCKMP_NEU_LESEN

Reload program: SAPRCKMP_NEU_RUECKLADEN

Relevant OSS notes:

Application specific customizing

Archiving object CO_ML_DAT has no specific customizing. Retention period is set on the write program screen.

Executing the write run and delete run

In transaction SARA, CO_ML_DAT select the write run:

Select your data, save the variant and start the archiving write run.

After the write run is done, check the logs. CO_ML_DAT archiving has high speed, and high percentage of archiving (up to 100%).

Proved a good name for the archive file for later use!

Deletion run is standard by selecting the archive file and starting the deletion run.

Data retrieval

Data retrieval is via program SAPRCKMP_NEU_LESEN. But the retrieval has no proper selection. Output is also hard to read.

MASS transaction

The MASS transaction is a powerful transaction to perform mass data updates in a system. It can be used both by IT and business people for data conversion and mass updates on data due to business changes.

But you have to use it wisely. If used unwisely it can overload a system by performing too much changes at the same time or by locking too much data and causing enqueue overflow issues.

As basis person you might not execute the MASS transaction, but is good to realize how it works, since consultants and business might use it. As mentioned before it is a powerful tool that can save a lot of time. So as basis person use the knowledge below to help and not to forbid the use of the MASS transaction.

MASS transaction use

Start transaction MASS. For new runs, select the object and leave the variant field empty:

Press execute. Select the table or tables of the object you want to update:

Select the fields to update:

Press execute. Now enter the selection of materials you need to update:

Press execute.

On top set the new value. Below you see the old values:

Now press the mass update button to transfer the new value to the existing values:

You can now do a final check. Press the Save button on top to save the changes. Depending on the amount of records and complexity of the change this might take more time.

Best practice: run the MASS update first on a non productive system which is a copy of production data. This will give you good idea on the runtimes and performance impact.

Example blogs for mass changes for customer data and vendor data.

Save as variant

If you want to re-use the MASS update for later use, or if you need to run several batches, you can save your setup as variant. This is bit hidden: select the menu option Goto and then Save as variant:

Batch sizes

Try to keep maximum of 10.000 items per MASS update. If you use MASS more often, you can go higher if basis person is guiding the updates and monitoring the system closely.

OSS notes

Relevant OSS notes:

Data archiving: handling units

This blog will explain how to archive handling units via object LE_HU. Generic technical setup must have been executed already, and is explained in this blog.

Object LE_HU

Go to transaction SARA and select object LE_HU.

Dependency schedule:

In case you use production planning backflush, you must archive those first. Then material documents, shipment costs (if in use), SD transport (if in use) and deliveries.

Main tables that are archived:

  • VEKP (Handling unit header table)
  • VEPO (Handling unit item)

Technical programs and OSS notes

Preprocessing program: RHU_AR_ARCHIVABILITY_CHECK

Write program: RHU_AR_WRITE_TO_ARCHIVE

Delete program: RHU_AR_DELETE_FROM_DATABASE

Read from archive: RHU_AR_READ_FROM_ARCHIVE

Reload program: RHU_AR_RELOAD_ARCHIVE

Relevant OSS notes:

Application specific customizing

Archiving object LE_HU has no specific customizing. Retention period is set on the write program screen.

Execution the preprocessing run

In transaction SARA, LE_HU select the preprocessing run:

The run will show you how many can be archived and how many cannot be archived (mainly due to status and preceding documents):

Executing the write run and delete run

In transaction SARA, LE_HU select the write run:

Select your data, save the variant and start the archiving write run.

After the write run is done, check the logs. LE_HU archiving has average speed, but not so high percentage of archiving (about 40 to 90%).

Unfortunately the LE_HU object does not have a Note field to give the archive file a correct name. If you still want to do so, you have to do this in SARA via the management of archiving sessions: select the session and change the description there:

Deletion run is standard by selecting the archive file and starting the deletion run.

Data retrieval

Data retrieval is via program RHU_AR_READ_FROM_ARCHIVE.

Program RSMEMORY

Program RSMEMORY can be used to check current ABAP memory settings.

Start transaction SE38 and key program RSMEMORY and press execute. In higher ABAP versions transaction SMEMORY is available.

Result:

If a user faces a TSV_TNEW_PAGE_ALLOC_FAILED and really needs to process a lot of data only once, you can use program RSMEMORY to temporarily increase the memory. Keep screen shot of old settings. Increase the memory class value in quota dialog settings for Step 1. Also increase abap/head area dia (and the total accordingly). Now press the Copy button to activate. This is per application server. Settings are lost after restart. But it is best to already change back to old settings after the user issue is fixed (by using the screen shot you made before the settings changes).

SAP background

OSS note 177226 – Documentation rsmemory.

SAP help file link.