Change Request Management with SAP Solution Manager

Matthias Friedrich holds a degree in Information Management and started working for SAP SI AG in Dresden in 1998. Initially, he worked in the Global Support Center Austria in the areas of user administration and R/3 system security. He then went on to specialize in the Service Desk in SAP Solution Manager and was heavily involved in the creation of a service desk for application management. Change request management is another focus of Matthias' work. Matthias is now with Bautzen IT. Torsten Sternberg holds a degree in Economics and started working for SAP SI AG in Dresden in 2005. He works on both national and international projects as a trainer and consultant in the service desk and change request management areas. He was involved in the international roll-out of group-wide functionality, process analysis in the service provider scenario, and various implementations in the service desk and change request management areas. Torsten works now for Bautzen IT.

1 ... Introduction ... 15 ... 1.1 ... IT Change Management and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library ... 15 ... ... 1.1.1 ... Classification of IT Change Management ... 16 ... ... 1.1.2 ... Definition of Concepts ... 18 ... ... 1.1.3 ... Tasks of IT Change Management ... 19 ... ... 1.1.4 ... Success Factors for IT Change Management ... 20 ... 1.2 ... SAP Solution Manager and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library ... 20 ... ... 1.2.1 ... SAP Solution Manager Functions ... 21 ... ... 1.2.2 ... Support of ITIL Practices Using SAP Solution Manager ... 24 ... 1.3 ... Change Request Management with SAP Solution Manager ... 28 ... ... 1.3.1 ... Change (Request) Workflows ... 29 ... ... 1.3.2 ... Project Administration ... 30 ... ... 1.3.3 ... Monitoring and Reporting ... 31 ... 1.4 ... Summary ... 31 2 ... Architecture of Change Request Management ... 33 ... 2.1 ... Elements of Change Request Management ... 33 ... 2.2 ... Project Administration in SAP Solution Manager ... 35 ... ... 2.2.1 ... Solution Manager Project Types ... 35 ... ... 2.2.2 ... SAP Solution Manager Projects in Change Request Management ... 39 ... ... 2.2.3 ... IMG Projects and CTS Projects ... 41 ... ... 2.2.4 ... Project Cycle and Task List ... 45 ... ... 2.2.5 ... cProjects ... 50 ... 2.3 ... Transaction Types/Workflows ... 51 ... ... 2.3.1 ... Service Desk Message ... 53 ... ... 2.3.2 ... Change Request ... 54 ... ... 2.3.3 ... Change Document ... 58 ... ... 2.3.4 ... Normal Correction/Development Activity ... 59 ... ... 2.3.5 ... Urgent Correction ... 64 ... ... 2.3.6 ... Administration Message ... 65 ... ... 2.3.7 ... Test Message ... 66 ... ... 2.3.8 ... Job Request ... 67 ... ... 2.3.9 ... Change Transactions for Projects ... 67 ... 2.4 ... Summary ... 68 3 ... Configuration of Change Request Management ... 69 ... 3.1 ... Preparation ... 69 ... ... 3.1.1 ... Organizational Questions ... 69 ... ... 3.1.2 ... Technical Questions ... 70 ... ... 3.1.3 ... Prerequisites ... 70 ... ... 3.1.4 ... Available Documentation and Resources ... 71 ... 3.2 ... Configuration of Change Request Management ... 72 ... ... 3.2.1 ... Standard Configuration ... 73 ... ... 3.2.2 ... Extended Configuration ... 85 ... 3.3 ... Defining Projects and Systems in Change Request Management ... 102 ... ... 3.3.1 ... Defining Logical Components ... 102 ... ... 3.3.2 ... Creating a Solution Manager Project ... 107 ... ... 3.3.3 ... Final Check ... 108 ... 3.4 ... Summary ... 109 4 ... Use of Change Request Management ... 111 ... 4.1 ... Roles and Activities ... 111 ... ... 4.1.1 ... Requester ... 112 ... ... 4.1.2 ... Service Desk Employee ... 113 ... ... 4.1.3 ... Change Manager ... 113 ... ... 4.1.4 ... Change Advisory Board ... 114 ... ... 4.1.5 ... Developer ... 114 ... ... 4.1.6 ... Tester ... 115 ... ... 4.1.7 ... IT Operator ... 115 ... ... 4.1.8 ... Additional User Information ... 116 ... 4.2 ... Processes and Integration Examples ... 116 ... ... 4.2.1 ... Example of the Urgent Correction ... 117 ... ... 4.2.2 ... Retrofit Process ... 134 ... ... 4.2.3 ... Hot News ... 140 ... ... 