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Author's profile photo Michael Vollmer

ChaRM Framework: An Overview of Existing Actions

In Change Request Manegement, the ChaRM Framework is some kind of toolset which provides actions and consistency checks which can be assigned to a user status so they get executed.

So, as customers copy the standard transaction types to the customer namespace all of the ChaRM Frameworks actions and consistency checks assigned get copied.

But what if customers want to change the process and adapt it to their need? Documentation of the ChaRM actions and consistency checks is pretty spare in IMG.

If you have read this article (http://www.computerwoche.de/software/software-infrastruktur/2504588/) about SAP Solution Manager it’s pretty clear that customers still need more information. We are aware of this and the blogs I write have already brought some feedback into the official SAP documentation.

This is the next step for bringing together an overview documentation of the ChaRM actions (and in another blog later the ChaRM consistency checks).

As this is a lot of work as you can imagine, I will start with the actions customized and assigned in the SAP standard transaction types first.

The list covers the currently assigned ChaRM actions of the standard transaction types (excluding the actions which call old SAP GUI screens, customized with inactive PPF actions)

  • Request for Change (SMCR)
  • Urgent Change (SMHF)
  • Normal Change (SMMJ),
  • Defect Correction (SMTM)
  • Administrative Change (SMAD)
  • General Change (SMCG).
  • Change Cycles (SMMN, SMMM, SMDM) – do not have ChaRM actions assigned in the standard process

But the goal here is to provide a complete list afte a time.

So, thank you for your feedback if you find errors and have other comments:

List builds up on ST 7.10, Support Package 8.

ChaRM action name This action is used… Relevant and customized for Detail

9CREATE

Internally used to check if the creation of the document is allowed in respect of the change cycle phase. It is customized to the initial user status (exception is the Urgent Change) SMAD, SMMJ, SMTM

AP_PROC_INI

Completely resets an approval procedure which is already approved or is in awaiting approval. The approval procedure will then have the same state as in status ‘In Validation’ as in the Request for Change SMCR

APPR_SCOPE

to set an intenal status for scope items in the Request for Change assignment block. It sets them to ‘rejected’ or ‘approved’. As the scope can be extended and afterwards maybe rejected in the approval procedure process, it is important to save the approval status of each scope item SMCR

CLEAR_EMPTY

Deletes empty transport tasks, meaning transport tasks without objects in it. It checks beforehand wirh the consistency check ‘NO_CHANGES’ if the object list of the transport is empty SMHF, SMMJ, SMTM
CLOSE_TSK_LS Closes the tasklist of the Urgent Change. Prerequisite is that no changes have been done (consistency check ‘NO_CHANGES’ is checked before) SMHF

COPY_ALL

Creates a transport of copies (ToC) out of the transport requests of the change document and transports it into the test system SMMJ

CREATE_HF

Creates the UC task list for the Urgent Change and links it to the Urgent Change (related documents assignment block) SMHF
DISTRIBUTE_W Distributes a Urgent Change SMHF

Customized with PPF action with Implementation HF_EXECUTE_ACTION, delivered inactive

http://scn.sap.com/community/it-management/alm/solution-manager/blog/2013/01/21/distribute-urgent-change-now-possible-in-crm-web-ui

EXT_SCOPE

Marks a scope of a Request for Change as extended (internally) SMCR

IMPORT_PROD

Imports the transport of the Urgent Change into the production system SMHF

IMPORT_TEST

Imports the original transport from the development system of the Urgent Change into the test system SMHF
JSM_SET_STAT

Synchronizes change document status and job documentation status

SMAD specific for job documentation
NAV_BPCA Opens up the Business Process Change Analyzer to create a BPCA Analysis SMCR, SMHF, SMMJ, SMTM

Customized with PPF action with Implementation HF_EXECUTE_ACTION

NAVI_SYS_WEB Logon to the relevant system, depending on the user status SMAD, SMHF, SMMJ, SMTM, SMMM, SMMN

(f.e. if an Urgent Change has status ‘To be Tested’, the relevant system is the quality system). See IMG activity ‘Make Settings for Change Transaction Types’ , area Specify Status Attributes which user status is assigned to which system role type

Custimized with PPF action with Implementation HF_EXECUTE_ACTION

NAV_TASK_WEB Opens a new SAP GUI mode with the opened task list

SMAD, SMHF, SMMJ, SMTM,

SMDV

Customized with PPF action with Implementation HF_EXECUTE_ACTION

PRM_NEXT_IMP

Synchronize landscape of qsystems for preliminary import functionality

SMMJ

available since ST 7.10 SP 5

http://scn.sap.com/community/it-management/alm/solution-manager/blog/2012/06/19/how-to-integrate-the-preliminary-import-functionality-for-customers-with-existing-and-changed-normal-change-user-status-profile-in-solman-71–sp5

http://scn.sap.com/community/it-management/alm/solution-manager/blog/2012/06/19/updated-process-overview-for-preliminary-import

PRM_PROD_IMP

Transports a preliminary Import into the production system SMMJ

available since ST 7.10 SP 5

http://scn.sap.com/community/it-management/alm/solution-manager/blog/2012/06/19/how-to-integrate-the-preliminary-import-functionality-for-customers-with-existing-and-changed-normal-change-user-status-profile-in-solman-71–sp5

http://scn.sap.com/community/it-management/alm/solution-manager/blog/2012/06/19/updated-process-overview-for-preliminary-import

RELEASE_ALL Releases transport requests in the development system SMMJ

RELEASE_REQU

Releases all transport requests in the development system SMHF

Deletes empty requests before releasing

RETROFIT_WEB Starts the Retrofit window in SAP GUI SMHF, SMMJ Customized with PPF action with Implementation HF_EXECUTE_ACTION

SAVE_PARTNER

Saves business partners in respective partner roles. Defines which partner role is filled as current processor depending on the user status all IMG activity ‘Make Settings for Change Transaction Types’ area ‘Specify Partner Assignment and Check’

SET_BO_LINKS

Links the change document to the project cycle (related documents assignment block) all IMG activity ‘Make Settings for Change Transaction Types’ area ‘Specify Partner Assignment or Check’ (old name ‘Use Partner Functions’
SET_PREDOC Checks depending on customizing if the current document triggers a user status change for a prerequisite document. F.e. a ‘Consolidated’ user status in Normal Change sets a Request for Change to ‘Implemented’ if there is no other change document in the Request for Changes’ scope all IMG activity ‘Make Settings for Change Transaction Types’ area ‘Specify Status Setting for Predecessor Documents’

SYSTEM_EXIST

Triggers condition ‘SYSTEM_EXIST’ and checks if scope items specified in the scope assignment block and if the change category and iBase are filled SMCR, (SMCT)
TR_SBOX_POP Opens up the dialog window to create transport of copies SMMJ Customized with PPF action with Implementation HF_EXECUTE_ACTION

Some more information of the ChaRM Framework is avalable here:

http://scn.sap.com/community/it-management/alm/solution-manager/blog/2012/07/31/status-flow-of-the-request-for-change-including-approval-procedure-and-charm-framework

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      2 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Wence Lacaze
      Wence Lacaze

      Excellent, really thanks for this, I will be waiting the Existing Conditions Overview 🙂 😆

      Author's profile photo Michael Vollmer
      Michael Vollmer
      Blog Post Author