Definition of SAP System

From previous sections, it became clear what the use of this software system is and who decides to implement it : SAP R/3 controls business processes and manages esential company information. Enterprises needing those services implement this standard software.

To manage the complex business needs of companies, the R3 product family offers leading technology solution:

·         Multitier client/server architecture.

·         Based on middleware for supporting open systems technology.

·         Business Framework architecture, open to total integration with other components and applications, including the internet world. This is achived by the use of standard Business Application program interfaces (BAPIs).

·         Homogeneous user interface among applications.

·         Comprehensive development environment.

·         Total application integration.

·         Solution Sets for configuring the system.

·         Wide range of services including hotline support, training, consulting, quality checks, and so on.

·         Complete support for solving all the problems arising from the millenium change (Y2K) and the appearance of the new European currency, the euro.

SAP System Component

The picture above shows the R3 components from a functional point of view. The overall SAP R3 system is represented by everything included inside the ellipse.

The lower layer is made of the operating system, physical database (whose software is included in the SAP kit), and the network. The middleware layer, which is above it, interfaces with the lower one and integrates the SAP R/3 applications on top of it. This middle layer is known as the basis system, as the basis system, and includes components such as the ABAP development workbench, the system administration tools, batch job handling, authorization and security management, and all cross-application modules.

ABAP/4 is a fourth-generation programing language that was used to develop all R/3 application modules. When releases 4.0 and 4.5 were introduced, and SAP’s strategy began to focus on object orientation, it was decided to rename the programming language to simply ABAP, abandoning the 4 in reference to fourth generation.

Middleware are the layered software components that facilitate the development of client/server applications that can be deployed in heterogeneous vendor platforms. The basis system, also known as the kernel, is the SAP R/3 middleware.

The upper layer, the functional layer, contains the different business applications: financial, human resources, sales and distribution, materials management, and so on. The integration of all applications relies on the basis system.

SAP defines client/server also from a business solution point of view: a technology concept that leverages computing power to link core business processes with software, trying together various functions, such as financials, human resources, sales and distribution, logistics, and manufacturing.

Related Post:

• What is SAP R/3
• SAP AG: The Company Behind R3
• SAP Service Overview
• SAPnet-R3 Front End (OSS)
• SAP Partners

SAP Partners

SAP standard software and consulting services are complemented by a comprehensive parnership program to help customers fulfill their needs and to help SAP cope with the strong demand for supporting the R3 system, implementations, additional industry solution developments, new add-on products, training, business process reengineering consulting, outsourcing, and so on.

In 1997 SAP introduced the TeamSAP concept, a significant step in the SAP partner policy and strategy of aiming for efficiency when implementing R3, with the objective of providing end-to-end service to customers during the full system life cycle. TeamSAP is defined as a symbol of distinction of the best SAP and partner resources, and includes three main areas:persons, processes, and products.

SAP has the following types of TeamSAP partners:

·         Consulting Partners. The world’s biggest consulting and multinatioanl system integration organizations provide solid experience in technology, industry solutions, and SAP implementations. Because of their worldwide presence, SAP calls them global logo partners. On the national scale, there are many smaller and highly professional consulting firms specializing in SAP projects, customizing, and certain industry areas. These are known as national logo partners.

·         Technology Partners. These are leading hardware and software vendors of databases, networking, hardware, operating systems, and add-on products that are tightly integrated in SAP systems.

·         Value-added resellers. System vendors which provide support to small and medium sized companies to implement SAP solutions.

·         Complementary Software Partners. These include software companies that develop add-on products and solutions certified to work with SAP products.

·         Outsourcing partners. These are oganizations that have the resources and knowledge to run and outsource customers R3 installations.

 R3 Complementary Software Certification.

A strategic move by SAP to maintain and further advance its leadership in the client/server market with R3 is the integration of third-party software that adds value to SAP’s solutions.

SAP has estabilished a certification program for the interfacing between SAP applicatons and third-party software to guarantee ready-to-use solutions for mutual customers. All third-party software must be certified by SAP through this program, which has already certified add-on solutions in the areas of plant data collection devices, process control systems, and geographical information systems. To date, there are already more than 100 partners with certified solutions.

Related Post:

• What is SAP R/3
• SAP AG: The Company Behind R3
• SAP Service Overview
• SAPnet-R3 Front End (OSS)
• Definition of SAP System

SAPnet-R3 Front End (OSS)

The SAPnet-R3 Front End (formerly known as OSS or Online Service System) is nothing more (and nothing less) than an R3 system that customers with remote connections to SAP support servers can use free of cost.

This is a brief list of what is available at the SAPnet-R3 front end system:

·         Problem and information database (hint notes), so that users can try to find the solution to their problems before they call SAP or send it a problem report. Looking and reading notes is a great way to learn tidbits about R3.

·         Latest SAP news in the HotNews section.

·         Up to date release, installation, and upgrade information. To have these very latest notes is a mandatory step in any installation or upgrade procedure of R3.

·         Online problem registry. Problems or questions are treated the same way (and sometimes better) and with the same priority as they are when registered by telephone.

·         Training offerings and course descriptions. These have just recently been included.

·         Access to the SSCR (SAP Software Change Registration), where customers can register developers and SAP repository objects and get the keys required to continue development.

·         Download support packages (formerly Hot Packages) for correcting system and program errors.

·         Register Knowledge Products CDs.

·         Register customer systems and request SAP licenses.

·         Define and manage service connections.

·         Display EarlyWatch Alert reports.

·         Manager user accounts for accessing the system.

SAPnet-R3 front end is the star service system provide by SAP and the most widely used by SAP customers and partners, especially consultants and administrators. The SAPnet-R3 front end interface is intuitive and a very easy system to learn and use.

