A Non-Standard Use Case: Creating Defect Corrections via the Request for Change Scope

Update on 11.) added part 4) of the customizing

Today I would like to blog some use case not covered with SAP standard customizing:

The Defect Correction can be created in SAP standard only during phase ‘Test’ as a stand-alone change document. So it is linked only to the project cycle, not to a Request for Change.

A not so rare use case (we had customer inquiries how to do that and now customers which use it) would be to create a Defect Correction from the a Request for Change (RfC) by adding it to the scope and generating it as a follow-on document. So long as a development project (which is reflected by a Normal Change) is not in user status ‘In production’, the RfC is only in status ‘Implemented’ and can extend the scope, meaning generate additional change documents, like a Defect Correction when the new project is tested. Then not only the changes covered by the project but as well the changes for this project and it’s test are collected under one Request for Change.

My example picture will show you how to enhance the customizing, so the Defect Correction is available in the scope of an implementation project. The customizing change affects four areas:

1. Phase Controller (to allow creation of Defect Correction from a logical side)
2. Change Request Management Copy Control (to make the Defect correction available in the scope for special project types)
3. CRM Copy Control (to allow creation from a CRM document side)
4. Specify Required Status Values for Successor

1. The Phase Controller is the underlying logical model in the Change Request Management enviroment which controls what action is allowed . It asks the different participants (f.e. the task list, the project cycle, cProject [if used], QGM [if used in the project]) if an action (like f.e. create transport or import into test system, or create Urgent Change) is allowed from their side. If no participant has issues, the action can be executed.

        Call view cluster ‘/TMWFLOW/VC_PHMD’ sm34:

To enhance the Phase Controller model enhance the SAP standard model ‘DEVRL’ for the project cycle which is created when we have a SAP Solution Manager project of type ‘Implementation, Upgrade or Template’.

—- The Phase Controller customizing will be already done with Support Package 8 ———

Choose DEVL as Phase Model which is the relevant model and choose ‘Assign Phase Values to Model’.

Mark the phase ‘TEST’ and choose ‘Assign Actions to a Phase Value’.

Create the new entries…

– TM_CREATE

– TM_REASSIGN

– TM_TR_ASSIGN

– TM_TR_CREATE

– TM_TR_DECOUPLE

– TM_TR_RELEASE

– TM_TT_CREATE

as displayed below. Save the customizing in your transport request.

Remark: If you want to enhance the maintenance cycle, the entries have to be added to teh phase model

MNTCL (SAP0 variant, transaction type SMMN) or MNTMM (SAP1 variant, transaction type SMMM).

2. Go to IMG activity ‘Make Settings for Change Transaction Types’ or transaction SM34 ‘AIC_SETTINGS’.

Select your equivalent ZMCR/YMCR Request for Change (to the SAP standard SMCR), mark it and go to the ‘Copy Control Rules’ area.

Create the relevant entry as displayed below but fill for ‘Source Transaction Type’ your Z/Y Request for Change and as target transaction type instead for the SMTM (Standard Defect Correction) your relevant ZMTM (Customer Defect Correction). Notice that the project type is ‘Implementation Project’. If you want it in the Upgrade and Template project as well you have to create entries for them as well.

Save your changes in the tranport.

     3. CRM Copy Control (to allow creation from a CRM document side)

         In the IMG go to activity ‘Define Copying Control for Transaction Types’

Add the relevant entry as shown below only insert your Z/Y transaction type from the Request for Change as ‘Srce Trans. Type’ and your Z/Y Defect Correction as ‘Tgt Transaction Type’.

Save your changes in the tranport.

If you now create a Request for Change and assign a project type which you choose as project type (implementation, template, upgrade) in part 2.), the Defect Correction is available in the scope of the Request for Change:

4.) The area  ‘Specify Required Status Values for Successor’ part in the IMG activity ‘Make Settings for Change Transaction Types’ does set the predecessor user status (SET_PREDOC functionality) of the Request for Change if the defect correction has user status ‘Completed’ or Withdrawn. I would recomment this customizing so the user status of the Request for Change is set to ‘Implemented’ and the document chain is setting the predecessor user status correctly.

Go to IMG activity ‘Make Settings for Change Transaction Types’.

Select your Z/Y Request for Change transaction type and choose area ‘Specify Status Attributes’.Select user status ‘E0005’Select user status ‘E0005’Select

Select user status E0005 (Implemented) and choose ‘Specify Required Status Values for Successor’.

Add the following entries (the relevant ‘Completed’ and ‘Withdrawn’ user status of your Defect Correction.

So the user status change for the Request for Change is triggered to ‘Implemented’ if the Defect Correction reaches user status ‘Withdrawn’ or ‘Completed’, ‘Change Request Management action ‘SET_PREDOC’ has to be customized as well in the same view cluster, area ‘Assign Actions’.

Choose your Z/Y Defect Correction and choose the area ‘Assign Actions’, then customize the action ‘SET_PREDOC’ for the user status ‘Completed’ or ‘Withdrawn’ (or your equivalent user status).

Hope that helps you to enhance your ChaRM, if you encounter issues, get in touch.

Michael