Introduction to SAP Solution Manager About This Module This module defines the SAP Solution Manager and outlines the benefits of using Solution Manager and the ASAP methodology tools provided to aid in the implementation, operation, and continuous improvement of SAP solutions. Business Example XYZ Corp. is about to begin a large-scale business process transformation project and has chosen SAP software as the centerpiece. This project has been named "Project Progress" and will consist of multiple SAP components. A comprehensive, full life-cycle tool to help drive and manage the implementation is required. SAP Solution Manager will be used for this purpose during the implementation and eventual hand-over to operations. Module Objectives • Define the SAP Solution Manager and discuss the benefits of using the various tools offered • Discuss the benefits of using SAP Solution Manager • Define the ASAP methodology and the phases of the Implementation Roadmap • Explain the features and benefits of using SAP Solution Manager for implementation • Describe the role SAP Solution Manager plays in the day-to-day operations and support of SAP solutions Module Content • • • •
SAP Solution Manager Overview AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) Methodology SAP Solution Manager as Toolset for Implementation SAP Solution Manager as Toolset for Operations and Continuous Improvement
Target Audience • • • • • •
Consultants Project Managers Project Team Leads Project Team Members IT Service Desk Managers IT Service Desk Members
SAP Solution Manager Overview About This Topic It is important to have a clear understanding of SAP Solution Manager in the overall context of an SAP solution implementation. This topic helps define the purpose and benefits of using Solution Manager. Business Example As your project moves into the planning stage, project team members of need a high-level overview of the SAP Solution Manager. Since the project will include multiple solutions consisting of potentially complex system landscapes, it is imperative to provide consistent and persistent documentation of the existing systems and the planned systems. Understanding the benefits of a central repository is essential. Objective(s) • • • •
Define "SAP Solution Manager" State the general purpose of SAP Solution Manager Identify the multiple usage scenarios of SAP Solution Manager List the benefits of using SAP Solution Manager
Solution Manager Definition The SAP Solution Manager is the central application management platform that customers can run in their solution landscape to help them efficiently implement, operate, monitor, and support their SAP solutions. SAP Solution Manager is thus used for both Implementation and Operational Functions. The SAP Solution Manager provides tools, content, and a gateway to SAP that helps to: • Optimize the management of your SAP solution • Ensure reliability of your SAP solution • Ensure efficient operations • Ease implementation and upgrades • Continuously adapt and improve your solution
Customer's System Landscape The SAP Solution Manager is a separate, complete Web Application Server installation that is connected to all systems in your solution landscape. These various systems are called satellite systems. In this way, SAP Solution Manager acts as the central system of your solution landscape, allowing business processes to be implemented, tested, and even monitored in an integrated manner, thus avoiding duplication of effort and information and streamlining your activities.
Increasingly Complex Systems
In the last few years, the IT world of SAP customers has grown much more complex. Instead of one single SAP R/3 system, there are now extensive system landscapes distributed over the entire globe involving different solutions. Thus, it has become much more complicated to manage all of the components of the various solutions. The management process has also become more complicated for SAP itself. For example, over the last several years, SAP has consolidated separate information sources and services into the SAP Service Marketplace (service.sap.com). By having a solution management system at every customer site, SAP can offer a virtually seamless link from customer systems to the service marketplace, helping to reduce the time for support, notes access, and so on.
