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Applying Support Packs and Plug-Ins

Applying Support Packs and Plug-ins to an SAP system involves downloading files from SAP's servers, unpacking and importing them using transactions SPAM and SAINT. Support packs contain changes to SAP modules and BASIS and must be applied in a specific order. Plug-ins add new functionality and require the underlying version be installed first before upgrading. Errors can occur and may require deleting files and transports before reapplying updates.

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67 views4 pages

Applying Support Packs and Plug-Ins

Applying Support Packs and Plug-ins to an SAP system involves downloading files from SAP's servers, unpacking and importing them using transactions SPAM and SAINT. Support packs contain changes to SAP modules and BASIS and must be applied in a specific order. Plug-ins add new functionality and require the underlying version be installed first before upgrading. Errors can occur and may require deleting files and transports before reapplying updates.

Uploaded by

Veesams Srinivas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Applying Support Packs and Plug-ins

Applying Support Packs


From time to time SAP does modifications to the various objects of its R/3 software
and makes the modifications available to the customers in form of support packs and
CRTs.
Customers are required to check for the latest updates on the changes being made
by SAP to its software and accordingly apply them at their installations. The support
packs and CRTs are made available by SAP on their mySAP.com Marketplace site
(earlier known as SAPNet) http://service.sap.com . (You will require an login id and
password to get into this site).
The following is procedure to show you step-by-step process of applying different
support packages into your system.
It is always advisable to first verify the SPAM/SAINT version in the system. Check in
http://service.sap.com/ocs for the latest version of SPAM/SAINT. If you do not have
the latest SPAM/SAINT version then download the latest SPAM/SAINT package.
There are certain support packages, which require certain level of SPAM/SAINT. For
such packages, you first have to update the SPAM/SAINT
SPAM/SAINT update and support packs are applied thru Transaction code SPAM.
The SPAM/SAINT update and support packs files are .CAR files, which need to be
unpacked.
Supports packs for Applications area (i.e. changes made to the objects of various
functional modules of SAP) are also know as HOTPACKS
BASIS Support Packs make changes to the BASIS system.
HR Support Packs make changes to the HR Module. Earlier it was known as Legal
Change Patches (LCPs)
Similarly we also have ABAP/4 Support Packs for the changes made to the ABAP/4.
Most of these support packs are in the form of .CAR files, which are available in SAP
Marketplace (http://service.sap.com). You have to download the support packages
required for your system from the Internet or from the SAPServX server.
The following procedure is a step-by-step procedure for applying these Support
Packs.
1. Download the required .CAR files from SAPNet or SAPServX server
2. Put them in a temporary directory either in /usr/sap/trans/tmp or any other
folder which you can create (say, patch)
3. Change to the directory /usr/sap/trans (UNIX) or \usr\sap\trans (NT)
4. Use the command CAR -xvf <path the of the CAR file including the .CAR
extension>
5. The command CAR is case sensitive
6. The command CAR will decompress the CAR file and put two files (with
extensions .ATT and .PAT in the /usr/sap/trans/EPS/in directory.
7. Logon to the SAP system in client 000 as user DDIC

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Applying Support Packs and Plug-ins


8. Once in the system execute the transaction code SPAM
9. Depending on what version are you in do the following :
For 4.5x : Goto Tools Upload Patch
For 4.6x : Goto Support Packages Load Packages From Application
Server
10. You will get a pop up box with the list of the patches in the queue. Both the
applied patches and the new ones will be listed
11. Hit the Back button to come to the main screen
12. Click on the Display/Define button on the screen
13. You will get a pop up screen with the unapplied patches.
14. Select the patch or group of patched that you want to apply and hit the enter
key/icon.
15. The patch number will be defined in the queue box.
16. Again depending on the version, you do the following :
For 4.5x : Goto Tools Apply Patch
For 4.6x : Goto Support Packages Import Queue
or click the apply patch / import queue icon on the application toolbar
17. After the patch is successfully applied, you will have to CONFIRM the patch
application.
18. Again depending on the version, you do the following :
For 4.5x : Goto Tools Confirm
For 4.6x : Goto Support Packages Confirm
Or click the confirm icon on the application toolbar
19. The light in the status box should turn green.
20. After the patch(es) are applied, execute the transaction code SPAU.
This transaction code will check for the changes made by the patches as
well as by the user via OSS notes etc to the system
You can compare the changes and decide to keep the changes made to the
system via OSS notes or return the objects to original.
At times depending on the situation, you may have to reapply the OSS notes
after returning back the object to original
Before applying the patches, check for the SPAM version. It is always advisable to
have the latest SPAM version running on the system. You can download the la test
SPAM version from the SAPNet or SAPServx server. There are patches, which require
a certain level of SPAM version in order to be applied.

