Monitoring and some common errors in SAP FSM queues

[Prashant_guha]

Purpose:

This blog aims to describe the significances and resolutions of some of the common errors in the messages queues in FSM.

Introduction:

Communication between the S4 HANA system and the Field service management system is based on the asynchronous transfer technique queue Remote function call (RFC).

This technique is used for both the initial data transfer and the transfer of data changes in the system.

Classification of queues:

• Outbound
• Inbound

The data is first buffered by the sending system (S4HANA) and then transferred to the target system (Field service management) via an outbound queue, or in a reverse direction, transferred from the sending system (Field service management) and then buffered by the target system (S4HANA) through an inbound queue.

In this blog, we are primarily considering some of the issues experienced in the outbound queues hence would restrict the description to the outbound queues.

Monitoring:

We use the transaction ‘SMQ1’ to monitor the outbound queues. The FSM related queues have a standard SAP prefix of ‘/PACG’:

We click on the queues individually to check the details of the status:

Other standard queues:

/PACG/ECM_LOW_OUT:

These queues relate to the outbound master data (functional location etc.)

/PACG/ECM_STD_OUT:

These signify the outbound transactional data (service order etc.)

Some error statuses with their temporary fixes:

Retry

The Retry status is usually a side effect of a system problem (which should be fixed first). As a workaround, we can try a deletion of the affected queues:

Double click on the queue to check the error details:

Root cause: The error ‘Command to tRFC/qRFC: Execute LUW again’ signifies a LUW (Logical unit of work) cannot be processed any further due to a temporary error in the application and therefore calls the RESTART_OF_BACKGROUNDTASK function module.

This would prompt the qRFC Manager to cancel the execution of this LUW and to repeat this LUW later in accordance with the specification in transaction SM59. In this case, qRFC simulates a communication error with the text "Command to tRFC/qRFC: Execute LUW once again."

Fix: Delete queues

Use the trash can icon to delete the selected queues:

VBError

Root cause:

If outbound queues and update task are parts of one and the same LUW, the outbound queues should always be processed after successfully completing the update task. If the update task runs into an error, the corresponding queue entry will be updated with the ‘VBERROR’ status.

Fix: Reset queues

Use the Option ‘Reset status’ in the ‘Edit’ dropdown menu:

STOP

Root cause:

The queue was stopped manually by any unknown reason or accidently. 

Fix: Unlock queues

We use the ‘Unlock’ icon to unlock and activate the affected queues:

References:

1. https://community.sap.com/t5/technology-q-a/queues-status-with-vberror-in-smq1/qaq-p/10713037
2. https://me.sap.com/notes/2898522/E