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DoloresCorrea
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

First steps to work with Change Request Management scenario in SAP Solution Manager 7.0


With the following steps you will be able to create a test landscape to practice with the Charm scenario in Solution Manager 7.0 without creating interferences with real TMS landscapes.


Also I will try to give tips and tricks for the common mistakes in the configuration of this scenario.


The configurations given are valid for Solution Manager 7.0 since SP9 and above.


Note: If you have a Solman 7.1 system then see SCN doc First steps to work with Change Request Management scenario in Solution Manager 7.1



Step 1- Create the test landscape


Usually you would like to use Charm to manage the changes in this kind of TMS landscapes:


DEV:100 -->QUA:200 -->PRD:300


The test landscape that I am proposing is this one: your Solution Manager is installed in system SMM for example, and you are configuring client 001 for being used as Charm client, them SMM:001 is your Charm client.


Create three additional clients in SMM, like local client copy from client 000 with SAP_ALL profile (this will need some extra space in SMM system, but not too much), let say you create clients 100, 200 and 300.


We assume that SMM:100 is going to be the Development system, SMM:200 the Quality system and SMM:300 is the Production system.


In SCC4 assign the following client settings, roles, etc. to these clients, this is important!



Customizing role for SMM client 100


Test role for SMM:200


Production role for SMM:300


The indications given for this test case from now on also apply to for your real TMS landscape, to DEV, QUA and PRD system.





Note:


In ChaRM we do support two-system landscape, to use it you should firstly configure the consolidation route in STMS correctly.


Then set up the development system as type of role "Source System", and production system as type of role "Production System" in your project system landscape. In such projects there should be no target system needed.


Please always keep in mind that production system is very special in ChaRM so make sure there is at least one in each of your project.


See that in two-system landscape no test transport will be generated for normal correction SDMJ, since officially this functionality is only designed for test system, see note 1419150 ChaRM: Transport of Copies (ToC) with two-system landscape.



Step 2- Configuration of TMS for this scenario according to Charm prerequisites


In Solution Manager, in client 000, call STMS (the same must be done in the domain controller system of your real landscape)



Note: SMM client 001 does not need to take part of your TMS landscape.


Select Transport Routes icon:



For this test landscape initially you have system SMM and none transport route defined (for a real landscape you will have the three system boxes DEV, QUA and PRD):


Make double-click on system SMM and fill the following values (or in the box of the development system and after in the quality box):


In System Attributes tab: the use of Single transport is a prerequisite for Charm for all the systems in the landscape; you will see this in detail in section Step 3.



In Standard Transport Layer tab: ensure you enter the client 100, (client with customizing role for the development box, client with test role for the quality box).



Create the consolidation transport routes to SMM:200, transport route must be CLIENT SPECIFIC for the use in Charm scenario, this is real important!


From development system to quality system you need at least two consolidation routes, SAP and ZXXX.



Go with the pencil from the system SMM to system SMM and get this pop-up:



I create the consolidation route for transport layer SAP and I do the same to create transport route for transport layer ZSMM (for customer developments).


In case of a real landscape you need to choose from which system to which system and client.



I make the same to create the Delivery transport route from SMM:200 to SMM:300, delivery routes are always from quality to production systems.




Finally you will get the following situation:



Save and distribute the changes:



All the previous work has to be done in the satellite systems in real landscapes.



Step 3- Review of the main configuration points in SPRO


1. All point under SAP Solution Manager -->Configuration -->Basis Settings must be performed.


Especially important point is:


RFC connections from Solution Manager to DEV, QUA and PRD system, don’t forget to create also SM_..._TMW connection to all satellites DEV, QUA and PRD, to clients with customizing, test and production roles, in our example, we will create the RFC connection to 100, 200 and 300. Also to client 000 of all the involved systems, DEV, QUA and PRD systems in our example.


In transaction SMSY:



Also you need to create the RFC connections from Solution Manager SMM:001 to client 000 in the system that is the domain controller of your real landscape, this is really IMPORTANT!!! You will see more information about this in spro point “Generate RFC Destinations to Client 000"


Note: usually the domain controller is always in DEV system as this was the first system in the landscape to be installed. If you move the domain controller to PRD system, as it is recommended, don´t forget to create the RFC connection to client 000 of this domain controller system.


2. In SPRO go to Scenario-Specific Settings-->Change Request Management -->Standard Configuration


General Activities:



2.1. Run “Activate Integration with Change Request Management”


After this check in SM30 that view BCOS_CUST has the following entries:


CHARM         W        NONE CUST620        1.0


CHARM_DEST         W        NONE CUST620        1.0


This means that Charm configuration has been done in this client.


2.2. Activate BC Sets: Check note 903527


Bc Set for Charm: SOLMAN40_CHARM_BASICFUNC_001


 

Under Transport Management System check the following in detail:


2.3. Define Transport Routes for System Landscape: already explain in steps above


2.4 Activate Extended Transport Control: apply this point to all systems in real scenario


2.5 Configure Transport Strategy: apply this point to all systems in real scenario


2.6. Activate TMS Trusted Services: apply this point to all systems in real scenario


2.7. Activate Domain Links: you have to create inter-domain links


If you go to STMS in the solman system you can see that the solman system is in transport domain DOMAIN_SMM for example.



In your real landscape, DEV, QUA and PRD will belong to another transport domain, usually called DOMAIN_DEV.


What you need to do in this spro point is to make these two transport domains known each other, I mean as the solman system is going to call TMS functions in the transport domain of DEV, QUA and PRD, the TMS of solman must know this other transport domain.


From help.sap.com:


To request a link between two transport domains, proceed as follows:


- Log on to one of the two domain controller systems, in solman system for example.


