Remember Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1999 Hollywood flick, End of Days....................
At the end of the last century, the SATAN weaved a plan to destroy this world... and Arnold jumps in and quite as any other Hollywood movie.. Saved the earth from the danger that was to befall...!
Even SATAN might have found it difficult, to destroy this world... But destroying a portal server ain’t gonna be that tough! Believe me! With no Arnold around... You can be your own GOD and the DEVIL.
I, basically being a developer never had shown interest in installations... And when the D Day came… I opened the pack the customer had..(unlucky me,… they had stack 3..which they wanted to start with ).. I had always done SR1 installation and was expecting a kind of similar response..(a big mistake)
But the whole installation.. Tip toed form one instance of intense agony to another of extreme ecstasy... But when it mattered... it was always agony.. 😞 … It proved to be a perfect example of Murphy’s law ..(A law which, from my opinion… will surely stand the test of time...). I would even call the Web AS server as an advanced AI system, which knows how to keep its master on his toes..
My installation was at last complete.. With a successful upgrade even to sp13.. And finally, One beautiful morning the portal page showed up with its full features available for use.. We were able to proceed with our actual development in the portal server then..
I woke up from my bed a few days later (does not mean I was sleeping continuously for the few days…), at midnight.. and .. Decided that its high time that I take revenge on this cold hearted.. Web AS server (portal too).. To bring it down forever... This, being the fruit of that thought !
I had an idea of making it a 2 part series..;) End of days Part I and End of days Part II… and finally decided against it.. felt it would then become end of days not worth waiting for.. !
Caution: This is not intended for ruining your production systems 🙂 (that’s very bad).. or taking revenge on the guy who sits next to you , getting better appraisals then you after doing the same work as yours….😉. Its for us to be informed that, there are rather a lot of intricate things in a server which are more important than we take them to be.. and for people who are so bored of their usual routine work..
Basis administrators may scoff at this weblog... as these errors might be a cake walk for them... But I would want them to add their own experiences as comments..
To add more spice to this... I thought of rating them.. On basis of the excruciating pain ,it made me to suffer..
I had primarily based this web log on a J2ee Add-in installation. So people might not be able to map them directly to a Java Standalone installation.. Nevertheless.. You will get an idea..
So here goes …………
7 Easy Ways to bring your EP server crashing down
No 7th way to crash your portal server is …………
Playing around with the J2EE_GUEST and SAPJSF user..
Suggested methods:
In the client maintenance (transaction SCC4), we can delete the client, which SAPJSF user uses.. SAPJSF user has roles for RO and RW permissions.. We can change some of these. Take them altogether.. That s when you will have a rocking time.. ! SAPJSF is a communication user.. used for JAVA - ABAP UME related communication.. (in case of a Add-in).. and all communication fails in case of problems with this user..
J2EE_GUEST user is used in a lot of occasions (in the background) where we need anonymous access for retrieval of data.... When we delete the user or remove its default role.. chances are there that the server stays alive.. But you will never see the logon page again.. !
No 6 goes to …………
Create a lot of folders of huge size in the disk array which houses your USR folder..
A easier way is to take a small sized partition and use it for oracle redo logs, archive logs and usr folder.. when there is shortage of space and if you try to upgrade or play with your new system with new functionalities.. by deploying sca, sda,ear files………the artificially intelligent being will start replacing folders at its will to accommodate the new files coming in.. Use the deploy tool directly..(And as per one of our Connecting SAP systems to Enterprise portal with SSO.' s. Your job becomes even easier)
No 5 goes to …………
Install EP SP 3 on a Java Add-in & Production client usage
I can't classify this exactly as a way to crash the server.. but I can assure you that if you ask your dear dear friends to start the installation with the suggested steps.. chances are that they will never go for an installation again.
Suggested methods:
Install EP SP 3.. on a java add-in..
The catch is.. SAP has rightly suggested that add-in is supported only from sp 9 + releases..
So when you have stack 3 CDs to start with.. like I had. …With the necessity for a java add-in installation… you can either opt for Web AS SP 9 upgrade and then install EP SP 3.. due to the difference in the stack levels it wont come up.. !
