NetWeaver 2004: The System is Suddenly Not Working Anymore?

If you can't log-in to your NW4 system - or everything is suddenly becoming pretty slow - you should check the space left in your system's LOG volume. If you don't have a graphical DBM GUI at hand, you can check this by running the following command as nw4adm:

dbmcli -u control,control -d NW4 -USQL c 'sql_execute select logsize - (usedlog) from serverdbstatistics'

The output is in 8 KB pages.

An easy way to avoid this problem, is to set "Log overwrite on", by executing the following command as nw4adm:

dbmcli -u control,control -d NW4 util_execute set log auto overwrite on

Please note: With this setting, the database will overwrite its logs circularly, so the database will be unable to recover, if the DATA volume crashed. When developing a lot with the TestDrive, doing a backup or increasing the LOG volume would be a better solution.

Error Message: "No Start Profiles Found" When Starting the Instance?

After rebooting the test drive machine, your SAP system isn't starting anymore, but saying no start profiles found.

The install script configures an alias for your network card, which is then mapped to a so called "virtual hostname" nw4host (or respectively "si4host"), via /etc/hosts. If the 'startsap' can't find this virtual hostname, it can't resolve the paths to the SAP instance profiles.

SUSE versions newer than SUSE Linux 9.1 are using a different startup configuration for network aliases. Therefore the scripts placed in the directory '/etc/sysconfig/network/' won't work anymore. You will find there a script called 'ifcfg-eth0:0', which contains the configuration of your network alias. Normally look like this:

STARTMODE='onboot'

BOOTPROTO='static'

IPADDR='195.155.155.1/24' (same as /etc/hosts used for host)

DEVICE='eth0:0'

The new SUSE network configuration doesn't look anymore for the eth0:0, but for a script called ifcfg-eth-id-::::: where represents the MAC address of your network card. In this script you can add the following lines:

IPADDR_0='' (same as in /etc/hosts used for host)

NETMASK_0='255.255.255.0'

LABEL_0=0

Afterwards you can restart your network by typing 'rcnetwork restart'. Then you should see in the output of 'ifconfig' a new interface eth0:0 using the specified address. This interface eth0:0 should now also appear after a restart of the machine. The SAP system should now be usable again

How to Protect the User Accounts Created by the SAP on Linux Test Drives?

Our test drives create some users on your Linux system, which are needed for running the SAP system or the database, like <sid>adm, sdb or db2.

Since the TestDrives are designed for easy use - not for high security - we strongly discourage using the test drives on productive or sensitive systems, e.g. machines which get directly connected to the Internet or are attached to bigger LANs. Nevertheless, as a safeguard, you should change the passwords of those users, or even lock them, so nobody can log in.

• Changing the default password:
  e.g. as user root: passwd and set a stronger password.
• Locking the user:
  e.g. as user root: passwd -l . Afterwards you can't directly log-in as this user, but you can still switch to this user via su -

My License Has Expired: How Can I Get and Install a New One?

Before requesting a new license, you need your current hardware key. Section (My license key doesn't work, what's up with it?) describes what to do. With this key you can apply for a new license:

Please follow http://www.sap.com/minisap and fill out the form there using that key and a 90-day license should be emailed to you within minutes. This license can be renewed 7 days before expiry, just apply again by using the same form.

How the new license can be installed depends on which version you are using:

• SAP NetWeaver 7.0 or newer based TestDrives:
  Starting with SAP NetWeaver 7.0 based versions you have to install the license via transaction "slicense" in the ABAP-stack of the system. Therefore upload the license file, which is attached to the mail, to your Linux system, where it can be accessed by the SAP-system. Logon as user SAP* and run transaction "slicense" in the GUI. Follow the button "New Licenses" at the top of the window and press "Install". A file dialog should open where you can navigate to and select the license file.
  Unfortunately the manual way described below isn't working anymore.
  
  
• TestDrives based on versions earlier than SAP NetWeaver 7.0:
  Logon as user SAP* and run transaction "slicense" in the GUI. Press the button "Install" and answer the questions with the values you received with your license mail and enter "DEMOSYSTEM" as your "Inst. Number".
  You can also use the method described in the following.
  
  
• For the SAP Basis 4.6D test drive you have to install the license externally:
  Become user adm and execute
  
  /usr/sap//SYS/exe/run/saplicense -install
  
  and answer some questions:
  SAP SYSTEM ID =
  HARDWARE KEY = (listed in the license e-mail)
  INSTALLATION NO = DEMOSYSTEM
  EXPIRATION_DATE [YYYYMMDD] = (listed in the license e-mail)
  LICENSE_KEY = (listed in the license e-mail)
  
  Please note: The database has to be online to install the new license.

My License Key Doesn't Work: What's Up With It?

The license key depends on a hardware ID, system ID and several other variables. Most likely your hardware key has changed after you applied for an evaluation license. This can happen if you

• installed the demo on another hardware
• changed your hardware setup
• booted into another Linux kernel and have multiple network devices installed

You can obtain your current hardware key and change/update your license key without reinstalling the demo at any time: Become user adm and execute

/usr/sap//SYS/exe/run/saplicense -get

If your hardware key did not change, please double-check your license key. Probably you entered a zero instead of the letter 'O'.