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Summary
The Change Analysis (ABAP) is a tool to identify different kind of changes implemented in an SAP System – NetWeaver based, ABAP – during a given timeframe. The tool is released within transaction ST13 under Backoffice Tools for use by SAP or certified Service consultants and is only available in English.
Transaction ST13 and its toolset are delivered in Add-on ST-A/PI "Service Tools for Applications Plug-In" and the Change Analysis (ABAP) tool is available from ST-A/PI Release 01S* onwards. The newest version will be released within ST-A/PI Release 01T* SP2 in May 2019.
The objective of the document is to give information on how to use the Change Analysis (ABAP) tool. Official information can be reviewed in the Knowledge Based Article 2223746 - MCC Production Support Tools - Change Analysis (ABAP) in ST13.
Prerequisites & Limits
The toolset Backoffice tools in ST13 which includes the Change Analysis (ABAP) tool is available with the Add-on ST-A/PI. Please refer to SAP Note 69455 - Servicetools for Applications ST-A/PI (ST14, RTCCTOOL, ST12) for further information on how to install the Add-on.
In general a support user with minimal authorizations is needed to run the tool (refer to SAP Note 1405975 - Minimum Authorization Profile for Remote Service Delivery for necessary authorizations).
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE EXECUTION OF THE TOOL:
According the selected timeframe the performance of the tool can increase significantly. Please choose proper selection criteria to restrict the result set to a minimum – normally < 7 days should be sufficient. In maximum you can select a timeframe of 30 days only.
Introduction
With the Change Analysis (ABAP) tool - newest version included in ST-A/PI Release 01T* - it is possible to identify:
- Start time & -date of Active Hosts
- OS/DB/SAP Parameter Changes
- Objects in Transport Requests
- Imported Objects with wrong Software Component
- Upgrades, EHP or SP Updates
- Changes to Specific Program/Class/Transaction/Function Group
In the following section a detailed description is provided on how to access and make use of the tool:
1. Logon to the SAP System with your support user and run transaction ST13.
2. Choose tool “BACKOFFICE_TOOLS” and press the execute button.
3. On the following screen mark “Change Analysis (ABAP)” and Execute (F8). Then the selection screen of the tool will open up.
4. On the selection screen you have six different kind of options to select which changes should be identified. Please mark the once you need.
a. Start time & -date of Active Hosts
This option will be selected all the time as it identifies on which Hosts the System is currently running and when they have been started up (date & time).
b. OS/DB/SAP Parameter Changes
This option can be selected to identify Parameter Changes mainly on SAP level during a specific timeframe. For OS and DB also other vendor specific tools should be considered as the Change Analysis (ABAP) won’t be single source of truth.
Please note:
- The maximal selectable timeframe is 30 days. The performance can increase significantly if no proper timeframe is chosen.
- The Job SAP COLLECTOR FOR PERFMONITOR and/or Report RSORA110 has to run to collect the newest parameter changes. Only after a successful run the changes will be visible. Further details can be found in SAP Note 1733253 - CCMS: Monitoring of parameter changes in SAP system.
-The OS/DB related parameter changes might not be completely visible inside the SAP System. Detailed checks for these changes need to be performed on OS and DB level itself!
- In the ST-A/PI Release 01T* SP2 the OS/DB/SAP Parameter Changes check has been adapted and meanwhile also the parameter changes with status 'C' = Changed and 'D' =
Deleted are displayed.
c. Objects in Transport Requests
This option can be selected to identify all information/objects recorded in Transport Requests (Workbench Modifications/Changes & Customizing) that were
imported from other systems or that were created in the local system during a specific timeframe.
Please note:
- The maximal selectable timeframe is 30 days. The performance can increase significantly if no proper timeframe is chosen.
-Go to transaction SE01 to get detailed information on specific transport requests.
d. Imported Objects with wrong Software Component
This option can be selected to identify all Objects imported to the local system with a
wrong Software Component (Version) like e.g. a SAP BASIS Object imported from a NetWeaver 7.01 system into a NetWeaver 7.31 system during a specific timeframe.
Please note:
- The maximal selectable timeframe is 30 days. The performance can increase significantly if no proper timeframe is chosen.
- This check is only available if the ST-PI component is installed
e. Upgrades, EHP or SP Updates
This option can be selected to show recent Upgrades during a specific timeframe. The data for this check is gathered from table UVERS.
Please note:
- The maximal selectable timeframe is 30 days. The performance can increase significantly if no proper timeframe is chosen.
- The information about Support Packages might not be the latest. If you want to know which support packages have been imported into the system recently, please go to
transaction SPAM -> under Directory choose Imported Support Packages -> Display.
f. Specific Program/Class/Transaction/Function Group
This option can be selected to identify if a specific Program/Class/Transaction/Function Group or its subobjects were changed during a specific timeframe.
Please note:
- This check only makes sense if you have already identified a specific Program/Class/Transaction/Function Group to be the cause of an issue.
- Be careful with the spelling of the Object name. No validity checks will be performed.
5. After you finished your selection press the button “Execute” to get the results of the change analysis.
6. For each option you selected a single Tab will be visible on the result screen.
a. Start time & -date of Active Hosts
The result of this check shows all currently active Hosts of the SAP System with the associated IP address and start date and start time.
b. OS/DB/SAP Parameter Changes
The result of this check shows which kind of parameter was changed (OS, DB or SAP), on which host it was changed, when it was changed, the parameter name and the newly set parameter value.
In the ST-A/PI Release 01T* SP2 the OS/DB/SAP Parameter Changes check has been adapted so that also the parameter changes with status 'C' = Changed and 'D' = Deleted are displayed.
c. Objects in Transport Requests
The result of this check shows all objects recorded in Transport Requests with information like e.g. change date/time, application component, object name, Transport Request ID and much more.
d. Imported Objects with wrong Software Component
The result of this check shows all objects imported to the system with the wrong software component/version with information like date and time, object name, TR ID, user, critical reason.
e. Upgrades, EHP or SP Updates
The result of this check shows software components with new and old release and SP level changed during a specific date/time.
f. Specific Program/Function Group/Class
The result of this check shows the object (program, class, transaction, function group) and all subobjects changed with date and time, object name, TR ID and the user who changed it.
Known Issues
ST-A/PI Release 01S* SP1
ABAP Runtime Dump CONVT_CODEPAGE - CX_SY_CONVERSION_CODEPAGE
In some systems an ABAP Runtime Dump CONVT_CODEPAGE - CX_SY_CONVERSION_CODEPAGE occurrs, when opening the tool. One option to resolve this issue is to manually apply SAP Note 1813468 - Web Dynpro: Conversion for non-printable chars (NON-UNICODE).
A fix for this ABAP Runtime Dump was released within ST-A/PI Release 01S* SP2.
Lower ST-A/PI Release 01T* SP2
Not all OS/DB/SAP Parameter changes displayed by the transaction
The OS/DB/SAP Parameter Changes check is only displaying parameter changes with status 'A' = Active (initial). In the current release ST-A/PI Release 01T* SP2 it has been adapted and meanwhile also displays the parameter changes with status 'C' = Changed and 'D' = Deleted.
Additional Information
Please use this blog to provide feedback on the MCC Production Support Tools – Change Analysis (ABAP) in ST13, we are interested in your opinion and ideas.