Why Solution Manager? Audio Transcript There are several reasons to implement SAP Solution Manager. First, SAP Solution Manager enables the customer to have a faster implementation of SAP solutions and helps optimize operations once implementation is complete. Second, implementing SAP Solution Manager gives the customer access to all available implementation and upgrade content. Third, customers have easy access to all support services that are relevant to operations, maintenance, and improvement activities. This leads to faster issue resolution through close collaboration with Active Global Support. • Faster implementation and more efficient operation of solutions • All available implementation and upgrade content is included • Optimal access to all support services • Optimal support of all operations, maintenance and improvement activities • Faster issue resolution through collaboration with Active Global Support
Solution Manager Usage Scenarios Audio Transcript There are many scenarios in which SAP Solution Manager can be used. Each scenario occurs in one of the three life cycle phases, implementation, operations, and optimization. This is also known as the cycle of continuous improvement. There are six common scenarios for Solution Manager. They are: • Implement SAP Solutions • Monitor SAP Solutions • Manage the Service Desk • Link to SAP Services • Manage Change Requests • Upgrade SAP Solutions
Benefits of SAP Solution Manager: 1
Audio Transcript Solution Manager provides many benefits for the customer. One of the benefits is more reliable IT solutions. With SAP Solution Manager, companies can minimize risk during implementation and operation. They can avoid inconsistencies in heterogeneous environments by performing crosscomponent consistency checks. With the SAP Solution Manager Service Desk, customers can resolve issues quickly. The result is better IT service and less down time. The tools and content provided by SAP Solution Manager make implementation and change management projects more efficient. Companies can reduce the cost of process design, technical setup, business setup, support and operations, testing, and knowledge transfer. Centralized project handling, blueprinting, configuration, and testing ensure consistency and avoid redundancies, which reduces the cost of implementation projects in multi-component environments. SAP Solution Manager provides a framework for consistent solution documentation and preserves documents for later use, which reduces the costs of upgrades or continuous improvement projects. Benefits of SAP Solution Manager • More reliable IT solutions • Minimize risk during implementation • Avoid inconsistencies • Resolve issues quickly resulting in less down time • More efficient implementation and change management projects • Reduced cost of implementation and continuous improvement • Reduce cost of process design technical setup, business setup, support and operations, testing, and knowledge transfer • Centralized project handling blueprinting, configuration, and testing • Reduces the costs of upgrades or continuous improvement projects. Benefits of Solution Manager: 2 Audio Transcript Another benefit of SAP Solution Manager is faster return on investment. SAP Solution Manager accelerates implementation and continuous improvement. It provides implementation accelerators and a library of preconfigured business processes as a starting point for projects. This means that companies don't need to begin from scratch, and can benefit from SAP’s business process experience. Content and services available through SAP Solution Manager – such as implementation road maps, best-practice documents, and SAP solution management services, – speed learning and accelerate projects. Using Solution Manager can also reduce the cost of operation by providing a central point of control for multi-component environments. In heterogeneous environments, SAP Solution Manager facilitates technical and application integration. Finally, Solution Manager gives the customer more leverage from their IT investments. SAP Solution Manager and integrates with IT landscapes that include both SAP and non-SAP applications. Companies can use it to reduce their total cost of ownership without making major changes to their IT environments.
More Benefits of SAP Solution Manager • Faster return on investment (ROI) • Accelerates implementation and continuous improvement • Availability of implementation road maps, best-practice documents, and SAP solution management services speed learning and accelerate project • Reduced cost of operation • Provides central point of control for multi-component environments. • Facilitates technical and application integration. • More leverage from IT investments • Integrates with IT landscapes that include both SAP and non-SAP applications • Reduce their total cost of ownership without making major changes Summary This topic provided an overview of SAP Solution Manager. You reviewed the uses of SAP Solution Manager, such as allowing customers to integrate their SAP Solutions and manage other components, including the SAP Service Desk. You also learned about the many benefits of implementing SAP Solution Manager, such as faster ROI and reduced cost of operations. Finally, you learned that SAP Solution Manager is a separate installed Web Application Server that offers a complete tool set to manage the life cycle of customer solutions.
AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) Methodology About This Topic This topic provides you with an understanding of SAP's standard implementation methodology. Business Example Project progress managers need a proven and repeatable methodology for planning and executing the many activities involved. A thorough understanding of this methodology is required. Objective(s) • State the purpose of AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) • List the available ASAP roadmaps • List the five phases of the Implementation Roadmap and identify the purpose of each
ASAP Methodology Defined
The AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) methodology is a proven, repeatable, and successful approach to implement SAP solutions across multiple industries and customer environments. This methodology evolved from a time in the mid-1990s when SAP realized that customers needed a better approach to SAP R/3 implementations. ASAP was first introduced as a PC-based tool set called ValueSAP, which eventually included the Implementation, Global, and Upgrade roadmaps. The ASAP methodology is now fully integrated into SAP Solution Manager and AcceleratedSAP roadmaps provide content, tools, and expertise from thousands of successful implementations. SAP is continually improving these roadmaps with enriched content based on experience gained in implementing solutions.
Standard ASAP Roadmaps Audio Transcript ASAP roadmaps outline the activities involved in implementing, upgrading, or enhancing SAP solutions. Each roadmap has a set of deliverables, accelerators, role descriptions and additional guides. The five standard roadmaps are listed on this screen. • The Implementation Roadmap for SAP Solutions provide the methodological framework for the project team during the implementation of an SAP solution. • The Solution Management Roadmap provides a methodology for the implementation of the technical infrastructure and its operation. • The Global Template Roadmap describes how to organize and run a project where a corporate template is developed. • The Upgrade Roadmap is designed to help you carry out the customizing activities required for an upgrade. • There are also other roadmaps, such as the Enterprise Portal and Exchange Infrastructure roadmaps, but we do not go into detail on these here.. To learn more about the each roadmap, move your pointer over the name of the item you want to learn more about. ASAP roadmaps outline the activities involved in implementing, upgrading, or enhancing SAP solutions. These roadmaps are enriched with set of deliverables, accelerators, role descriptions, and additional guides. The five standard roadmaps are listed below. To learn more about the functions of each, move your pointer over the name of the item you want to learn more about. Implementation Roadmap
• Implementation Roadmap for SAP Solutions provides the methodological framework for the project team to leverage in the implementation of a SAP solution. It covers, among other things, the necessary project management, requirements gathering, design, configuration of business processes, technical implementation, test procedures, training and organization change management. Solution Management Roadmap • The Solution Management Roadmap provides a methodology for the implementation of the technical infrastructure and its operation. The Solution Management Roadmap complements the Implementation Roadmap. Global Template Roadmap • The Global Template Roadmap describes how to organize and run a project in which a corporate template is developed. The Global Template Roadmap is geared toward more complex implementation or harmonization projects, typically involving more than one kind of SAP solution and a variety of sites, possibly in different countries. The corporate template is rolled out to other sites in a follow-up project. Upgrade Roadmap • The Upgrade Roadmap is designed to help you carry out the customizing activities required for an upgrade. These customizing activities are essential if you want to continue to use the same functions in your business application components after an upgrade. Other Roadmaps • The Enterprise Portal and Exchange Infrastructure roadmaps are simply variations of the Implementation Roadmap.
Five Phases of the Implementation Roadmap Audio Transcript The implementation roadmap consists of five phases. The first phase is Project Preparation. This is the initial planning for the customers' SAP project. The activities include general project management requirements, an issues management plan, an organizational change management plan, and the establishment of other policies and procedures for running the project. This phase must be completed before the next phase begins. The second phase, the business blueprint phase, comprises activities for aligning the customers’ business and technical requirements to the SAP standard software. Just as a blueprint of a house is a plan by which an architect conveys the building requirements to the contractor, so the business blueprint in ASAP becomes the plan for the eventual configuration of a customers’ SAP software solution. This phase concludes with the approval of a business blueprint document. The Third Phase, The realization phase comprises the building and testing of the solution as prescribed by the business blueprint document. Activities in this phase include customizing in the Implementation Guide of the associated development systems. The realization phase also includes software enhancements, special progamming, building and executing test plans, and finally,
signing-off the configured system. The Forth phase, final preparation phase many crucial tasks remain, such as acceptance testing of the production system hardware, the completion of end-user training, and plans for transfer to the production system. Fifth and The final phase is Go Live and Support. During this phase, items such as service level agreements and help-desk procedures are established and tested. The conclusion of this phase is the hand-over to the operations and monitoring staff. Summary In this topic, you reviewed the basics of the ASAP methodology. You learned that the ASAP methodology is fully integrated into SAP Solution Manager, and Accelerated SAP roadmaps provide content, tools, and expertise from thousands of successful implementations. You also learned that there are several roadmaps available to the customer, the most popular being the Implementation Roadmap. Finally, you learned that the Implementation Roadmap has five phases: Project Preparation, Business Blueprint, Realization, Final Preparation, and Go Live & Support.
