In order to apply new support packages and kernel patches to a SAP system, several preparation steps are required:
• Checking for new SPAM updates, support packages and kernel patches
• Downloading the new SPAM updates, support packages, and kernel patches
• Preparing the new SPAM updates, support packages, and kernel patches for application
• Applying the new SPAM updates, support packages, and kernel patches
• Mass recompiling all programs used in patched components
Be aware that SPAM/SAINT update and support package application occurs within the SAP system using the SPAM transaction. These corrections are changes to ABAP program code and must be handled in a special way by SAP. Kernel patches, on the other hand, are fixes to SAP executables found on the SAP server. Kernel patches must be applied when the SAP instance is down.
Please refer to the Check for New SPAM Updates, Support Packages and Kernel
Patches.
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Checking for New SPAM Updates, Support Packages and Kernel Patches
To check if SAP has released any new software fixes for your release of SAP, you need to know your current support package and kernel release levels.
The patching process consists of:
- finding you current patch levels
- finding what patches you should be applying
- downloading the patches
- unCARing the patches
- loading the patches into the patching EPS queue
- applying the patches
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Find your Current SPAM Update and Support Package Level
Method One:
1. Log on to your SAP instance, any client.
2. On any SAP screen, click System -> Status…
3. On the System: Status popup, click the Component Information button.
4. On the System: Component Information popup, you will see the support package
level for each component installed in your current SAP instance.
Method Two:
1. Log on your SAP instance, any client.
2. Go to transaction SPAM.
3. On the Support Package Manager screen, turn “on” the radion button beside
the Imported Support Packages in the Directory section of the screen, and
then click Display button.
4. On the OCS Package Directory: Imported Packages screen, you will see a list
of all SAP Support Packages imported into your current SAP instance.
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Find your Current Kernel Patch Level
Method One:
1. Log on to your SAP instance, any client.
2. Go to transaction SM51.
3. On the SAP Servers screen, click on the server for which you need the information and then click on the Release Notes button.
4. On the SAP Release Information from Server screen, look down the SAP R/3
Kernel information section until you find Kernel Patch number. To the right,
you will find the current patch level of your current SAP instance.
Method Two:
1. Log on to the SAP instance sever using a Telnet session as user
2. Change the Telnet windows properties to use a Screen Buffer Size of 9999.
3. At the Linux prompt, type:
disp+work –v
and press ENTER.
4. Scroll back up the listing to where you entered the command in step c.
5. Scroll down the listing untill you find a line beginning patch number. To
the right is the patch number for the SAP instance hosted on this server.
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Find the Most Current SAP Support Packages
It should be noted here that sometimes an older SAP may run on a newer SAP Basis level. For example, CRM 4.0 has a Basis level of a 6.20 instance but runs on a 6.40 kernel. So make sure that the kernel patches you download match the SAP R/3 Kernel located via SM51.
1. Log on to the SAP Marketplace using an OSS ID with Administration rights – http://service.sap.com/patches.
This document is the intellectual property of Jo Spencer and may not be edited without permission.
2. In the navigator tree on the right-hand side of the My Application Components screen. For example, to find new patches for CRM Basis expand as follows:
Support Packages and Patches
My Company’s Application Components
SAP CRM
SAP CRM 4.0
Entry by Component
CRM Server
SAP BASIS 6.20
3. Scroll down the Download screen until you find your current package level. Any support packages after your current level will need to be applied to your SAP System.
4. You may now leave the SAP Marketplace.
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Find the Most Current SAP SPAM Update
1. Log on to the SAP Marketplace using an OSS ID with Administration rights – http://service.sap.com/patches.
2. In the navigator tree on the right-hand side of the My Application Components screen. For example, to find new patches for SPAM/SAINT for CRM 6.20 expand as follows:
Support Packages and Patches
My Company’s Application Components
SAP SPAM/SAINT UPDATE
SPAM/SAINT UPDATE 6.20
SPAM/SAINT UPDATE 6.20
3. Click the Download tab of the SPAM/SAINT UPDATE screen. Find the SPAM/SAINT Update – Version XXX value. If this SPAM version is higher than you current SPAM version, you will need to download and apply the latest SPAM update.
4. You may leave the SAP Marketplace.
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Find the Most Current SAP Kernel Patches
1. Log on to the SAP Marketplace using an OSS ID with Administration rights – http://service.sap.com/patches.
2. In the navigator tree on the right-hand side of the My Application Components screen. For example, to find new patches for CRM 4.0 expand as follows:
Support Packages and Patches
My Company’s Application Components
SAP KERNEL 32-BIT
SAP KERNEL 6.40 32-BIT
Linux on IA32 32bit
ORACLE & #Database independent
3. Scroll down the Download screen until under the File Name column you find SAPEXEDB*.SAR files. Unless SAP has instructer you to use a different
This document is the intellectual property of Jo Spencer and may not be edited without permission.
kernel, the most recent SAPEXEDB*.SAR is the one you need to download. You may leave the SAP Marketplace.
