New features in Solution Documentation Assistant for RBPD in SAP Solution Manager 7.1 SP05

[ben_schneider]

This blog describes the most important functional enhancements in Solution Documentation Assistant (SDA) with SP05 of SAP Solution Manager 7.1.

Download of RBPD content

This is more an organizational than a functional enhancement: The download location of the RBPD content files has been moved from SAP note 1591505 to the Software Download Center (SWDC) in the SAP Support Portal. To download the RBPD content files, please go to https://service.sap.com/swdc and follow the path “Support Packages and Patches” - “A – Z index” - “S” - “SAP Solution Manager” - “SAP Solution Manager 7.1” - “Additional content”. There you will find the downloadable software component versions of the RBPD content.

New analysis results overview screen
For presentation purposes, an easy-to-use and nice-looking display of the key analysis results has been created. This view displays the key results of an analysis in a clearly laid out way which is ideal for presenting the results.
The overview can be found in the “Reports” view in the Solution Documentation Assistant Work Center.

Content Upload
The upload functionality for content has been enhanced to be able to upload up to three content file at the same time. If multiple files are uploaded they will be merged into one single analysis project in SDA. This enhancement is especially important for Reverse Business Process Documentation (RBPD), as the RBPD content now can be combined to achieve better analysis results.

Comparison of analyses
If there is more than one analysis inside the same analysis project, the results can be compared in a new split-screen comparison feature (this is currently limited to 2 analyses at the same time).With the comparison you can directly see differences in analysis results - which for example will directly show improvements in your documentation quality.

Copy reference
When copying an analysis project, another SAP Solution Manager project (that must have been created from this analysis project) can be selected as the new source for this analysis project. This will then merge the structure elements from the source into the existing structure of the analysis project.

The copy reference functionality can be used for continuous verification of SAP Solution Manager projects. A project initially created from the RBPD content - which has been extended afterwards - can be verified with check rules from the RBPD content by copying the original analysis project and selecting the SAP Solution Manager project as a source. The delta will then be merged into the copied analysis project and can be analyzed.

Please also see the official documentation of this feature.

New “reference” check item
The new “reference” check item type takes over the rating of its superordinate item (if this item is rated “green”). This feature will be used in the RBPD content to identify business process steps which do not have “own” check rules but will get a rating depending on the usage of another check item.

Of course this can also be used if you are creating your own check items.

New “active” legend
A new legend has been created which explains how ratings are being determined. This legend can be actively changed by the user to directly see the resulting changes in the rating. The legend can be accessed by the “Legend” button in an analysis.

Changed analysis results behavior
If a process node has check steps attached, their results will always override the rating propagated from the subordinated ratings. Only if a process node does not have check steps attached, the ratings of the process steps will be propagated to the superordinate item.

Rename analysis projects and analyses
Analysis projects and analyses can now be renamed.

And, last but not least, the memory consumption of an analysis run has been dramatically decreased.