SAP Solution Manager as Toolset for Implementation About This Topic This topic introduces you to the use of SAP Solution Manager as a tool for implementation of SAP solutions. Business Example Project progress managers are responsible for several areas of an implementation project, from requirements gathering and definition to configuration and testing. Coordination of these activities demands one toolset. SAP Solution Manager supports you through each phase of your project, from planning to testing and hand-over to operations. Objective(s) • Identify project management features of the SAP Solution Manager • List the various elements of the Implementation Roadmap • Identify the features of the Business Blueprint transaction in an SAP Solution Manager system • List the most commonly used components within the Configuration transaction of the SAP Solution Manager
Project Management in SAP Solution Manager
The ASAP Implementation Roadmap provides a work breakdown structure that can be used to plan and track the underlying activities and tasks of the implementation; however, it is not meant to be characterized as a project management tool. In fact, there are links to Microsoft Project from the roadmap, allowing a project manager to download the entire structure into an MS Project plan. Each phase of the roadmap provides a list of general project management activities, such as project team status, scope management, training plan management, and so on.
Elements of the Implementation Roadmap Audio Transcript This screen describes the various elements of the Implementation Roadmap. These elements are the roadmap structure, the viewing area and the attachment area. As the graphic illustrates, the Roadmap Structure is located on the left-hand side of the screen and gives the project a list of items that outlines what to do and when to do it. The viewing/text area, on the upper right side of the screen, displays procedural guides, prerequisite information, and deliverables of the highlighted structure items. Finally, the attachments area on the lower right-side of the screen displays various items, such as accelarators, issues, supplemental documentation, and project team members responsible for the tasks listed in the roadmap structure.
The main elements of the Implementation Roadmap are:
• Roadmap structure • Viewing/text area • Attachments area The roadmap structure gives the project team a list of what to do and when to do it. This appears on the left-side of the screen displayed. The roadmap structure can be filtered by roles so that each team member can focus only on those items requiring their attention. The viewing/text area, on the upper right-side of the screen, displays procedural guides, prerequisite information, and deliverables of the highlighted structure items on the left-side of the screen. The attachments area on the lower right-side of the screen displays various items, such as accelerators, issues, and supplemental documentation. In this area you can also carry-out various tasks, such as assigning project team members and tracking the status of the highlighted item in the roadmap structure.
Features of the Business Blueprint There are several features of a Business Blueprint transaction. We will focus on the following features:
• Blueprint structure • Business scenarios • Business process groups • Associated items • Blueprint document Each feature has a direct impact on the other. Let's take a closer look at these features and how they relate.
Business Blueprint Features Audio Transcript The Business Blueprint Structure is displayed on the left side of the screen. This structure is developed in the business process workshops. All requirements are recorded and associated with a structure item. The content used to establish the structure is found in the Business Process Repository. The business structure displayed on this screen is based on Business Scenarios. The business scenarios are defined first. Then, supporting business process groups are chosen from the Business Process Repository, based on those scenarios. On the right side of the screen, associated items are available to support the line-items in the structure on the left. Additional features, such as project documentation, transaction assignments and graphical flow of processes are also available. Once the blueprint structure is finalized, the blueprint document can be generated and becomes the “master plan” for the realization phase of the project.