4.2.4 ... Structure Elements for Change Transactions ... 142 ... 4.3 ... Administration ... 148 ... ... 4.3.1 ... Task List ... 148 ... ... 4.3.2 ... Extended Configuration ... 162 ... ... 4.3.3 ... Change Tracking ... 163 ... ... 4.3.4 ... Scheduling ... 165 ... ... 4.3.5 ... Project Logistics ... 167 ... 4.4 ... Reporting and Monitoring ... 169 ... ... 4.4.1 ... Solution Manager Reporting ... 169 ... ... 4.4.2 ... Transaction Monitor ... 171 ... 4.5 ... Work Centers ... 175 ... ... 4.5.1 ... Change Management Work Center ... 175 ... ... 4.5.2 ... Configuration of Work Centers ... 179 ... ... 4.5.3 ... SAP GUI for HTML Configuration ... 180 ... 4.6 ... Summary ... 181 5 ... Security in Change Request Management ... 183 ... 5.1 ... Authorizations in the SAP System ... 183 ... ... 5.1.1 ... Authorizations in the SAP Solution Manager System ... 183 ... ... 5.1.2 ... Authorizations in Satellite Systems ... 184 ... ... 5.1.3 ... Work Center ... 185 ... ... 5.1.4 ... Extended Authorization Checks ... 185 ... 5.2 ... Cross-System Object Lock ... 186 ... ... 5.2.1 ... Functionality ... 186 ... ... 5.2.2 ... Required Settings ... 189 ... 5.3 ... Critical Transport Objects ... 191 ... ... 5.3.1 ... Functionality ... 191 ... ... 5.3.2 ... Required Settings ... 193 ... ... 5.3.3 ... Modifications ... 194 ... 5.4 ... Project Intersections ... 195 ... ... 5.4.1 ... Real-Life Example ... 196 ... ... 5.4.2 ... Required Settings ... 197 ... 5.5 ... Summary ... 197 6 ... Extensions of the Change Request Management Scenario ... 199 ... 6.1 ... Extended Transport Landscapes ... 199 ... ... 6.1.1 ... Three-System Landscape ... 200 ... ... 6.1.2 ... Four-System Landscape ... 201 ... ... 6.1.3 ... Parallel Phase Landscape ... 203 ... ... 6.1.4 ... Landscapes for Global Developments ... 205 ... ... 6.1.5 ... Conclusion ... 206 ... 6.2 ... Enhanced Transport Management ... 206 ... ... 6.2.1 ... Components ... 208 ... ... 6.2.2 ... TMS Configuration ... 210 ... ... 6.2.3 ... Integration with Applications ... 214 ... ... 6.2.4 ... Landscape Scenarios ... 217 ... ... 6.2.5 ... Integration of CTS+ and Change Request Management ... 225 ... ... 6.2.6 ... Conclusion ... 227 ... 6.3 ... Extension Developments and Development Package ... 227 ... 6.4 ... Customer-Specific Tab ... 228 ... ... 6.4.1 ... Defining the Necessary Data Structures ... 228 ... ... 6.4.2 ... Defining the Layout and Flow of the Dynpro ... 232 ... ... 6.4.3 ... Integrating the New Tab via the Screen Control ... 235 ... ... 6.4.4 ... Tabs in the Change Request ... 236 ... ... 6.4.5 ... Inserting the Calculation Logic ... 237 ... 6.5 ... Extension of the Transaction Monitor ... 239 ... 6.6 ... Extended Actions and Conditions ... 241 ... ... 6.6.1 ... Extended Check for Text IDs ... 242 ... ... 6.6.2 ... Extended Check for Partner Functions ... 247 ... ... 6.6.3 ... Displaying Transport Requests ... 251 ... 6.7 ... Summary ... 255 7 ... Change Management in SAP Landscapes ... 257 ... 7.1 ... Change Management Concept ... 257 ... ... 7.1.1 ... Maintenance Maintenance Optimizer ... 258 ... ... 7.1.2 ... Technical Integration ... 260 ... ... 7.1.3 ... Testing ... 260 ... ... 7.1.4 ... Analysis ... 261 ... 7.2 ... Quality Management in SAP Solution Manager ... 261 ... ... 7.2.1 ... Functional Scope ... 261 ... ... 7.2.2 ... Prerequisites for Quality Gate Management ... 263 ... 7.3 ... Summary ... 265 8 ... Technical Notes on Usage and Troubleshooting ... 267 ... 8.1 ... Adding New Systems ... 267 ... 8.2 ... System and Client Copy ... 268 ... 8.3 ... Setting Up a Project Landscape ... 271 ... 8.4 ... Repair Flag for the Import ... 274 ... 8.5 ... Urgent Corrections in Parallel Systems ... 275 ... 8.6 ... Transports and SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse ... 276 ... ... 8.6.1 ... Urgent Correction ... 276 ... ... 8.6.2 ... Import All ... 276 ... 8.7 ... Import Subset and Import Project ... 277 ... 8.8 ... Error Analysis ... 278 ... ... 8.8.1 ... Application Log ... 280 ... ... 8.8.2 ... Reports for Completing Project Cycles ... 280 ... ... 8.8.3 ... Authorization Problems ... 283 ... 8.9 ... SAP Notes ... 284 ... The Authors ... 285 ... Contributing Authors ... 286