4. Now go to the @Database independent section in the same list as ORACLE was displayed. Scroll down the page until you find the SAPEXE*.SAR that matches the same number as the SAPEXEDB*.SAR you found in the previous step. These two files will give you a complete kernel replace.
5. You may leave the SAP Marketplace.
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Download SPAM/SAINT Updates
1. Log on to the SAP Marketplace using an OSS ID with Administration rights – http://service.sap.com/patches.
2. In the navigator tree on the right-hand side of the My Application Components screen. For example, to find new patches for SPAM/SAINT for CRM 6.20 expand as follows:
Support Packages and Patches
My Company’s Application Components
SAP SPAM/SAINT UPDATE
SPAM/SAINT UPDATE 6.20
SPAM/SAINT UPDATE 6.20
3. To download a SPAM/SAINT update, click on the SPAM/SAINT Update Title hyperlink. Click the Download button. On the File Download popup, click the Save button. On the Save As popup, select a location to store the SPAM/SAINT update and click the Save button. Alternatively, you may add the patch to your SAP Download Manager and download all patches in one batch group.
4. Once you have downloaded your SPAM/SAINT updates, you may leave the SAP Marketplace.
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Download SAP Support Packages
1. Log on to the SAP Marketplace using an OSS ID with Administration rights – http://service.sap.com/patches.
2. In the navigator tree on the right-hand side of the My Application Components screen. For example, to find new patches for CRM Basis expand as follows:
Support Packages and Patches
My Company’s Application Components
SAP CRM
SAP CRM 4.0
Entry by Component
CRM Server
SAP BASIS 6.20
3. To download a support package, click on the package Title hyperlink. Click the Download button. On the File Download popup, click the Save button. On the Save As popup, select a location to store the support package and click the Save button. Alternatively, you may add the patch to your SAP Download Manager and download all patches in one batch group.
4. Once you have downloaded as many support packages as you need to apply, you may leave the SAP Marketplace.
This document is the intellectual property of Jo Spencer and may not be edited without permission.
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Download SAP Kernel Patches
1. Log on to the SAP Marketplace using an OSS ID with Administration rights – http://service.sap.com/patches.
2. In the navigator tree on the right-hand side of the My Application Components screen. For example, to find new kernel patches for CRM 4.0 expand as follows:
Support Packages and Patches
My Company’s Application Components
SAP KERNEL 32-BIT
SAP KERNEL 6.40 32-BIT
Linux on IA32 32bit
ORACLE
3. To download a kernel patch, click on the SAPEXEDB_
4. Now backup a step and instead of clicking ORACLE, click #Database independent. The full path would look like this:
Support Packages and Patches
My Company’s Application Components
SAP KERNEL 32-BIT
SAP KERNEL 6.40 32-BIT
Linux on IA32 32bit
#Database independent
5. This produces a list of database independent kernel patches. Scroll down the Download screen until under the File Name column you find SAPEXE_
6. Once you have downloaded the kernel patch, you may leave the SAP Marketplace.
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Download Other SAP Binary Patches
Unlike SPAM/SAINT updates, support packages, and kernel patches, the storage location for other SAP binary patches can be either SAP Marketplace or sapserv1. SAP Marketplace is the normal respository but if you can’t find your patch there, go look on sapserv1.
***Due to the shutdown of the sapserv1x servers in April, this section has been discontinued. Everything should now to accessible via SAP Marketplace.***
R
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Prepare a SPAM/SAINT Update or Support Package for Application
Once you have downloaded your SPAM/SAINT Update and/or support package(s), they must be moved to the appropriate transport directory and uncompressed.
This document is the intellectual property of Jo Spencer and may not be edited without permission.
1. For a SAP instance, move the downloaded K*.?AR file to the /usr/sap/trans/tmp directory on the SAP Transport Domain Server which is normally the DEV server of a SAP “Flavor”.
2. Log on to the appropriate server as
3. Type the following:
cd /usr/sap/trans ¬
SAPCAR.EXE -xvf “tmp\*.?AR” ¬
This will unCAR all CAR and SAR files in the \usr\sap\trans\tmp directory to the /usr/sap/trans/EPS/in.
4. Log off the server.
5. Log on client 000 of the appropriate SAP system.
6. Go to transaction SPAM.
7. From the menu bar of the Support Package Manager screen, click Support Package → Load Packages → From application server.
8. On the SPAM: Confirm upload popup, click the green √ picture-icon. The progress of the support package loads will show in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.