The Business Blueprint structure is displayed on the left side of the screen. This structure is developed through the business process workshops; all requirements gathered are recorded and associated with a structure item. The content used to establish the structure is found in the Central repository for components of SAP Solution Manager solutions. These components can be: • Structure elements: organizational units, master data, processes and process steps • Assignments to structure elements such as transactions or IMG activities Business Process Repository (BPR). The business structure displayed on this screen is based on a business scenario. The business scenarios are first defined, and then supporting business process groups are chosen from the BPR based on those scenarios. These decisions are based upon the activities outlined in the Business Blueprint phase of the Implementation Roadmap, where workshops are organized with the purpose of defining the business process needs of the project. On the right side of the screen, associated items are available to support the line items in the structure on the left. Additional features such as project documentation, transaction assignments, and graphical flow of processes are also available. Once the blueprint structure is finalized, the blueprint document can be generated and becomes the "master plan" for the realization phase of the project.
Components of the Configuration Transaction The purpose of the Configuration transaction is to use the Business Blueprint structure to configure IMG objects in your development system. Here is a list of the most commonly used components available in the Configuration transaction: • Project documentation • Transaction assignments • Configuration of IMG objects • Development items • Test cases • Graphics • Training materials
Functions of Blueprint Configuration
Using the blueprint document generated in the Business Blueprint phase, the project team will go into the Configuration transaction in the SAP Solution Manager to customize the attached
development system. Customization is the configuration of the Implementation Guide (IMG) (Implementation Guide (IMG) A tool for configuring the SAP system to meet customer requirements. The Implementation Guide (IMG) explains all the steps in the implementation process, tells you the SAP standard (factory) Customizing settings, and describes the system configuration activities. The hierarchical structure of the IMG is based on the application component hierarchy and lists all the documentation that is relevant to implementing the SAP system. The main section is IMG Customizing activities, where the relevant system settings are made. You can also document projects in the IMG such as: • The SAP Reference IMG • The Enterprise IMG • The Project IMG) Implementation Guide (IMG) objects in the target system. The blueprint structure is replicated in the configuration screen. The associated items on the right side of the screen provide a place for documentation, administration, tracking, IMG objects to be configured, test cases, and team members assigned.
Configuration Testing Features: 1 Testing is one of most important components of Configuration. A crucial part of the Realization phase is the ability to test the functionality of the solution as you build it. Integrated into Solution Manager is the Test Workbench, which includes the test organizer, automated testing tools, and interfaces to third-party testing tools.
The figure depicts the integration of the testing tools provided by the SAP Solution Manager.
Configuration Testing Features: 2 Audio Transcript Let's walk through the test workflow outlined on this screen. First, a project structure is created and test cases are collected. In the second step, the collected test cases are assigned to different test packages in the project structure. Then, the test packages are given to the assigned testers the project. The test packages are executed and then the test results are analyzed. The benefits of this systems are: • Fast test preparation and execution • A single point of access to the complete system landscape • Central storage of testing material and test results and • Re-use of existing testing material
This figure shows the components of the testing workflow, from the building of test plan to the execution of the test cases within the plan to the analysis of results. The benefits of the testing features include: • Reduced time for test preparation and execution • Single point of access to complete system landscape • Central storage of testing material and test results • Re-use of existing testing material Summary This topic focused on the various tool sets available in SAP Solution Manager. You reviewed the major project management features such as links to Microsoft Project and a work breakdown structure. You also learned about features of the Implementation Roadmap, such as the roadmap structure and the accelerators area. Finally, you reviewed the major features of both the Blueprint and Configuration transactions.