Or u can go directly for Web AS Java SP 3 Add-in .. and then install EP SP 3 .. Don’t worry.. its tough to bring this up…
(Tip: In case your spirits are very high still.. create a interruption in the portal installation during the deploy par file phase,, and say reset. Try installing again.. The SATAN shows up and says.. Portal already installed,. Are u surprised? Try accessing the portal page.. It wont come.. this is one neat trick which always worked for me.. )
Playing this prank on some one is also easy .. ..! I pity the poor soul who will be on the receiving end ! )
No 4 goes to …………
Create a Everyone group in the LDAP server. used by portal.This was one of the least appealing ways,.. I have never tried this .. But it should work..
Create a everyone group in LDAP (which the portal uses..)…. The portal is expected to crash successfully… ! (This is available from SAP notes (Not exactly in this way). so it should work.. )
No 3 goes to …………
Use a lot of your system heap size
A beauty of a trick ! Reduce the heap size to a very low value or increase it to a very high value or install a lot of programs in your server which consume the heap size..
Web AS Java server requires a contiguous amount of heap memory to start its applications.. Increasing the heap memory or installing a lot of programs which consume the system heap will make the Web AS system struggle for allocating a contiguous memory..
The Web AS server will try to start the server.. the server will seem like coming up.. and then it goes down..
Tip: Un-installing some programs.. rebasing .dll files which are occupying memory. are some ways to solve this issue..
This error drove really drove me crazy!
No 2 goes to …………
Change the data source configuration file
Data source configuration file is a very very important file. When your DEAR friend has ABAP has his UME.. and when you decide to play the devil,.. go to the Visual admin or config tool and change the datasource config file to point to DB .. :). Nice revenge,.. But wait.. This might be the easiest to find if your friends logs in to VA or config tool ..
This neat change might not crash the server.. but it will keep loading the portal for a very very long time…and will then tell you that it cannot display the page. !
And the winner is ……………………
Delete the default profile file !
In the midst of the complex structure of the "usr" folder is a folder called profile..
The silent assassin.. the one which can decide either you will have “sleepless nights..” or the “nights at your nearest discotheque”..
Delete the default profile.. why delete the whole file.. delete a few lines in it.. or even better change the name of the files ..
And restart the server.. the errors it shows up is mind boggling.. you will go crazy in seconds.. It will fill your event logs… system traces… with an assortment of errors.. we would have never dreamt of ! .. And solving it is rather tough.. Because the AI system in the server will also fail to start :)..
This is the fastest .. and your server state will quite appropriately match the Hollywood title “Gone with the wind..” or even better “Gone in 60 seconds”………..
I had noted a few times while installing a java add-in, that it needed a production client.. Why a production client.. I am still not aware of..(would be nice if someone tells me why.. !) But when you are using some other client.. Successful installation of your portal server is going to be a nightmare..
One point I would like to mention is.. sysexe
un has some the most important contents which makes up our server.. Playing around with it is not advisable..
With a good amount of corrupted thoughts sprinkled around.. I would prefer ending it in a good note.. Any server.. will only be as safe as you want it to be ... Having a proper tested backup of your file system and the DB will ensure a long peaceful life for your server.. And no devil can play pranks on your server.. And you will also have complete peace of mind..
This web log is a bit exaggerated in some places to make it a bit interesting.. But I assure that this problems will never come up if you have proper installation guides, notes and patches.. As the world renowned Scout motto goes ,”Be prepared” and your installation will face less hassles.. !
SAP these days has made it a very easy for anyone to do installation.. ! So.. always go with the latest versions.. or (latest–1) versions..
There might soon be a time.. when we just have to select the components we want.. And it will scan the system and install them without any further user intervention.. Quite possible.. !
This weblog would have been bigger and better as
End of Days – 10 Easy Ways to bring your EP server crashing down!
if I had my beloved and extremely friendly senior Vedavyas (with whom I first discussed this idea ) around my workplace.. while writing this web log.. ! And special thanks to Noufal , whose An installation that kept me searching inspired my neurons to share my similar experiences .. !
Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New year!
