ALM functionality teaser #1 Maintenance Certificates

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Maintenance Certificates

As of July 2008, SAP introduced Maintenance Certificates for all 7.0 and higher Systems. The Maintenance Certificate ensures that only customers with a valid maintenance contract can apply support packages, thereby preventing unauthorized use of SAP software. This new process was introduced with a SPAM/SAINT Update:-

• SPAM 700/33 issues warnings for invalid Maintenance Certificates; and


• SAPM 700/34 issues hard errors for invalid Maintenance Certificates.

An invalid maintenance certificate now prevents you from applying support packs. The application of Maintenance Certificates can be done manually by logging onto the Service Marketplace or automatically using Solution Manager SP16 or higher and SDCCN.

The old way.

• Log into Service marketplace with an Administraion "S" userid and navigate to the license key servic...


• Search for and select the correct Installation group.


• Select the SID from the system overview and select new Maintnenace Certificate.


• Key in your details and wait for an e-mail from SAP containing your 128 Bit digital license key.


• Log onto the target system and manually import the license using transaction SAPLICENSE.


• Check the process has worked.


• Repeat for every system in your landscape.

The new way.

• Log onto Solution Manager (SP16 or higher) and navigate to transaction SDCCN.


• From the "task" menu select "Create" then Get License Data (satellite systems).


• Schedule the recurring job.

Investment.

Automating the Maintenance Certificate renewal using Solution Manager will take 15 minutes per system (once only). Assuming you have 40 instances, this will cost you 10 hours.

Savings.

The manual process takes around 60 minutes per system every 90 days (4 hours per system per year). Assuming you have 40 instnaces, you will save around 160 hours per year (4 person weeks). These savings can then be used to deploy the next piece of Solution Manager functionality.

Show me.

Click here for my Youtube demonstration.

Bonus information.

Service Providers can automatically deploy Maintenance Certificates for several customers using a single Solution Manager system. See SAP Note 1229904 for details.

All license keys are stored in table the AGS_MAINT_KEYS on Solution Manager

References.

SAP Help

www.service.sap.com/maintenancecertificate

www.service.sap.com/licensekey

SAP Notes - 1240265, 1134886

The ALM difficulty rating.

Expertise required.          Low.

Time taken to deploy.          Low.

Payback time.               Fast

Overall rating.               Just do it.

 



A great source of inspiration.