Upgrade Process

[Former Member]

Hi experts,

Currently I am working on SAP upgrade, can any body please explain me in detail the developer role after running the transactions SPAU and SPDD. its urgent.

Thanks and regards,

Nirmala

[Former Member]

Upgrade is 'grading up' the version of current software with a higher version of that.

Upgrade, in SAP can be, Kernel upgrade, Database Upgrade, OS Upgrade, SAP Upgrade. ABAP developers play a critical role in the upgrade process. This article will provide an overview of the R/3 Upgrade process from the ABAP developer’s perspective, including new and improved development tools that will make an ABAP developer’s job easier. Also, it will help developer to enter the upgrade process with knowledge of what needs to be done and how you will do it.

The exercise of upgrading an SAP system encourages all of us to become more adept at dealing with system enhancements, SAP standard objects and writing more rigid code. More important, the upgrade experience can help an ABAP developer to gain more comprehensive understanding of the SAP system.

Using this knowledge, developer can craft better development strategies in the future and contribute to building a more robust, efficient and powerful SAP system for the organization.

2. Anatomy of an R/3 Upgrade

An Upgrade and an Implementation, both types of projects require a good deal of planning, are major capital investments and are often driven by high-level business requirements. Where they differ is that an Upgrade Project, unlike a shiny, new Implementation, must accommodate the existing R/3 system and all its custom development activities.

Why Upgrade?

1. Upgrading to Higher Version introduces lots of wonderful new features & enhancements to the current R/3 environment.

2. Non-availability of SAP support to older version.

3. Ease of Integration with Internet Technology and mySAP.com. Wide range of ABAP tools & developments.

4. Upgrade gives a holistic view of the current SAP installation. It is an excellent opportunity to remove obsolete objects; improve, organize, document existing ones; and get rid of unnecessary modifications.

5. Upgrade allows maintaining the integrity of existing custom developments objects and modifications that are required to retain in the post-upgrade environment.

6. Gives improved Graphical User Interface (GUI).

In other words, one can implement new software of target version instead of upgrading the existing version to target version. But the new installation does not have the current custom developments & current data. You need to take extra efforts to bring up your new installed system to the level of the current system; which is not the right method to approach the higher versions.

4. Roadmap of an Upgrade Project

The focal points of the four phases of an Upgrade Project are, -

1. Preparation: Create a project plan for upgrade. Make your current system environment ready for upgrade. The most important activity during this phase is preparing an inventory of custom development objects.

2. Upgrade Development (DEV) system: When upgrade, existing R/3 Repository is overwritten with a new one (i.e. the entire ABAP workbench library of ABAP programs, screens and menus, data dictionary, etc.). A standard R/3 Repository is imported into the system that allows retaining the custom development objects and modifications.

3. Upgrade Quality (QAS) system: This step enables to exercise the process to upgrade the system. Import the changes made in the DEV system and perform the necessary testing in a controlled environment to verify the modifications made.

4. Upgrade Production (PRD) system: “Go live” and Support. Again import all the changes consolidated in the DEV system to the PRD system and monitor some critical processes in the system that relates to the development objects.

For Functionality Differences pls refer to the below site -

http://solutionbrowser.erp.sap.fmpmedia.com/

After opening the site, please select the Source Release Version which is 4.6 b Then Select the Target Release Version which is "mySAP ERP 2005" or ECC 6.0

Select the Solution Area like Financials, Human Capital Management, Sales....

Select module like MM, PP, SD, and QM.....

Click on Search

then it displays the Release Version and the Delta Functionality. Which can be downloaded to a word document if required.

Hope this is helpful, Do reward.

[Former Member]

Tcode SPDD is for Adjusting Database Dictionary Objects, e.g. tables...

Tcode SPAU is for adjusting programs and Function Modules.

SPAU , will identify any objects where the hot package is overwriting changes you have made through OSS notes.

You must check all objects identified in SPAU and decide whether you need to reapply the OSS note or reset the code to the original SAP Code.

If, for instance, you are applying hot package 34, SPAU identifies an object where you have applied an OSS note. You must check the OSSs note and see if SAP have fixed that note in a hot package.

If the OSS note has been fixed in hot package 34, then you should reset the object to its original source code. This means that there is no repair flag set against this object again and it is now SAP standard code.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/2e/6d66617d9011d396b60000e82de14a/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw2004s/helpdata/en/60/d6ba7bceda11d1953a0000e82de14a/content.htm

Reward points...

[Former Member]

Hi,

During an upgrade or the import of an Support Package, existing objects of the SAP standard are overwritten with the objects redelivered. To help the customer retain the objects modified in a previous release, SAP provides all modified objects which are redelivered (in an upgrade or Support Package) in the upgrade adjustment of transactions SPAU and SPDD. These transactions allow customers to enter their modifications into the corresponding new objects being delivered at upgrade. The Modification Assistant supports this process of adopting customer modifications.

In the past, all objects modified by a customer and delivered again by SAP, an IBU or an SAP partner, had to be manually re-modified during an upgrade. Now, modifications are either automatically adopted or the system provides you with an assistant for adjusting your modifications to the newly upgraded configuration.

In general, objects altered using the Modification Assistant can now be automatically accepted into the upgraded system if the modifications undertaken in the original version do not directly overlap those made in the customer version. If collisions occur between the two versions at upgrade (naming collisions, or if SAP has deleted an object modified by a customer), the system offers support during the upgrade, which means that a semi-automatic adjustment is made. In some cases, however, you may still have to manually adjust objects using ABAP Workbench tools.

Objects modified according to the old system used prior to the advent of the Modification Assistant must be manually maintained after an upgrade has been run.

Use transactions SPDD and SPAU during an upgrade to select these objects and modify them manually.

Transaction SPDD allows you to adjust modifications to ABAP Dictionary objects during an upgrade.

Transaction SPDD

Transaction SPAU allows you to adjust programs, function modules, screens, interfaces, documentation, and text elements after an upgrade.

Refer to the following links .... You will get more info

ABAP Dictionary Objects --> All Data Dictiaory Objects like tables, Structures etc.,

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/2e/6d66587d9011d396b60000e82de14a/frameset.htm

ABAP Repository Objects - Program Includes, Function groups, Function modules etc.,

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/2e/6d66587d9011d396b60000e82de14a/frameset.htm

Hope this helps ... reward if useful

Jagadish.