How to check the kernel and Support Patch Level of your system and ensure that it’s always up to date with the latest patch.
As an engineer analysing an incident one of my first go to tasks is to always check what patches the customer is using. As you may know corrections are now delivered via SAP_Basis support packages or as part of the disp+work package found in the database independent kernel.
Kernel Patch Level
To determine your kernel patch level with your system please use the following steps.
- Click on System > Status.
- Click on “other kernel info”.
- Here, “Kernel release” (e.g. 7.42) and “Sup.Pkg lvl” (e.g. 327) is the most important information related to the ITS.
SAP_BASIS Support Package Level
To determine your support package level with your system please use the following steps.
- If you click on “Component Information” you can see the following.
- Here the SAP_BASIS Support Package level (e.g. SAPKB74014) is the most important information related to the ITS
- From this we can deduce that the system is running SAPKB74014 and kernel 7.42 patch 327
How to Ensure that you are using the latest Support Package and the latest kernel patch.
Open http://support.sap.com/software/patches/a-z-index.html
Click on “K”
- Choose your SAP KERNEL BIT-version (for example “SAP KERNEL 64-BIT UNICODE”)
- Select proper SAP KERNEL release (in this example “SAP KERNEL 7.42 64-BIT UNICODE”)
- Click on the appropriate OS (for example “AIX 64bit”) and select “#Database independent”
- Scroll down in the download area to the line with Title: disp+work package In this line click on the link “info” in the column “Info File”
- A new browser window will be opened. Scoll down to the bottom of this list to see the latest changes in the disp+work package of the SAP Kernel
Once the appropriate fix (SAP Note) has been found, consider the following:
- Please use the latest SAPEXE/SAPEXEDB package
- Then apply the latest disp+work package
- Please also read the SAP NOTE#19466 carefully.
Other useful Notes and SCN wikis
http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/19466
https://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/display/home/ITS-fixes+delivered+in+the+kernel
Hello Gerard,
There are higher releases for Kernel.
Why don't you use 7.44, 7.45 or 8.04 for your system as latest patch?
Is there any specific reason for this?
Regards,
Yuksel AKCINAR
Hi Yuksel,
You need to check the kernel compatibility with PAM. If you are running release 7.40, then depending on the SP version, you can use kernel 7.45.
Kernel 7.44, 8.04 and probably other versions, cannot be used with 7.40.
Regards,
Cris
Well structured and easy to follow, good job Mr Ward.
Hi Gerard,
You can add a new section in your blog, showing how to get to the latest kernel using the new SAP One Support Portal.
Regards,
Cris