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Applying Support Packs and Plug-ins

Some of the Possible Errors during Support Package Application


The solutions provided below may or may not work for you. They worked for
me under the circumstances that I got these errors.
CANNOT_CREATE_COFILE
If while applying a patch, you get an error CANNOT_CREATE_COFILE delete the
concerned file of the patch from the /usr/sap/trans/cofile and /usr/sap/trans/data
directory.
After deleting the files restart the process. The patch application may work
EPS in IS IN OLD FORMAT
If you are unable to upload the queue and you see a message like EPS in IS IN OLD
FORMAT , check for the SPAM version and do a SPAM update. Delete the concerned
files (i.e. the .ATT and .PAT files from the /usr/sap/trans/EPS/in directory) and then
decompress the .CAR file and continue with applying the support packs.

OBJECTS_LOCKED_?
There are also times when a patch will fail because an object that it is trying to
modify is locked by a change request.
In such cases, identify the object and the change request and then using SE03
search for the object. Once you have identified the change request unlock the object
and then Continue with the SPAM transaction.

Sometimes the SPAM/SAINT Update process comes out with error. In such
case just go ahead and start the SPAM update process again and it should
go through fine.

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Applying Support Packs and Plug-ins

Applying Plug-ins
Plug-ins are applied on the R/3 side using the transaction code SAINT
Before applying the plug-ins check the plug-ins that are installed on your system.
Also verify the type of plug-in that you have i.e. if you have plug-in file which is for
installation or if it is for upgrade. If the file that you is for upgrade then be sure to
have the earlier version of the plug-in and its related patches installed in the system
prior to applying the upgrade plug-in.
If you are updating the plug-in then verify that the earlier lower version of the plugin and its patched are already installed in the system. For example, 4.6B IDES
system comes with PI_1_1999. The plug-in PI_A_1999 is also already applied. If the
PI_1_1999 plug-in is not installed then you will have to install it and its two
patches first before applying PI_1_2000 plug-in.
You will have to upgrade the PI plug-in to PI_1_2000 and then apply related patches.
There six patches in all for PI_1_2000.
The plug-ins is also available as .CAR files.
For Example the .CAR file name for plug-in PI_1_2000 is Pi_nd17b.car
When you apply this plug-in 4.6B IDES system, you may get an error in
ADDON_CONFLICT phase. When you get the error in this phase, follow the note
204461. Basically you will have to download couple of transports (PI_SAINT.CAR
and PI_SAINT_2.CAR) from SAPServ4 and apply them into the system.
If you still get errors even after applying the transports, keeping on clicking on the
Continue icon till you get over the errors.
The following process shows you the steps for applying plug-ins.
1. You should apply the plug-ins in client 000 as any other user other than
SAP* or DDIC . Create a user in client 000 with SAP_ALL profile.
2. Log on the client 000 as the newly created user.
3. Execute the transaction SAINT
4. Upload the plug-in by going thru the menu,
5. Once the files are uploaded. You will get two boxes on the screen. The top
box will contain the list of Plug-ins already applied in the system. The bottom
box will contain the list of plug-in, which are available to be applied.
6. Select the plug-in PI_1_2000 from the second box and click on the Continue
button.
7. In the next screen put the cursor on the Plug-in box and click on the Continue
button
8. After the plug-in is installed successfully, you will be asked to do SPAU checks
or Continue. Click on Continue icon.
9. After that you will get the 4th screen of the SAINT process, click FINISH on
the screen that you get.
10. After the plug-ins is installed, apply patches for the plug-in using the
transaction SPAM. (The process is described in the previous section).

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