- Call transaction STMS (always being in client 000).


- Choose Overview --> Systems.


The system overview appears.


- Choose SAP System-->Create --> Domain link.



The dialog box Request for Linking 2 Domains appears.



Enter system name, DEV for example, hostname where is installed the system and system number, all this information is in SM51 of this DEV system, if DEV system is the domain controller of your real landscape.


Your SAP System performs the following actions automatically:- Generates the required RFC destinations. - Sends the address data of the controller to the controller in the other domain.After you have to logon in the domain controller, client 000, of your real landscape and confirm the link between these two domains as follows:

- Log on to the domain controller in the other domain.


- Call Transaction STMS in client 000.


- Choose Overview -->Systems. The system overview appears.


- Position the cursor on the domain controller where you requested the domain link, DOMAIN_SMM in our example, and choose SAP Systemà Approve.


- Confirm the prompt and distribute the configuration.


The two domain controllers now exchange all necessary information about the systems in their domains. This information is distributed to all systems in the domain whose controller you are currently logged on to. A transport profile is generated, which contains all systems in both domains.


You have to see something like this in your solman system (called SSM in this real example):



And this in the DEV system (called ED4 in this real example):



To check that the domain link is ok go in solman system and in development system to STMS->transport routes, in the top of the screen you will see that in solman system the systems belonging to the other transport domain appear like boxes and the same if you go to STMS in DEV system, the box of the solman system can be seen.


The information about the systems in the other domain is not automatically distributed to the systems in the domain where you requested the domain link. This means that you must distribute the new configuration to these systems.


2.8. Generate RFC Destinations to Client 000: already explained.


2.9. Add Import Authorization to Operator/Administrator: According to note 913232


"Therefore, the TMS requires that the people responsible for the import (operator or administrators with import authorization) have a user in the client 000 of the target system".


This means that you need to define these users in the client 000 of all target systems involved in the landscape with import authorizations.


Under Change Request Management:


2. 10. Set Project Assignment of Requests as Mandatory: not totally mandatory but this will avoid users creating transport orders directly in development system. All transport orders in development system in your real landscape must be created from the solman system via a Change Request.


2. 11. Maintain Number Ranges: run this.


None of the configuration points under “Extended configuration” are required if you want to use the standard Charm scenario.


Now you are ready to create a project.



Step 4. In Solution Manager go to transaction SOLAR_PROJECT_ADMIN


Please go to http://service.sap.com/rkt-solman


Select SAP Solution Manager 7.0, select Learning Map for Supp Organizations/Serv providers, open Change Request Management section and see the iTutor called:


“Create a Project”


The main points in the creation of a project for Change Request Scenario are:


- Decide if your project is an implementation or a Maintenance project; see the differences in the Solution Manager Documentation. For our test case select a maintenance project.



- In System Landscape Tab

Systems: here you have to enter your logical component

Take into account that all systems that belongs to the TMS landscape must be assigned to the same logical component, because all system must have the

same product version (exception in case of an upgrade).

This means that in the same logical component each system must have assigned a role, you can have a minimum of two systems for Charm scenario but you can have for example 5 systems with different roles in your real landscape.

In our test case you will have this:

 


Always define here the same landscape that you have defined in the STMS of the real landscape, if not the Charm scenario can not be activated. This point is always the point that more problems gives in the activation of Charm scenario!!!


- In IMG project tab: define always a project in the development system ONLY!  You need to define this project in the development system in order to assign to this project all transport orders that you are going to create via a Change request in the solman system, this is a prerequisite for Charm scenario!


See the above iTutor to see how to define this IMG project.


Don’t define IMG projects in other roles, systems, different to development.



 

- In Change Request tab: Select “Activate Change Request Management”


Select Create Task List



Select the name of your Maintenance Cycle also called Project Cycle.







Note: Choose Lock/Unlock Grroup/Subsequent Groups to unlock the tasks in the task list.

If all is working correctly a Task List and a Maintenance transaction type SDMN (called Service Desk Transaction in the screenshot) is being created.



Service Desk Transaction Tab: This tab is not appearing in SP9 but appears in SP13 and above and shows the SDMN document for this project cycle.


The task list is one representative of the cycle and represents the system landscape tracks with tasks to be used by an IT operator for managing project related IT activities, especially imports.


The SDMN transaction represents the service request for managing the phase changes.


In SP9 you went to Task List to Activate the maintenance cycle and also to change the phases of this maintenance cycle, in SP13 and above it are recommended to go to the maintenance transaction directly, via CRM_DNO_MONITOR (select transaction type SDMN) and activate and change the phase via Actions in the transaction directly.


So, phase shifts should be done from within the cycle transaction SDMN but not from within the tasklist.



In case of the Task list in not created please run the Check (transaction /n/tmwflow/charmchk) or go to the Application Log via the button or calling SLG1 directly.


In both place you will get information above the reasons why the Task List and the Maintenance Cycle is not being created.



As summary pay special attention to the following points:


- Ensure that the Logical Component in Systems tab and the TMS information in STMS in the domain controller of your real landscape fits together


- Transport routes must be set client specific


Now is time to check the RKT material, iTutors:


- Regular correction


- Urgent correction


to fully understand the complete process.


When everything in the test scenario is running fine, then you can connect the Production System landscape to Solman system.


This will ensure that you do not stop the TMS in the production landscape.


Update information of Charm can be found in:

907768  “General note for Change Request Management ST 400”

881553  “Roles for Change Request Management (SAP Solution Man 7.0)”

 

For further information about the Charm scenario see also the following SDN blogs:

- Change Request Management scenario: Usual questions and known errors

- Change Request Management scenario: Working examples

- Change Request Management scenario: Retrofit Functionality

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