Purpose

 This page helps to understand the modification adjustment  process including SPDD and SPAU transactions in updates using Software Update Manager (SUM)  

Overview 

Customer defined objects are developed in customer namespace and are thus not affected or overwritten by upgrades. In the case of SAP objects, as part of an upgrade or Support Package import, SAP may provide new versions of existing SAP objects. If customer have modified SAP objects in a previous release, it is necessary to perform modification adjustment in transaction SPDD and SPAU to retain these modifications

There are five types of SAP system changes:

Customizing : Involves setting system business parameters using special Customizing transactions. Changes are scheduled and organized in advance. Customizing is mandatory before using the SAP system in a live environment. Do not confuse with technical parameters from transaction RZ10!

Customer developments : Creation of customer-specific objects according to naming conventions.

Enhancements : Customer changes to SAP Repository objects without the need for modifications.

Modification: Customer-specific changes to SAP Repository objects. When SAP objects are changed, the customer version has to be modified to match the new SAP version.

Advanced correction : Apply bug fixes from SAP directly to the SAP system.

Modification : Yes or No ?

Modifications that need adjustment :

1. Manually implemented advanced correction in accordance with a SAP Note.
2. Adjustments of customer beyond customizing ( repair )
3. Customer transports ( <SID>K9* )

No Modifications : 

1. Advanced correction with SAP transport will probably be part of a new release
2. SAP Support Packages
3. SAP Add-ons

Classification of Modified objects to be adjusted : 

1. Without modification adjustment, you would lose all modifications you made to objects that conflict with SAP modifications when you upgrade the system. The modification adjustment lets you make your modifications to the appropriate new objects in the upgrade. 
2. You can identify modifications as repairs to the SAP standard or as imports of SAP objects. Requests in the customer namespace (number range 900000 to 9ZZZZZ) “modify” the SAP objects included in them. All other requests are dealt with as preliminary corrections. 
3. The ABAP Dictionary objects (tables, data elements, domains, and so on) can be adjusted during Productive operation before the activation of the ABAP Dictionary. The adjusted objects are collected in a repair that is released to a transport request. You should not release this transport request; instead it must be flagged for export in transaction SPDD. Towards the end of the upgrade, SUM exports this transport request into the transport directory /usr/sap/trans and then registers it for transport in the file umodauto.lst. 
4. Repository objects (reports, screens, and so on) are adjusted toward the end of the upgrade, during downtime. At this stage, the import of SAP objects has already been completed. However, the old, modified version is still available in the versions database. As with ABAP Dictionary objects, all adjustments are released to a transport request that is noted and then exported and registered by SUM.

All ABAP Dictionary objects that have been modified by customers must be compared to the new SAP standard during this upgrade process. To avoid loss of data and table fields that customers may have created, conflicting structures must be merged before the mass activation of ABAP Dictionary objects in the upgrade process. If objects need to be adjusted, use the transactions SPDD and SPAU/SPAU_ENH. All modifications made by customers are then merged with the new SAP object versions to retain data; otherwise, the new SAP version will be activated and data may be lost. The activation takes place on the shadow instance. When the upgrade is completed, the SAP system is successfully running at the new release level. Customer-developed objects and modifications have been preserved

SPDD

Transaction SPDD allows you to adjust modifications to ABAP Dictionary objects during an upgrade or support package import. You must complete all modification adjustments before continuing with the import. If you do not do this, modifications to dictionary objects will be lost. This can lead to data loss. The following objects are handled in SPDD:

1. Domains
2. Data elements
3. Tables (structures, transparent tables, pooled and cluster tables including their technical settings, indexes of transparent tables)

Changes to other ABAP Dictionary objects such as type groups, table types, views, search helps and lock objects cannot result in the loss of data. These objects are not handled by transaction SPDD, but by transaction SPAU in the post processing of the upgrade.

SPDD provides the following functions :

Display : Within individual packages or corrections, the objects are displayed according to type. To view a changed object, select it with a double-click. You are automatically shown an overview of all existing versions of the selected object.

Comparing old and new versions : Selecting an individual object lets you view all existing versions of the object stored in version management. The display is the same as the one with which you are presented when you compare two objects in version management. The information reflects the status of the objects after their activation. For example, a comment in a table field indicating deletion means that the field will be deleted after activation, provided no maintenance is carried out beforehand.

Maintenance : Transaction SPDD lets you compare the most important attributes of old (modified) and new (SAP standard) versions of domains and data elements. This helps you to decide how to proceed. Perform the adjustments required in transaction SE11, preferably in a second window.

Reset to original : If, after comparing the results of the analysis, you conclude that you do not wish to retain previous modifications, choose Reset to original for the object in question. For example, you may need this function if you have patched an object by hand. When SAP delivers the same patch together with other corrections in the next upgrade, you can return to the SAP standard because you no longer need your own modification.

Marking objects as processed : To facilitate work with the generated object list, you can assign the status Completed to each object. Selecting the function changes the status of the object and indicates this by highlighting it with a different color. The completed flag is meant only to assist you in organizing your work and has no other internal function.

Marking for Transport : The Select for transport function helps you to adjust other SAP systems.

Known Error Symptoms and Solutions in SPDD Phase

SPAU

Transaction SPAU allows you to adjust repository objects. The following objects are handled in SPAU:

1. Notes
2. Programs
3. Function modules
4. Screens
5. Interfaces
6. Documentation
7. Text elements

Notes should be adjusted before adjusting the rest of the modification to avoid errors in Note implementation due to modifications.

You have the following 2 options :

1. Adjust all modifications before continuing with the import. This is recommended if you only need to adjust a small number of objects.
2. Perform the modification adjustment and the remaining phases in parallel. This is recommended if you need to adjust a large number of objects.

