SAP SUPPORT PACKAGE & ADD-ON UPDATE
SAP Support Packages contain quality improvements for the SAP system or make necessary adjustments, for example due to legal changes. Each Support Package is valid for exactly one release status and requires a precisely defined number of predecessors. The Support Package Manager ensures that Support Packages are only imported in the specified order. In order to prevent problems, it is important to install support packages at regular intervals. This means your system landscape can be kept up to date.
automatics offers the option of fully automatically updating and importing support packages and SAP add-ons via the Support Package Manager (SPAM/SAINT).
UPDATE OF THE SPAM/SAINT COMPONENT
SAP recommends always installing the latest version of a SPAM update before installing support or installation packages. automatics takes this into account and automatically updates the SPAM/SAINT component during execution as soon as a new version is identified and made available.
PREPARATION PHASE
During the “preparation phase” all preparation and testing steps are carried out, such as:
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Checking the various requirements for importing a support package. (CHECK_REQUIREMENTS)
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Test import for the queue with the transport control program tp. The system checks whether there are objects that are in open repairs and will be overwritten during import, or whether other conditions prevent an object from being imported.(TEST_IMPORT)
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Check for objects that were overwritten by the import and that are still in non-released orders.(OBJECTS_LOCKED_?)
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Check for conflicts between objects in the queue and installed add-ons.(ADDON_CONFLICTS_?)
IMPORT
Dictionary objects are then imported and, if necessary, their modifications are compared. As long as it is ensured that no manual changes are made and no transports are imported into the system, the import can also take place during ongoing operation. (e.g.SPDD_SPAU_CHECK,DDIC_IMPORT,DDIC_ACTIVATION)
The remaining import steps (dictionary activation, main import, after-import method execution, etc.) are then carried out. Especially the Solution Manager plug-in components ST-PI and ST-A/PI, whose installation or update does not affect the ongoing operation of a system, can also be run during ongoing operation.
POST ACTIVITIES
Finally, all follow-up and cleanup steps (such as modification adjustment, queue adjustment, etc.) are processed. Finally, the defined import queue is also properly confirmed.