SAP Solution Manager 7.2, the ChaRM scenario has been improved with new architecture and functionalities. To be able to leverage the existing ChaRM configuration in the new environment, this content needs to be transferred. This process is called “content activation”.
We will show what steps are required before and after content activation based on SAP’s best practices.
Important to know:
- The content activation procedure currently only can be executed once. Therefore it is absolutely necessary to choose the right scope
- Activation of Solution Documentation can be prepared well in advance of the upgrade
ChaRM 7.2 NEW Architecture and Infrastructure:
The new architecture will simplify and bring more flexibility to the on going ChaRM maintenance as well better integration and management of Solution Documentation during E2E process -> (Requirements to Deploy).
The new infrastructure has been redesigned and enhanced to allow us Better and more flexible Landscape Support.
What will change?
What Will Stay?
- Overall process and scenarios are kept stable
- User Interface kept stable, only minor adjustments required
- Near zero impact for typical “ChaRM” End-Users
What Will Change?
- New User Interface for Task List (moved to ABAP WebDynpro)
- New general Solution Manager architecture replaces Solar-Project Environment
- New Change Cycle types
What features may reduce existing custom code?
- Release Management
- Enhanced Solution Document Integration (semi-automatic activation of updated content)
- Enhanced IT PPM integration
- New introduced Admin Cockpit (replaces several outdated GUI transactions)
In order to go through a smooth transition to the new release SAP’s recommendation is to follow the 3 steps approach below:
SAP recommends preparing the Content Activation on your up-and-running SAP Solution Manager 7.1 system. This can be done at any point in time and does not affect your productive environment in any way. After the preparation, the technical upgrade to release 7.2 is followed by post-processing Content Activation activities in SAP Solution Manager 7.2.
Preparation:
During the preparation phase you can get familiar with the new concepts in the solution documentation area of SAP Solution Manager 7.2. You then need to identify the projects and solutions of your actual SAP Solution Manager 7.1 environment, which you would like to take over to the new solution documentation environment in SAP Solution Manager 7.2 during the content activation.
- Use the overview report for projects and solutions (SAP note 2161244) to get information on your existing projects&solutions
- Install SAP notes 2045230 and 2045342 to deploy the mandatory preparation guided procedure in your SAP Solution Manager system
- Keep your satellite system up to date: Plan for installing latest plug ins available for ST-PI & ST-A/PI for all the managed system which are part of your existing solution documentation
- Prepare the content activation in advance: The guided procedure in transaction PREPARE_ACTIVATION helps you to define the activation scope before you start the activation process.
ChaRM Content Activation is split in two major steps:
Step 1: Define Scope (pre-upgrade)
- Change Request Management migration can consider ONLY projects with active Cycles and Task Lists
- Which SOLAR- Projects shall be considered for the migration
- It’s an opportunity to redesign and cleanup the change landscape (Logical Components and Solutions) taking advantage of the “NEW” infrastructure -> Solution -> Braches
Step 2: Content Activation (post-upgrade)
Steps that will be executed part of the content activation in ChaRM
Automatic Steps:
- As part of the content activation, Change Request Management will look for Change Control Landscapes with corresponding landscape definitions to the system landscape, which was defined in the Solar-Project before.
- If there are Change Control Landscapes, those will be re-used – otherwise new Change Control Landscapes will be created.
- The job will then create new Change Cycle documents for each selected Solar-Project which has active task lists / Change Cycles. Those will be assigned to the Change Control Scenarios and respective Branches.
- The existing task lists will be re-assigned to the newly created Change Cycles automatically.
- All SMDV and SMMN will be mapped to a “Phase Cycle”. All SMMM will be mapped to a “Continual Cycle”. Each Change Cycle will then get the same status as before.
- After the Cycles have been updated, all open change transactions (Request for Change + Change Documents) will be re-assigned from their former Solar-Project assignment to the newly created Change-Cycles automatically.
- Optional, only in case applicable: Existing references to Processes, Steps or Scenarios in Solutions or Projects will also be automatically updated to the new entity in the related Branch.
- At this point, technically the content activation is already over. However, please be aware of additional manual activities, which have to be checked.
Manual Steps After Activation:
Due to the fact that a new CRM Enhancement Package is part of the upcoming SAP Solution Manager Release, typical CRM upgrade procedures need to be taken into account:
The User Interface requires manual adaption:
- New fields have been introduced – Old fields are obsolete
- Example: Project field, Solution field replaced by Change Cycle field, …
Technical Interfaces and BADIs need to be checked
- Due to architectural changes, existing BADIs or Functions and Methods that rely on Solar Project Environment need to be manually checked and updated
- Effort depends on amount of customer individual adaptions and implementations
Update and Check of existing Custom Implementations: Interfaces to Solar-Environment
Update of customer specific User Interface Configuration required; Replace former Project/Solution fields with new delivered attributes, or copy the SAP standard User Interface Configuration again to customer specific User Interface Configuration and adjust manually.
End-User Education – mostly for Change Managers, Administrators and Release Managers
William Perez – Sr ALM Consultant – CoreALM
