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Virtual System in
Change Request
ManagementBased on SAP Solution Manager 7.0 SP24
Woody Wu
10/21/2011
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Table of Contents
1 Introduction................................................................................................................................3
2 STMS Configuration for Managed Systems ...................... ........... ............................ .......................5
2.1 Create Virtual System................................................................................. ..........................5
2.2 Adjust transport parameters for Virtual System ...................... ...................................... .........5
2.3 Configure transport routes and transport layers for Virtual System................................ .........6
3 Configuration on SAP Solution Manager System ................................................................ ............8
3.1 Create Virtual System in SMSY ............................................. ............................................... ..8
3.2 Adjust Product Assignment for Virtual System ...................................................... .................8
3.3 Assign Installation Number to Virtual System ................. ...................................... .................9
3.4 Create Logical Systems for ABAP Virtual System.................................................................9
3.5 Create Logical Components for Virtual System.....................................................................10
4 Usage in ChaRM .......................................... .................................................. ............................12
4.1 Generate Project Cycle with Virtual System ........... ...................................... ........................12
4.2 Replace Virtual System with Physical System ...................................... .................................13
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1 Introduction
This document is created as an introduction for the usage of Virtual Systemin Change Request
Management (ChaRM) of SAP Solution Manager.
Virtual Systemis a type of SAP Systems which can be used to solve the problem that you may not want
to install all the systems you have planned for your system landscape at the same time, e.g., when the
project is just started. In basis Transport Management System (TMS), you can configure SAP Systems as
Virtual Systemsin the transport domain so that you can model the transport routes of your whole
system landscape. More importantly, in ChaRM those Virtual Systemscan be used as place holders in
the task list, which means the project cycle can be generated and change processes can be started
without any delay even if some physical systems are not yet ready1. Most of the TMS display functions
can be used for Virtual Systems, but no real transport can be performed in them.
The following systems/clients are used as demo landscape in this document:
SMI(SAP Solution Manager ST 400 SP24)
o Client 100 (productive client of ChaRM)
ERP(SAP ERP 6.0 - simulate managed system level)
o Client 100 (simulate development system)
VSQ(Virtual System- simulate managed system level)
o Client 100 (simulate quality assurance system)
VSP(Virtual System- simulate managed system level)
o Client 100 (simulate production system)
The whole landscape is looking like:
Before using this document you need to make sure:
1Pl ease be aware that the development sys tems (source systems) must not be Virtual System, otherwise the
project task list in ChaRM cannot be generated succ essfully because we need a real IMG project and CTS project
here.
ERP/100 TransportRoute VSQ/100TransportRoute VSP/100
SMI/100
ChaRM
RFC Destinations
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ChaRM basic configurations have been correctly performed
All your end users have been assigned to the appropriate authorization profiles
In the following chapters we will explain the basic configuration steps to use Virtual Systemin ChaRM.
Based on distinct system landscapes and specific requirements there might be some adjustments
needed for different customers. Therefore we suggest you only use itfor reference.
In case you have further questions and need more assistance to setup and utilize Virtual Systemon your
systems, please create a consulting request to SAP. For more information, you may have a look at SAP
note83020.
https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/83020https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/83020https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/83020https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/830205/21/2018 ChaRM ST400 Virtual System-1
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2 STMS Configuration for Managed Systems
2.1 Create Virtual System2
Logon to domain controller system client 000 -> Transaction STMS -> System Overview -> Menu bar SAP
System -> Create -> Virtual System -> Enter System ID3and description -> Save and distribute the
configuration change
2.2 Adjust transport parameters for Virtual System
Logon to domain controller system client 000 -> Transaction STMS -> System Overview -> Double click on
the Virtual System entry -> Go to tab Transport Tool -> Adjust/insert parameters with correct value ->
Save and distribute the configuration change
2Please also have a look atConfiguring Virtual SAP Systems .
