Using SAP Basis Monitoring to Improve Your SAP Environment

It takes lots of effort, time, and resources to implement SAP. Companies go for this quality software and then integrate logistics, human resources, finance and inventory, and so much more into the Sap environment. Therefore, it makes sense to ensure that the system runs optimally, and the organization gets the most out of it. SAP Basis Monitoring checks the performance and health of the SAP landscape. It also helps that organization keep track of the performance of their mission-critical applications, databases, and file systems as well as SAP instances and ensure that everything is running right.

Why Is It Important to Invest in Monitoring?

An SAP system is a complex system that multiple users access at the same time. This creates a perfect opportunity for something to go wrong. Given that most of the operations at the organizations are based on the system, any downtime is likely to have severe operational and financial consequences to the organization.

Research by Garner found that system downtime costs large companies up to $5,600 a minute. If the downtime took hours to resolve, such businesses could hemorrhage millions of shillings in a day. To avoid this, many companies have an IT SAP (Basis) team that does daily SAP monitoring. There are also software options like Avantra’s – https://www.avantra.com/sap-basis-monitoring to help monitor and handle likely problems long before they occur.

Besides, the SAP system controls critical aspects of the business, including first accounting books, customer data, and planning information. The business may be in trouble if this information falls into the wrong hands. It is important to monitor the system for threats that may compromise its security and act before threat actors pounce on the system.

Is SAP ABAP the same as SAP Basis?

ABAP stands for Advanced Business Application Programming and is the most popular programming language for many SAP applications. These programs run on the Netweaver ABAP application server. On the other hand, SAP Basis is the SAP version of a typical system administration. SAP Basis team ensures that the SAP application server is properly configured and all applications are running as they should. Therefore, it enables all SAP applications to run smoothly. SAP ABAP complements SAP Basis. Basis acts as a conduit that connects the computer operating system to ABAP. In fact, Basis enabled ABAP code to run on various systems. These two should work together in a SAP environment to help your organization meet its goals.

What Do You Monitor?

There are three areas that require monitoring on an SAP system. They include SAP systems, critical tasks, and databases. The monitoring frequency differs among these three. Some need checking every few seconds, several times a day, while others may need checking in a day or so. Here is a quick look at each.

Critical Tasks

There are only two major critical tasks. The first is checking that the R/3 system is available to all users, while the second is ensures that daily backups are executed accurately.

SAP System

Several SAP systems need to be monitored daily. Here are some.

• Ensure that every application servers are running effectively
• Ensure all work presses are running (they are marked ‘waiting’ or ‘running’)
• Check the Global Work Processes (Ensure none exceeds 1800 a second)
• Check update terminates or failed updates
• Do a last log review for database problems, security messages, and errors. Ensure that you investigate them all and rectify where needed.
• Review all canceled jobs
• Check old lock entries, especially where resources are required by multiple users.
• Review the security system for users. Review any unknown users or anyone using a different ID in a section
• Check for spool jobs. Any tasks that have been showing ‘in process for over an hour need checking.
• Check the system’s job log for incorrect or new jobs.
• Check and resolve any dump. If you find high numbers of dumps, make an inquiry.
• Check if there are swaps at buffer statistics.

Databases

Databases are the base from which you run your business. They should be secure and contain accurate and accessible information at all times. Database check is one of the daily monitoring tasks that you should carry out in your SAP system. Review error log several times a day to determine if there are any problems and deal with them. You should also check for database growth. Any tablespace that is more than 90% used should have a new data file added to it. Besides, rebuild any missing indexes on your database. Finalize your check-up by examining the database log.

Basis Daily Monitoring T-codes

Here are transaction codes to help monitor the areas discussed above:

• DB02 Database Growth and Missing Indexes.
• DB12 Check daily backup for errors during execution.
• DB13 Check the Database Statistics log.
• SM12 Check “old” locks for action
• SM13 Check if there are failed updates.
• SM21 Take a look at the system log.
• SM37 Review any canceled jobs.
• Look at the job log.
• SM50 Look at work processes.
• SM51 Review all application servers to ensure they are up.
• SM66 Global Work Process overview.
• SP01 Check system for spool issues
• ST02 Review the system buffer statistics
• ST04 Review system error log for issues
• ST22 Review dumps and resolve them
• SMQ1 QRFC Administration for outgoing queues
• SMQ2 QRFC Administration for incoming queues

Technical SAP monitoring is the way to go to ensure that all the SAP processes run without a hitch and improve performance. As said earlier, the financial and operation cost of downtime, security breaches, and internal conflict in your SAP system is huge. Therefore consider getting an expert SAP health assessment so that you can run your business in confidence.