Exploring the “Switch expert mode on” feature during Upgrades and EhP implementations

     This Wiki Article explains a feature from SUM tool (Software Update Manager) called Switch expert mode on, which, when enabled, make several options available to customize and optimize the upgrade process.

     On the initial steps of the upgrade, SUM stops in phase PREP_CONFIGURATION/INITSUBST asking for some customers inputs, as seen below:

     By checking this option, you will be able to:

• adjust manually the Support Packages set to be imported in phase BIND_PATCH, even if this is not necessary;
• change the shadow instance host (providing the ability to use a remote shadow instance) and shadow instance number (which is automatically generated);
• remove installed languages or their respective components that SUM does not find the appropriate DVD;
• use saved profiles from a previous update for the shadow instance.

     You can find this information on the SUM guide. As of August/2015, the latest version is SUM 1.0 SP13. It is described on page 56, on the following link (ABAP only, Windows X64 + Oracle):https://websmp104.sap-ag.de/~sapidb/011000358700000783582011E.     

     Please select the appropriate guide according to your system needs (ABAP+Java or Java only) here.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION!

     The Near Zero Downtime (nZDM) feature is available only if the ADVANCED mode is selected (as it is on the screenshot above), as seen on the guide:
   

“The Software Update Manager (SUM) is equipped with the near-Zero Downtime Maintenance (nZDM) technology. This technology includes features in the Advanced preconfiguration mode settings to minimize the Business Downtime while applying …“

     This is the screen you get for the Near Zero Downtime feature in SAPGui. nZDM is a feature introduced recently in SUM aimed to reduce the overall downtime during upgrade. Please refer to note #1678565 for more information about it, as well as the following links:

• Near-Zero Downtime Maintenance for SAP Business Suite Systems
• Mantaining Systems Near Zero Downtime

     Regarding the parallelism feature:  you can always select the number of processes for the different processes, independent of the Preconfiguration mode selected or the selection (or not) of the Expert Mode.

Please refer to note #1616401 for complete information about this feature within SUM, SPAM, SAINT and other tools.

     If you have not selected ADVANCED, you’ll be prompted to select the number of parallel process and proceed to the option to select a different host to run background jobs, or let the tool select one automatically. The system will list as many hosts as available, just make sure to have directory ../SUM/abap mounted on the selected server! Also note that, during downtime, the background jobs will be started mandatory on the Central Instance (or Primary Application Instance), and any other background host will be shut down. Please refer to these HELP.SAP links to ensure your background server is correctly configured:

Activating Background Processing

     You can also select to use the “Memory Optimizer Activator” feature. Please refer to note #1630256 for its complete explanation and usage.Regarding the “Downtime-minimized” strategy, if you opt to run the shadow instance on a different host, please make sure you have a working HARDWARE KEY, as explained in note #1867710.

     Then you have the option to select the remote shadow instance, in case you have opted to run it on a different host. Enter the hardware key as explained on the note above.

     On the next screen you have the ability to use ICNV (Incremental Table Conversion) to perform table adjustments (conversion) during the uptime. Incremental table conversion lets you perform conversions before the upgrade downtime portion, that is, during production operation (uptime portion). The benefits of this procedure are the reduced overall downtime, simpler conversion back to SAP standard for modified tables and conversion of large tables without affecting production operation. Please refer to this HELP.SAP link for more information about ICNV.

     ==> BEWARE that if you use nZDM, ICNV will be switched off automatically by SUM!  <==

     Also you have the option to update the Dialog Instances during the upgrade, if you mark the checkbox “Update Dialog Instances”. In older releases you had to reinstall them using the installer tool (sapinst).

     You also have the option to select the SGEN strategy and its number of parallel process:

    Beware that running SGEN during upgrades is different than running it after the procedure. If you opt to run SGEN afterwards, you’ll have more options to set it up and configure it according to your needs. Please refer to the following links for more information:

• SAP System Load Generator (SGEN)
• Using the SAP Load Generator

      Lastly, you can uninstall any non-standard languages from your system in phase LANG_SELECT, by just unselecting them, as seen below:

Troubleshooting

     In case you want to rectify values you entered earlier on, you can stop SAPup and restart it with some options that will enable specific parameters to be reedited.     Please proceed as follows:

1. Stop the upgrade program by choosing “Update -> Stop update” from the main menu of the installation GUI;
2. Choose “ABAP-> Start With Options” from the menu;
3. Enter the desired command and press “Execute”. Check below the list of available commands and what they do;
4. After you have changed the parameters, restart the program

–> Options

SAPup set confpar
this option will allow you to enter again the Archive Mode option, Number of parallel processes and option to Update the Dialog Instances:

     You can also run this command directly on the OS level, you’ll be able to reenter these values. The only difference is that there will be no SAPGUI.