3We recommend that the system ID should be identical with the future physical system which will replace this
virtual system; this will reduce the foll ow up effort to adjust the transport groups a nd directories.
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_smehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a0db7acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/frameset.htmhttp://help.sap.com/saphelp_smehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a0db7acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/frameset.htmhttp://help.sap.com/saphelp_smehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a0db7acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/frameset.htmhttp://help.sap.com/saphelp_smehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a0db7acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/frameset.htm5/21/2018 ChaRM ST400 Virtual System-1
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The following parameters are recommended for all managed systems, including Virtual System
Parameters Value
CTC 14
IMPORT_SINGLE_ONLY 1
IMPORT_SINGLE_STRATEGY 1NO_IMPORT_ALL 1
WORKFLOW_STRATEGY 0
2.3 Configure transport routes and transport layers for Virtual System
Logon to domain controller system client 000 -> Transaction STMS -> Transport Routes -> Go to Change
mode -> Configure transport routes and transport layers for the transport tracks which have the Virtual
System5-> Save and distribute the configuration change
When creating transport routes with Virtual Systemas the target system, there are two different
situations:
1. The Virtual Systemrepresents a real system which has ABAP stack. In this case even if there is no
real client in for the Virtual Systemat this moment, you still need to enter the target client by
using a working client which is planned in future. Otherwise the transport route will not be
4I f your planed physical system is purely non-ABAP, then for the Virtual Systemthe CTC parameter shoul d be set
as 0.5For detail steps please checkConfiguring Transport Routes.
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70ehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a1df7acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/content.htmhttp://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70ehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a1df7acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/content.htmhttp://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70ehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a1df7acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/content.htmhttp://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70ehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a1df7acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/content.htm5/21/2018 ChaRM ST400 Virtual System-1
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recognized correctly and hence the STMS setting will be inconsistent when checked from ChaRM
side.
2. The Virtual Systemrepresents a purely non-ABAP system in future. In this case there is no need
to specify the target client for the transport routes because they should be client independent.
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3 Configuration on SAP Solution Manager System
3.1 Create Virtual System in SMSY
Logon to your SAP Solution Manager system -> Transaction SMSY -> Select Other Object -> Enter your
domain controller system ID into Prod. System -> Go to tab Product Instance Selection -> Double click on
the relevant ABAP instance -> Go to Change mode -> Select Read System Data Remote -> Go back and re-
enter Transaction SMSY -> The Virtual System will be listed as Product Systems without Product
Assignment
3.2 Adjust Product Assignment for Virtual System
Logon to your SAP Solution Manager system -> Transaction SMSY -> Select Other Object -> Enter your
Virtual System ID into Prod. System -> Select Product in the popup of warning about no product
assignment -> Choose the product and product version with refer to the future physical system -> Select
Copy and mark relevant product as active -> Select Continue -> Enter Yes in case of confirmation popup ->
Go to Change mode -> Mark relevant product instances -> Save
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3.3 Assign Installation Number to Virtual System
Logon to your SAP Solution Manager system -> Transaction SMSY -> Select Other Object -> Enter your
Virtual System ID into Prod. System -> Go to tab Header Data -> Go to Change mode -> Enter the
Installation Number which will be used for the future physical system -> Save
The IBase/Component6for Virtual Systemwill be generated automatically after the Installation Number
is entered and saved. If there are some errors during this process, then you can regenerate the
IBase/Component by using transaction IB_GEN.
3.4 Create Logical Systems for ABAP Virtual System7
Logon to your SAP Solution Manager system -> Transaction SMSY -> Select Other Object -> Enter your
Virtual System ID into Prod. System -> Go to tab Product Instance Selection -> Double click on the
relevant ABAP instance8-> Go to Change Mode -> Select Read System Data Remote -> Go back to the
Clients tab -> The clients of the communication system9will be filled here as temporary data
6This I Base/Component wil l be used to create Change Requests a nd Change Documents i f the Virtual Systemhas
the role of quality ass urance system or production system in the whole transport landscape.7This s tep is onl y necessary for ABAP stack systems. I f your virtual systemi s representing a purely non-ABAP one,
then please DO NOTp erform it. In case there are al ready some clients existing for it, please delete the system
entry i n SMSY manuall y and then recreate it, otherwise i t is not possible to i nclude the correct non-ABAP system
entry i nto the logical component.8In the Header Data tab the Virtual Product System (TMS) flag s hould be checked.