9. Scroll down the SPAM: Uploading Packages from the file system screen to make sure your SPAM/SAINT update is listed. Use the Go Back icon to return to the previous screen.
10. You may now leave the SPAM transaction.
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Prepare a Kernel Patch for Application
Kernel patches must be applied on the SAP server. The SAP instance must be down before a kernel patch can be applied.
1. Logon the server to be patched as
2. The downloaded SAPEXE*.SAR and SAPEXEDB.SAR files must be uncompressed using SAPCAR.EXE. You can place the SAPEXE*.SAR files in any directory and use the SAPCAR.EXE –xvf “*.?AR” to unCAR the files.
3. You may now leave the server.
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Prepare other SAP Binary Patches for Application
Use the same procedure as Preparing a Kernel Patch for Application.
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Application of SPAM/SAINT Updates
Before you apply the most current SPAM/SAINT, please pull the OSS Note 484219 - Known problems with transaction SAINT in Basis Release 6.20 or for whatever version you are using and review any problems you may have adding the SPAM/SAINT patch.
Once you have loaded the latest SPAM/SAINT update into your support Package manager buffer, you need to apply the update to your SAP system.
1. Log on client 000 of the appropriate SAP system.
This document is the intellectual property of Jo Spencer and may not be edited without permission.
2. Go to the SPAM transaction.
3. From the menu bar of the Support Package Manager screen, click Support Package → Import SPAM/SAINT update. Click the green √ picture-icon to continue.
4. The progress of the SPAM/SAINT update application will be displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. These messages look very similar to the messages generated during a change request transport.
5. When the Restart SPAM popup appears, click the green √ picture-icon to leave the SPAM transaction.
6. Go to the SPAM transaction. You may notice programs compiling in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. This is normal.
7. Once you are again on the Support Package Manager screen, verify that the SPAM status in the Status section of the screen contains a green light.
8. You may now leave the SPAM transaction.
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Application of SAP Support Packages
Before applying any support packages to your SAP system, release all “repair” change requests to prevent error messages due to locked resources. Repairs are usually advanced corrections obtained from SAP Notes that are eventually accumulated into support packages. So the same objects “repaired” in the advanced corrections will be “repaired” during the application of the support package. Releasing the repair change requests allows the support package to overlay the temporary advanced correction “fix”.
Before you apply the most current SPAM/SAINT, please pull the OSS Note 782140 - OCS: Known problems with Support Packages in Basis Rel.6.20 or for whatever version you are using and review any problems you may have adding the SPAM/SAINT patch.
Once you have loaded the latest support packages into your support
Package manager buffer, you need to apply the packages to your SAP
system.
1. Log on client 000 of the appropriate SAP system using a adminitrator user ID that is not DDIC or SAP*.
2. Go to the SPAM transaction.
3. On the Support Package Manager screen, click the Display/Define button to build your import queue. On the Component Selection popup, click on the Comp. ID having support packages you want to install. The component order support packages should be applied is SAP_BASIS, SAP_ABA, SAP_APPL, and PI.
4. A list of all application support packages for the selected component will appear in the Define Queue popup. Select the support packages you want to apply. See SAP Note 782140 for information on restrictions to grouping support packages into queues. The Package ID with the green √ to the left is the highest support package to be placed in the queue. All lower number support packages for this component will be applied as well. Click the green √ picture-icon to confirm the queue.
5. From the menu bar of the Support Package Manager screen, click Support Package → Import queue.
6. On the SPAM: Import Queue popup, read the displayed information and then click the green √ picture-icon to continue.
7. The progress of the support package application will be displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. These messages look very similar to the messages generated during a change request transport.
This document is the intellectual property of Jo Spencer and may not be edited without permission.
8. When the Imported successfully Information popup displays, click the green √ picture-icon to continue.
9. On the Support Package Manager screen, verify that the SPAM status in the Status section of the screen contains a yellow light and the Next action value is Confirm queue. To confirm that your support packages applied completely, click the green √ picture-icon. A Support Package queue was confirmed message will appear in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.
10. You are ready to build another support package queue, or if you have applied all the necessary support packages, you may now leave the SPAM transaction.
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Application of SAP Kernel Patches
*** It is recommended that the /usr/sap/
1. Log on to the appropriate server as
2. Double check that the SAP instance, SAPOSCOL, and SAP
3. To apply the new kernel patch to a R/3 instance, copy the new files into usr\sap\
4. After the new kernel has been copied make sure that the following file ownerships are correct:
All files in /usr/sap/
/usr/sap/
/usr/sap/
/usr/sap/
5. After the successful completion of the kernel patch, you may bring the instance back up and log off the server.
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Application of other SAP Binary Patches
Use the same procedure as Application of SAP Kernel Patches.
SAP BASIS Support Package Interview Questions
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