Introduction

This document describes the use of Configuration Validation in the context of SAP Kernel Level validation. The Configuration and Change database (setup via RCA setup) collects for each technical system of type ABAP the currently implemented SAP Kernel level. A Config Store called SAP_KERNEL contains the recorded information about the implemented SAP Kernel level. The example uses a Solution Manager 7.10 where a development System (SD7 as DEV) and an integration system (SI7 as PROD) are connected to as managed systems. 

Where can I find Configuration Validation?

Configuration Validation can be found in the Workcenter Change Management in Related Links. You can start Solution Manager Workcenter either via direct URL link or via the transaction SM_WORKCENTER from the SAP GUI

Which Config Stores are relevant for SAP Kernel level compliance and where can I find them?

You can see the content of Config Stores in the Change Reporting application. Navigate in the SAP Solution Manager to the Root Cause Analysis work center à System Analysis. Then select a required system and start Change Reporting using button .


SAP Kernel implementation is instance specific. Because of this you will find one Config Store with the name SAP_KERNEL for each instance. From the displayed tree select any instance. At the right table there would be displayed the instance specific Stores. Select the Store SAP_KERNEL to display the content.

SAP_KERNEL

The Config Store SAP_KERNEL contains information on the current kernel level. Let us have a look at the examples of SAP kernel level validation using this Store.

Validation of the current SAP Kernel Level of an existing System

It is possible to compare the current SAP kernel level of several systems directly using an existing System as reference system. And it is not necessary to create a target system to get this information.

In our example we are going to validate the current SAP kernel level of the development system SD7 against the production system SI7.

Selecting Reference and Comparison System

To start validation for an existing system we navigate to the Tab “Report Execution” in the main window of Configuration Validation application. In the left part of the section “Reference System and comparison systems” we type in the input field SD7 and deselect option “Only Target Systems” to display existing systems.

In the right part we are selecting Comparison List S7_LINE that includes both SD7 and SI7. If no comparison lists are defined yet, skip this step and select the comparison system in the variable screen afterwards.

Choose a validation template

At the next step we need to select a corresponding report for validation. The report 0TPL_OSMD_VCA2_NCOMPL_CI_REF provides an initial drill down for “non-compliant items only” and all the non compliant configuration items relevant for the SAP kernel level will be displayed in the initial drill down.


After the validation template is selected the validation can be started using the link . You will be prompted to check the input data. It is necessary to insert SAP_KERNEL into the input field Config Store to restrict validation only for SAP kernel level.

Click the button to start validation.

Output

The initial view displays only the configuration items that exist both in the reference and comparison systems but having different values, because the default setting for Compliance is ‘No’. In our example there are two entries that have different values for KERN_DBLIB. For the Target System (SD7) they have the value SQLDBC 7.8.1.007 and for the production system (SI7) they have the value DB6_81.

Note: The Config Store SAP_KERNEL of the CENTRAL instance of the target system SD7 is used as reference.

To display the names of the instances that have been compared click with the right mouse on the entry with the system name and select from the drop-down menu Drilldown > Instance Name


The table will be refreshed with the new column:


Repeat the same step for the instance type (right mouse click > Drilldown > Instance Type)

Validation of based on customer defined Configuration Baseline

In some cases existing systems could not be used as the reference system and it is easier to define a SAP kernel level manually and compare systems against this predefined configuration baseline. In this case we need to create a Target System and modify its content in accordance to configuration baseline requirements.

Creating Target System for SAP Kernel Level validation

To adjust values and parameters for validation example we would create a Target System with a copy of Stores for SAP Kernel Level validation

Navigate to Configuration Validation > “Target System Maintenance” > “Create” and display the system SD7 (type SD7 in the field System ID in the Detailed Selection and click the button ). Filter the stores with the Name SAP_KERNEL (use the first line of the table).

Select all the filtered Stores using the button and click the button to create Target System with these Stores. In the Displayed pop-up provide Target System Name and description for the Target System.



Result: The Target System S7KERNEL is created and the content of Config Stores is copied from CCDB into this Target System.

Edit Target System

After the Target System is created you can edit Store SAP_KERNEL to add restrict the validated components and release level.

Navigate to the Configuration Validation > “Target System Maintenance” > “Edit” and display the created Target System S7KERNEL (type the Target System name in the field Long SID in the Detailed Selection and click Enter button or ). The selected Target System will be displayed at the left side. At the right side the corresponding Stores will be displayed. Select the store SAP_KERNEL to edit its content.


We are going to restrict the validated configuration items and apply operators. For that we select only components that are relevant for SAP Kernel validation for several systems and delete for example database specific parameters using the button (delete unselected items). Finally we have the following list of configuration items to be validated:


In the next step we would quickly change operators for all the entries using the button so that the current values of the configuration items reflect the minimum SAP kernel level for compliance.

In the displayed popup select the row for VALUE field name and choose the operator greater then (>=) and click the button to apply selected operators for all the entries in the store.


The content of the store is refreshed to display the applied operators


(you can click on the button to display some examples of using operators):


Click the button to save the changes in the config store.

Repeat the same steps also for the SAP_KERNEL Store of CENTRAL instance.

