ChaRM: For two System Landscape

[former_member209215]

In standard, it is needed to have a standard three system landscape to ensure that an object can be developed (in Dev system), tested (in QA system) and a thoroughly tested object is then pushed for operations (in Prod system).  Standard ChaRM functionality works very well in this scenario. However in some cases, companies prefer to go for two system landscape for some of the systems in their environment, BW system for an example. If the system is not so sensitive in object integration and you can accommodate testing in the development environment itself, it is not needed to have a separate QA system. In such scenarios, companies prefer to reduce their cost of maintenance for a separate QA system and choose to go for Dev -> Prod landscape. The main problem with this scenario is-

You have 3 system landscape with ChaRM activated for all SAP instances in your solution with a new system having only two system landscape. Moreover, only one configuration of normal (SDMJ))/ urgent (SDHF) correction ticket which handle transports for all systems in the landscape along with the status change.

TMS handling

As part of initial step, you need to create a transport route between Development and production system. This route cannot however be a delivery route as the development system will always seek for a consolidation transport route (fig 2). Create a consolidation transport route from Dev to Prod system in STMS transaction of the satellite system (fig 1).

 

Fig 1: Transport route for two system landscape

You should make sure that other ChaRM related standard activities are taken care^*:

1. Transport route is client dependent
2. Single transport strategy used
3. Domain controller of the SAP system is connected to the domain controller of SAP Solution Manager.
4. ChaRM related RFC connections are maintained from SAP Solution Manager to 000 client in addition to the actual clients (where development/ production activities are performed) of both Dev and Prod systems.

Project Details for landscape

If you already have ChaRM setup on three system landscape, you can use the same project for two system landscape. However, in that case as ChaRm is already active for those existing system, SAP recommends to close the existing task list and create a new one. Otherwise you have second option of creating a complete new Solution Manager project for the two system landscape.Use transaction SOLAR_PROJECT_ADMIN to create the new project  and perform following activities to activate ChaRM on this project:

1. Create project
2. Add the logical component (created through transaction SMSY) to the system landscape -> systems
3. Create the IMG project for this system in subtab IMG projects
4. Check the button Activate Change Request Management
5. Click on button Check to run a consistency check across the system.

Any error in this check should be removed to be able to proceed further. Note that If the route is not client specific consolidation route (TMS handling section), system will issue an error:

No consolidation system found for DEV1

Fig 2: Consistency check error if consolidation route not created

       6. Now you can click on create task list button to create a new task list and   maintenance cycle.

 Urgent/ Normal correction ticket status flows

1. While a change manager approving the change request for your two system landscape, based on the IBASE information system will automatically select the corresponding maintenance cycle and task list. If in case you have created multiple projects for the same system, you will get the popup for selection of the relevant active maintenance cycle containing that system.
2. During the correction ticket flow following changes will occur:

   A. Urgent correction (SDHF ticket): Action Pass correction to test triggers following events-

   i. Release the transport request

   ii. Import transport to the QA system

   iii. Change status of the urgent correction to to be tested

   However, in two system landscape case, action pass correction to test triggers only activity (i) and (iii). Import event (ii) is not triggered in this case.

   B. Normal correction (SDMJ): Action Complete Development triggers following events-

   i. Create transport of copy (ToC^**) for all transports involved in the given normal correction

   ii. Release ToC

   iii. Import ToC to the QA system 

         iv. Change status of the correction to To be tested

         In this case, for two system landscape only activity (iv) will be performed. No other activity will be performed here. Other all status changes will remain same as in the standard three system landscape case.  

In other words, transport is still available in the Dev system and not yet moved to Prod system. So, in terms of activities, the development and quality testing are merged in the Dev system.

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* First steps to work with Change Request Management scenario in SAP Solution Manager 7.0   

** Transport of Copies (ToC): Small yet powerful concept

[Former Member]

good blog..so are you adding the Production system and production in the logical component or quality system, if its qa system what are the issues

[Former Member]

I want to know in a system landscape with charm, with the transport routes implemented as above, how Transport of Copies works for e.g. Normal Correction(SDMJ/SMMJ). Where will the ToC be exported to?

So how must the logical component be filled, only a DEV and PRD system role?

With a normal configuration of ChaRM and the change would be passed to Test and a Transport of Copies will be created where will the ToC be exported to, so in what import queue will it be available, DEV system I hope?

[former_member187281]

Please check prior if SAP Note 1419150 can be implemented into your system.  If it can, even though the note mentions SDMJ, the solution applies to SMMJ, as well; otherwise your documents will get stuck between In Development and To Be Tested, because ChaRM keep trying to created ToCs that are not required in a 2-system landscape as explained by Rajiv.

Thanks to Vikram Jain from SAP for his assistance on this one.

Regards,

Juan