This is an announcement of the general availability of landscape verification 1.0 for SAP Solution Manager. Landscape verification helps you analyze your landscape data, and detect and solve errors that would cause problems in system maintenance. It runs as an add-on in the SAP Solution Manager system and does not require a new system installation.
This blog gives a short introduction to landscape verification and provides information about how to download and use the add-on.
Why Use Landscape Verification?
Administrators of system landscapes rely on the correctness of landscape data in the SAP Solution Manger. An important example is the installation of an SAP enhancement package for SAP ERP 6.0. Creating a download stack using SAP Solution Manger Maintenance Optimizer became mandatory with SAP enhancement package 4 for SAP ERP 6.0. It will fail if landscape data is incorrect. However, due to manual actions involved in the setup of landscape data and landscape complexity, landscape data often is incomplete or wrong. Therefore, you should use landscape verification to check landscape data in SAP Solution Manager System Landscape for errors. For all detected errors, landscape verification offers information about how to solve them.
Figure 1 shows landscape verification in the big picture of enhancement package installation process:
Figure 1: Steps in a maintenance process. Step 3 shows the use of the landscape verification tool as part of the recommended process for installing an SAP enhancement package.
In the third phase you find the landscape verification.
Figure 2 shows an overview of the procedure in landscape verification. Once you have started the tool, and loaded the landscape data, you trigger the verification of the landscape (which only takes a short time). Based on the results you get, you can start solving errors following the proposed solution:
Figure 2: Steps in landscape verification. Once the verification has been triggered, the system landscape is analyzed. Several classes of errors are detected - those that stem from problems in the infrastructure, such as missing connections possibly resulting in outdated data; the majority of errors are in system landscape descriptions: Missing product or product instance assignment in a technical system or vice versa. For a detailed list of errors handled, refer to the tool's documentation (included in ramp-up material).
To summarize: Correctness of landscape data in SAP Solution Manager System Landscape is a key prerequisite for successful update and upgrade processes. For example, correcting errors before landscape data is used to calculate the download stack will help avoiding delay in update processes and will significantly lower the TCO of your landscape. Let's have a look at how you can achieve better data quality using landscape verification.
Landscape Verification 1.0 for SAP Solution Manager - the Tool
You start landscape verification in the SAP Solution Manager. Administrator of system landscapes should use landscape verification to check landscape data in SAP Solution Manager System Landscape (transaction SMSY) for errors regularly after applying changes to the landscape.
Landscape verification provides a list of all product systems and technical systems available in SAP Solution Manager System Landscape descriptions including their state (Ok, existing warnings, existing errors). For all detected errors, landscape verification offers information about solving them.
Examples of errors include: if system data is not up-to-date because of data supplier problems, if registration of dual stack systems is incomplete, or if product version assignment in the SAP Solution Manager System Landscape (SMSY) is missing, inconsistent, or erroneous.
For each type of error information about how to solve them is providing by links to the relevant documentation. Landscape verification in the future is planned to be an important step in update and upgrade processes.
Figure 3 shows the landscape verification tool, which shows an overview of systems ordered by error type (unassigned technical systems), by product, or all systems in the left hand navigation. Systems (product systems and technical systems) for selected groups are shown on the right. Details of the selected system are shown below this list:
Figure 3: Results of a system landscape verification run. In the left hand navigation, Unassigned Technical Systems (marked in bold) have been selected. A list of all available product systems and technical systems is displayed with their status on the right. Details of errors for the selected system A10 are shown below the list.
When you select a technical or product system, the landscape verification tool displays details on the system's state. For each error or warning you'll find a diagnosis and a link to documentation related to the solution.
Figure 4 shows technical system A10, which contains an error:
Figure 4: The example shows an error in technical system A10, which is not assigned to a product system. Clicking the message opens an error description and a path to documentation regarding the error type.
Figure 5 shows the error message related to system A10: The technical system is not assigned to a product system. This, however, is required to be able to handle a system update. Also help on how to solve the problem is provided by specifying the path to the SAP Help Portal documentation related to this type of error:
Figure 5: Technical system A10 is not assigned to a product system. The "Diagnosis" points you to transaction SMSY in SAP Solution Manager. In the "Procedure" part you find the path to the documentation on how to do product assignment in a technical system entry.
To solve the error, simply follow the related documentation. The error has to be fixed where it occurred.
This way you can work through the list of product systems and technical systems to solve all errors in your landscape description. You can also filter for specific systems due for maintenance in order to handle errors in these systems first.
Benefits of Landscape Verification 1.0 for SAP Solution Manager
You will find the following when using the tool:
- You get a detailed overview of the state of data in your SAP Solution Manager's system landscape (SMSY)
- You can correct data for all systems, working through the list, or concentrate on systems due for maintenance first, by using filtering
Note that all processes in landscape management remain unchanged by the tool.
How to Get Landscape Verification?
Prerequisites
Regarding the use of landscape verification 1.0 for SAP Solution Manager you need to fulfill the following prerequisites:
- You run an SAP Solution Manager 7.0 SP18 or higher with a proper license; we recommend using the latest SP available
- You have maintained your system landscape data in transaction SMSY
- You have an S-User ID, which is required for access to the SAP Service Marketplace.
Downloading the Add-On
If you are interested in using landscape verification and fulfill the prerequisites, download the Add-on to be installed from the SAP Service Marketplace from http://service.sap.com/swdc -> Installations and Upgrades - Entry by Application Group -> SAP Technology Components -> LV for SAP Solution Manager
(Note: To log on to the SAP Service Marketplace and download the software an S-user and a valid license are required).
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