Check compliance with a comparison Store

In some cases it is useful to perform a quick test of validation to see if the selected operators and values of Target System provide adequate result.

You can compare the currently selected Store against any other Store both from an existing system as well as from another Target System. Click button from the top tool bar to change Comparison Store (by default the source store is displayed here):


From the displayed pop-up window click the button to display all the Existing Systems that have the Stores with the same name and type as the selected Target Store. From the displayed table select any Store and click the button to perform compliance check with the selected Store.


The table with the store content will be refreshed to reflect the item compliance results as well as the overall Store compliance.


In this example we can see that the kernel release of the comparison system C50 (700_REL) is lower than the value defined in the Target System (720_REL). Because of this the configuration item KERN_REL is marked as “Not compliant”. The configuration item KERN_PATCHLEVEL is marked as “Compliant” because the value of this item in the comparison system (208) is greater than the value defined in the Target System (45)

Select your target system and the validation report

You can preselect the reference system with the current Target System for Configuration Validation via the button in the top menu.


After that you will be navigated to the Report Execution tab and the Target System would be selected as the reference system. Select the list of the systems to be compared (in our case it is FIX_ABAP). The report 0TPL_0SMD_VCA2_NCOMPL_CI_REF provides only non compliant items in the initial result


Click the link to executed validation report.

In the displayed pop-up t the target system S7KERNEL is used as the reference. For ‘comparison systems’ the systems from the comparison list are used.

Select the config store SAP_KERNEL to validate only SAP kernel level from this store and click the button execute.

Output

In the displayed table four items are displayed as non compliant.


The details report that you get via the context menu (right mouse click on the note number) by selecting ‘Goto’ > Config.Validation – Items – Validation Details may help to understand why the comparison system is not compliant related to the selected configuration item.
For example:

This screen shot shows the same results as we have seen in the previous chapter.

Find all Systems with a specific Kernel Release

We can use Configuration Validation application to quickly find all the systems with a specific kernel release. For example it could be done as a preparation for an upgrade project to define potential candidates for upgrade.

Variant 1 – Using Target System

Prepare Target System

For this task we would edit our Target System to provide only one parameter for validation. For that select parameter KERN_REL and delete all the other parameters. For the parameter KERN_REL change the operator to “=”.


Save the Store and repeat this step for the second SAP_KERNEL Store.

Select Reference System

Click on the button to start reporting for the current Target System. The reference system will be automatically filled  for the current Target System.

Prepare dynamic comparison list providing all ABAP systems

We are going to find all the ABAP systems with the SAP Kernel release 720. For that we would use a comparison list that dynamically provides all the systems of type ABAP.

You can create such a dynamic comparison list using the link in the “Report Execution” tab (alternatively you can navigate directly to the tab “Comparison List Maintenance”).


You will be navigated to the tab “Comparison List Maintenance”. In this tab click the button to create a new comparison list.


In the displayed popup window provide list name and description and type ABAP in the field “System Type”. Save the list using the button .


Return back to the Reporting tab via the link (or navigate directly to the “Report Execution” tab):


Select the created comparison list in the right table.


Now we have selected the reference system and the list of the systems to be compared.

Select validation template

Select the operator validation template 0TPL_0SMD_VCA2_CITEMS_REF that shows all the configuration items and start validation using the link


In the popup window all the ABAP systems will be displayed:


…

You can provide SAP_KERNEL in the input field Config Store to restrict validation only for SAP_KERNEL, but since our Target System has only Config Stores with the name SAP_KERNEL it is not necessary. Click the button “Execute” to start validation.


In the displayed table all the systems will be shown independently if they are compliant with the Target System or not. We need to see only compliant systems. For that we will navigate to the Navigation Block at the left side and:


In the displayed pop-up select “Yes” and click the button “Transfer”


Now we have the list of the systems that have the SAP Kernel of release 7.20

Variant 2 – using Configuration Reporting (without validation)

In case you are interested on the information about the release and level it is easier to use Configuration reporting.

In this example we would use Configuration Reporting to display all the systems having a particular SAP Kernel without validation. For Configuration Reporting no Target System is required since we are not comparing systems but displaying data from the Configuration Change Database (CCDB).

Choose a configuration report

Navigate to the tab “Reporting Execution” of the “Configuration Validation” application and select dynamic comparison list created in the previous example (reference system is not required for configuration reporting):


In the bottom part of the screen select in the section “Configuration Reporting” the report 0TPL_0SMD_VCA2_VAR_REP_FLAT to display all the configuration items of the selected systems as a flat table. Execute the link “Start configuration reporting” at the bottom part of the screen.


We know that the configuration data on the SAP Kernel release stored in the Config Store with the name “SAP_KERNEL” in the configuration item “KERN_REL”. Provide this info in the corresponding input fields of the pop-up window and click the button “Execute”:


…

In the displayed table there will be displayed all the systems from the comparison list and their SAP Kernel release. The Host names and the instance names are displayed as well.


To restrict the displayed list only to the systems with the 7.20 SAP Kernel we need to filter the Config. Item Value. Click on the filter icon for the corresponding entry in the Navigation Block at the left side.


In the displayed pop-up window select the required release and click the button “Transfer”

The displayed table will be refreshed to display only the systems with the 7.20 SAP Kernel.