Automatic adjustment : Customer modification can be automatically adopted. Clicking on the icon causes the system to automatically adjust the object (only With Modification Assistant category).

Semi-automatic adjustment : Semi-automatic means that each tool will individually offer you support during the adjustment process. When adjusting programs, the split-screen editor is called, whereas in the other tools any entries made in the collision dialog box lead to the necessary adjustments being made automatically. As with the green traffic light, the semi-automatic adjustment icon only appears in the With Modification Assistant category.

Manual adjustment : Objects in the Without Modification Assistant category have to be adjusted manually by re-implementing the modifications in the corresponding ABAP Workbench tool. Manual adjustment means that you have to make adjustment manually. Please use the corresponding workbench tool to edit the object. You can also use Version Management, to retrieve old versions. In rare cases, the red traffic light may also appear in the With Modification Assistant category.

Unknown adjustment mode: The adjustment mode (manual, semi-automatic, automatic) for at least one of the objects in question could not be determined for modification adjustment with the

Modification Assistant. If this is the case and you start transaction SPAU, a dialog box informs you that you can start a background process by choosing the appropriate button, which determines the adjustment modes for all objects.

Reset to original: If you choose Reset to original for an object displayed in the overview, no modifications are adopted for this object. The original is the version that was last imported into the

SAP R/3/ECC system during the upgrade or an SAP Support Package.

MODIFICATION ADJUSTMENT DURING UPGRADE

Modification Adjustment on the first system (Development system)

1. In Phase ADJUSTCHK  a list of objects ABAP Dictionary objects need to be adjusted  is determined (../SUM/abap/log/UMODPROT.<SAPSID>  ).
2. In Phase ACT_UPG  you are prompted to do the SPDD adjustments. Depending on the chosen preconfiguration mode, you have to do this either on the normal instance  (SINGLE  mode) or on the shadow instance  (STANDARD  and ADVANCED  mode).
3. The adjusted SPDD objects must be saved in a Workbench request  (SE01)!
4. Do only adjust the objects, but do not activate  them in SE11 manually!!!
5. You must release the tasks  of the SPDD request, but NOT the transport request  itself.
6. Instead, you must flag the transport  in transaction SPDD using button 'Select for Transport'  .
7. If you're sure all ABAP Dictionary objects have been adjusted, continue  in SUM by choosing "Adjustments made, continue with procedure".
8. In Phase SPAUINFO  you are prompted to do the adjustment on the modified or enhanced repository objects as well as SAP notes.
9. All changes must again be saved to a new Workbench request  (SE01)!
10. Towards the end of the update, the Software Update Manager exports  the request (in phases UEXP_SPDD and UEXP_SPAU  ) to the transport directory DIR_TRANS and updates the file umodauto.lst  .
11. There is a 14-days-period  to adjust the SPAU objects without a SSCR key  . This period cannot be extended and is only relevant for objects touched by packages included in the current SUM! Objects which where in SPAU before SUM started do not have this benefit! Please read also the SAP KBA  1705730 - SPAU adjustment after 14 days of upgrade  

Modification Adjustment on the next systems (Quality/Productive system) :

1. In Phase ADJUSTPRP  SUM automatically searches for adjustment transports  from previous upgrades (<DIR_TRANS>/bin/umodauto.lst  ) Here you can select the proposed transport requests  or add the SPDD and SPAU transport requests manually  .
2. In Phase ADJUSTCHK_TRANS  , ADJUSTCHK_EHPI  or ADJUSTCHK_UPG  the Dictionary objects needs to be adjusted will be determined (see log file UMODPROT.<SID>)
3. In Phase ACT_TRANS  or ACT_UPG  the number of objects to be adjusted  is displayed as well as the number of automatically adjusted objects  by your SPDD request.
4. Preconfiguration mode STANDARD and ADVANCED only: If you missed to add an adjustment transport in ADJUSTPRP  and you are already in ACT_UPG  phase, there is still a workaround to import a SPDD request (see SAP note 610311  )
   
   Stop SUM/SAPup and execute the below command: > SAPup importshd <SPDD request>
   Logon to shadow system and execute SE38 -> report UPGACTKORR  (with parameter the<SPDD request>)
5. Double-check  transaction SPDD  that all objects are correctly adjusted  ! If it is not the case, continue as described above under "Modification Adjustment on the first system (Development system)"
6. Continue in SUM ... until Phase SPAUINFO  . There the number of modified repository objects to be adjusted  is displayed.
7. Double-check  transaction SPAU  that all objects are correctly adjusted  ! If it is not the case, continue as described above under "Modification Adjustment on the first system (Development system)"

Related SAP notes/KBAs

SAP note  2168190 - Recent Changes and FAQs for Transaction SPAU

SAP KBA 1970888 - HowTo: SPDD/SPAU handling during the Update/Upgrade

SAP KBA  1705730 - SPAU adjustment after 14 days of upgrade 

SAP note     68678 - Exporting modification adjustment for second upgrade

SAP note   610311 - Importing modification adjustment in second upgrade

SAP note   546801 - FAQs: Modification adjustment

SAP note 1668882 - Note Assistant: Important notes for SAP_BASIS 730,731,740, 750

SAP note   875986 - Note Assistant: Important notes for SAP_BASIS up to 702

SAP note  2323877 - Object transport assignment in SPAU

  Related documentation

Mass Reset of obsolete notes in SPAU

SPAU entries for roles

(Un)lock the Standard Instance

How can I lock, unlock the shadow instance

Help portal:  Note Status in SPAU

Help portal: Adjusting Modifications

Help portal: Including Modification Adjustment Transports