Introduction

This document describes the use of Configuration Validation in the context of ABAP parameters. The Configuration and Change database (setup via RCA setup) collects for each technical system and its instances of type ABAP the information about the parameter used by the SAP system. The source is the content of the table PAHI. We store and track the parameters, but not the database parameters in the Config Store ABAP_INSTANCE_PAHI. For database parameters other Config Stores and sources are used.

The example uses a Solution Manager 7.10 where the integration system (SI7 as PROD) is connected to as managed systems. More information and details about Configuration Validation are available at service.sap.com/changecontrol.

Use Case:
The runtime of a daily job has sometimes a long runtime. Most of the daily runs are quite fast. Investigating the symptom it was found out that the long runtime is related to one definite instance on which the job is running.

The configuration validation can help to identify parameters which have a value that is different from other instances.

Where can I find Configuration Validation?

Configuration Validation can be found in the Workcenter Change Management in Related Links

Where can I find the used config stores and have a look at the data?

 Workcenter Root Cause Analysis (RCA) à System Analysis à Change Reporting

The extraction of the data is scheduled as soon as a “Root Cause Analysis Set Up” has been performed for a system. As the Config Store ABAP_INSTANCE_PAHI is related to an instance in change reporting it is assigned to an instance, too. Our example SI7 has a ‘Central’ and a ‘Dialog’ instance.

ABAP_INSTANCE_PAHI contains information about items that contain values of parameters, but also paths. To avoid the validation of paths which cannot be compliant, you can delete these items from the target system.

Preparation

In order to perform all configuration validation examples it’s most convenient to create a target system upfront. Configuration Validation à Target System Maintenance à Create
Enter your source system, press ENTER, enter ‘ABAP_INSTANCE_PAHI’ as filter (Config Store, Name column) and after that display the ‘Store Details’:


With the help of the ‘Store Details’ information you can decide which config store you would like to have as target. In our example ‘ABAP_INSTANCE_PAHI’ of the ‘Dialog’ instance:

‘Create Target System from selected Stores’, enter System ID and Description and Save:


Result: the target system BP_PAHI1 is created.

Edit the target system BP_PAHI1:

It is possible to reduce the number of configuration items and to adjust the content, e.g. remove the items that contain paths. If you like to use the target system as it is, skip this step.

Click on the store name ABAP_INSTANCE_PAHI.

Enter ‘DIR*’ in the filter cell of the column ‘Parameter’ and press ENTER.

Mark the lines  and delete all selected items at once .


Save it .

Select and delete other items. For the remaining items you can also adjust values.

Comparison of ABAP parameters

Select your target system and the validation report

The report 0TPL_0SMD_VCA2_NCOMPL_CI_REF provides only non compliant items in the initial result.

Selection

As reference system the target system BP_PAHI1 is used. Select the system SI7 as comparison system. Of course you can validate many more systems. A comparison List – in the former screen shot SI7 – will help to reduce the effort, if you need the same systems for comparison more often.
Select the Config Store ABAP_INSTANCE_PAHI (only necessary, if also other config stores added to the target system) and execute.

Our example shows that 151 items have the ‘No’ in the column ‘Compliance’.

The screen shot shows lots of items that have the name of the instance as part of the value. These are most probably not relevant for our use case, but may be the parameters abap* and em* highlighted in the screen shot. This example shows also that the configuration validation can only find non compliant items. It cannot say whether these are relevant for the performance issue of our use case.
To reduce the number of items the prefixes of some important parameters can be entered in the variable screen to restrict the Configuration Item:

In the initial result screen open the Navigation Block and press the trash icon next to Config. Item. This has to be done, because this report is defined to do an additional filtering of items, but none of the items fits exactly to e.g. ‘abap*’:

The result area displays in our example 23 items / parameters. All items are related to one instance, which is shown after the drill down. To display the instance information drill down the characteristic ‘Instance’. In the Navigation Block press the drill down icon:

Result:

How to get more details and history of an item

The column ‘Goto’ offers a link to the change reporting, which is opened in a new window and displays the changes of the Config Store items of the last 28 days.

This click opens a new window:

The change reporting is called using a restriction on items that had been changed the last 28 days. Our result shows six changed items. Click on a history icon to get the information about the change applied.

To display all item please deactivate ‘History filter’.

You can find the meaning of a parameter using transaction RZ11 or at help.sap.com.