9By the default the communica tion system should be the domain controller system itself, but it ca n als o be
specified differently when creating the Virtual Systemin s ection2.1.
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Since for ABAP stack systems ChaRM is based on the logical systems, those clients are mandatory in
order to use the Virtual Systemhere. If your planned client for Virtual Systemdoes not exist on the
communication system, you need to choose another one or create a new client for the communication
system before reading the system data.
3.5
Create Logical Components for Virtual System
Logon to your SAP Solution Manager system -> Transaction SMSY -> System Groups and Logical
Components -> Right click on Logical Components -> Create New Logical Components -> Enter name and
product information -> Continue and put relevant systems into their corresponding system roles
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The logical system positions and roles must be consistent with the transport route configuration
performed in section2.3.
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4 Usage in ChaRM
4.1 Generate Project Cycle with Virtual System
Logon to your SAP Solution Manager system -> Transaction SOLAR_PROJECT_ADMIN -> Create a project ->
Include Logical Components -> Create IMG Projects -> Activate Change Request Management -> Perform
ChaRM Check -> Create Task List10
10During the creation CTS project status switches will not be created for Virtual System.
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In the task list Virtual Systemis marked differently with other systems in the System Reachability column,
and no actions can be executed for this type of systems.
All Change Requests and Change Document types can also be used in projects with Virtual System. The
only difference comparing to the normal projects is: no actions can be executed for Virtual System. So if
the QAS system and PRD system are both virtual, then only the development task (i.e., create and
release transport requests) can be performed in this project.
4.2 Replace Virtual System with Physical System
Basically there are three steps to replace a Virtual Systemin ChaRM. They are:
1. Delete Virtual Systemin STMS
Go to client 000 of the domain controller system, enter transaction STMS and delete the
relevant Virtual System. Note that this action will only delete the system from the list, the
transport buffer and directory on the operation system level will not be touched. So when the
new physical system is created with the same system ID it can inherit all those old transport
data automatically.
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2. Create Physical System in STMS with the same SID
Include the new physical system to this domain11
and approve it in the domain controller. After
that you need to re-configure all those transport parameters12
and make sure the transport
route settings are still correct and consistent.
3. Refresh System Data in SMSY
The steps are the similar to those actions in section3.1.What you need to do is to press the
Read System Data Remotebutton from both domain controller system and the Virtual System
itself. After that the Virtual Product System flag should be removed in the Header Data tab of
the Virtual Systementry in SMSY, which means it is already a physical system from now on. For
ABAP stack systems then you will also need to generate the RFC destinations in client 000 and
the working clients of ChaRM. In the end by opening the project cycle task list again the
systems Reachablity status will be changed to Active. We suggest that at this stage you
should perform a ChaRM check to ensure that all the configurations are correct and consistent.
As long as there is no error in it then you may continue to work in this landscape. All those old
change documents can be used without any issue and those transport requests which are
already in the import buffer for the new physical system can now be transported directly
without any other manual activities or adjustments.
11Please also have a look a t Including SAP Systems i n the Transport Domain.
12Especially for purely non-ABAP s ystems you need to ensure the para meters COMMUNICATION_SYSTEM and
NON_ABAP_SYSTEM are ent ered correctly.
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_smehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a0c17acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/frameset.htmhttp://help.sap.com/saphelp_smehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a0c17acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/frameset.htmhttp://help.sap.com/saphelp_smehp1/helpdata/en/44/b4a0c17acc11d1899e0000e829fbbd/frameset.htm