SAP provides initial user accounts for accessing SAPnet. Customers can create and maintain additional user accounts from within the SAPnet-R3 front end.

EarlyWatch

EarlyWatch is a  SAP offering for preventive services, providing proactive diagnosis and analysis online. Through the connection, a SAP exert accesses the customer system and obtains all the information needed for preparing a report that is later sent to the customer.

SAP used to provide a free session before customer systems go into a productive stage. Subsequent session must be separately contracted.

The first thing revealed in the EarlyWatch report is a summary diagnosis indicating the problem’s level of severity found in the system. This diagnosis might indicate that most parameters are well tuned and that systems are running fine, or it might say that there are some problems, which can be either normal or critical—in which case, customers should solve them as soon as possible.

The checkups done by the EarlyWatch service include detecting potential problems in the SAP R3 application, as well as in the database and operating system. The service provides information about tablespaces getting full, SAP system log error massages, buffer tuning, and database parameters.

R3 systems have hundreds of parameters, with many of them directly affecting other values. The EarlyWatch team analyzes the past week’s evolution of the system and if it detects boottlenecks or an increase in proccessing times, it usually recommends new values for the profile parameters.

Related Post:

• What is SAP R/3
• SAP AG: The Company Behind R3
• SAP Service Overview
• SAP Partners
• Definition of SAP System

SAP Service Overview

SAP has put in place a comprehensive set of quality services to help customers during the process of implementing and supporting the R/3 system. These services include product information, education services intallation and upgrade services, consulting and more. SAP bases it’s services mainly on remote connections with customers through the international networks.

Administrators, support personel, and consultants should be particularly familiar with the former SAP online service system (OSS), now known as SAP net-R/3 front end, which is the primary source of service and support. The next section of this chapter includes an introduction to SAPnet-R/3 front end. SAP offers a certification process in the technical, functional, and developing areas of the system and an extensive number of training courses world wide.

SAP Provides Several Types Of Services:

·         Consulting services. This type of individualized consulting can be given on-site or via a remote connection to SAP. With remote consulting, costumers receive immediate and updated technical support and answers to their questions. SAP also gives weekend support when upgrades or installations are done outside regular working hours. Costumers open the connection so SAP consultants may directly access their systems and evaluate the problems online. Once the consulting session is finished, the costumer closes the connection.

·         Maintanance services using SAP. This is the basic and most common type of support for customers in the preproduction and production phases of an R/3 implementation. This service deals with answering questions and helping to resolve the errors or problems with the system. For maintenance, SAP has set up a helpdesk, or  hotline, which monitors the calls and resolves them or directs them to the appropriate SAP expert, and a first-level customer service team that is in charge of resolving the problems, prioritizing the calls, and if needed, referring questions to other experts. Costumers obtain this service via phone, fax, or the SAPnet-R/3 front end. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For example, if you have a severe problem at 5 A.M., log it in on the SAPnet-R/3 front end, give it a “very high” priority (meaning “my system does not work”), and you may expect a fast call back from Japan, Philadelphia, or Walldorf, Germany.

·         Preventive services. The primary one is the early watch service which ensures successful and efficient installation of the R/3 system in all phases. This service makes regular (usually once a month) performance checks and analyzes the system to identify potential problems and help system managers and SAP administrators tune the system and realize its full potential. Soon after an EarlyWatch session, SAP sends the customer a report with the results of the analysis and recommendations for avoiding potential problems, such as database tablespaces becoming full, shortage of system parameters, and buffer tuning.

SAP provides additional services such as the development request service, which submits enhancement requests, and the first customer shipment (FCS), which gives selected costumers the oppurtunity to test new R/3 versions’ functionality before the products are officially released.

In the search for total customer service map that gathers the requirements for a full life cycle of services, including evaluation, implementation, and continuous improvement phases for each of the identified key costumer processes:

·         Management activities.

·         Business processes.

·         Technical management.

·         Development activities.

·         Knowledge transfer.

·         Help and care.

For each of these processes and phase,  SAP and its partners have an extensive portofolio of services. Update information and service map can be found at www.sap.com/service.

Online services. As started previously, SAP has made online services through remote connections its preferred and most convenient way to support customers. For this reason, obtaining a network connection to SAP can become critical in an R/3 project.

SAP has built a worldwide network of support servers for customers to use to obtain the support they need for successful implementation and operation of their SAP systems. Customers can also download patches and upgrades form those servers via ftp (a file transfer protocol very common in TCP/IP networks).

SAP also offers extensive information and correction services for customers and partners through the internet with SAPnet (sapnet.sap-ag.de or sapnet.sap.com), which gathers most of the facilities previously found on the Online Service Systems (OSS) but with much more content.

However, customers will still need a remote connection to SAP for certain services, like EarlyWatch, Telnet, remote upgrade, and others.

Figure 1-9 includes a very simple scheme of the connection between costumer system and SAP support servers. SAProuter is a program provided by SAP which acts like a firewall, giving users control of who accesses their R/3 systems. For more details, refer to Appendix A.

The only thing customers need in order to gain access to these servers is a remote connection to the nearest support server. Currently, SAP has support servers in Walldorf, Foster City, Tokyo, Sydney, and Singapore.

This is the connection that you use for the OSS, EarlyWatch, and remote consulting. It is the only way that you can premit the SAP experts to log on to your system and solve problems online. Imagine the costs saved in travel.

Related Post:

• What is SAP R/3
• SAP AG: The Company Behind R3
• SAPnet-R3 Front End (OSS)
• SAP Partners
• Definition of SAP System