SAP Solution Manager as a Toolset for Operations and Continuose Improvements About This Topic The operations section of the SAP Solution Manager is the point of access to SAP support services, including remote services, on-site services, self-services, and best practices documents. Based on your solution configuration, recommendations for these services are triggered dynamically. The SAP Solution Manager is the delivery platform for services delivered as part of your maintenance agreement with SAP. This topic will introduce you to the functions available through Solution Manager that can help manage, support, and optimize the productive environment. Features such as solution monitoring, Service Desk, and Change Request Management (Change Request Management means Component of SAP Solution Manager used to manage SAP Solution Manager projects (maintenance, implementation, template, and upgrade) from top to bottom: starting with change management and project planning, through resource management and cost control, to physical transports of changes from the development environment into the productive environment.) are defined. Business Example Project progress has successfully reached the Go Live stage of the implementation, and hand-over to the operations staff is forthcoming. IT managers require a single, comprehensive tool to help them effectively implement and manage solutions within multiple system landscapes. Estimated time to complete this topic: 30 minutes Objective(s)
• Describe the concept of Solution Monitoring using the SAP Solution Manager • Explain the capability of the service desk features in SAP Solution Manager • Describe some advanced features of the SAP Solution Manager
SAP Solution Manager During Productive Operations Audio Transcript Once we have a live production system, Solution Manager takes on the role of a central system that integrates tools such as system monitoring, business process monitoring and the help desk. Solution Manager is a powerful tool because it is your gateway to SAP Support. Based on your solution configuration, Solution Manager automatically triggers recommendations for services such as remote consulting, self-services, and best practice documents. We'll examine these features in more detail.
• Customer's "central system" • Customer's Help Desk • Customer's link to SAP Services and Support
Solution Monitoring Audio Transcript The increasing number of IT solutions is a growing challenge for the administration team in a computer center. As a result, computer center managers demand a monitoring method that is centralized (with all information in one tool), yet can be extended to cover new components. Instead of classic system monitoring of individual system components, we now talk about solution monitoring, where entire business processes can be monitored across multiple components. This concept is realized through the following three monitoring sections within the SAP Solution Manager: Business Process Monitoring, Central System Monitoring, and Service Level Management.
The continually increasing number of IT solutions and components is a growing challenge for the administration team in a computer center. The number of components has increased from what was required with SAP R/3 (including SAP instances, database, hardware, and operating system) to include an ever-growing range of technologies. As a result of this development, computer center managers demand a monitoring method that is centralized (with all information in one tool), yet can be extended to cover new components. Instead of classic system monitoring of individual system components, we now talk about Solution Monitoring, where entire business processes can be monitored as a whole across multiple components. This concept is realized through the following three monitoring sections within the SAP Solution Manager: Business Process Monitoring 1. Real-time monitoring with a focus on the graphical display of business processes based on the Computing Center Management System (CCMS) System Monitoring: Central System 2. Administration and real-time monitoring based on the Computing Center Management System (CCMS) Service Level Management
3. Continuous monitoring based on SAP EarlyWatch Alert
Monitoring Recommendations Use Service Level Management in the SAP Solution Manager to lay the foundation for setting up the correct procedures for monitoring of your SAP solution. The recommended technique is to define an explicit monitoring concept for central system monitoring using the Computing Center Management System (CCMS) in conjunction with the SAP Solution Manager. This form of system monitoring, that starts with monitoring all business-process-relevant system components, is known as the inside-out approach. The complementary outside-in approach involves using tools from thirdparty manufacturers. To achieve comprehensive monitoring, SAP recommends using both approaches simultaneously.
Service Desk Features Audio Transcript The service desk offers a complete infrastructure for running a solution-wide support organization at your site. Features of the service desk include: • a Message handling process • a Customer solution database • SAP Notes Management • Solution Manager Diagnostics
Now that we have talked about some of the features of solution monitoring, we will look at another component of the SAP Solution Manager: Service Desk. The service desk offers a complete infrastructure for organizing and operating a solution-wide support organization at your site. Features include: Message handling process • End users can create messages that automatically collect system and context data. An interface for third-party messaging tools is also included. Customer solution database • Allows customer to build a history database for future troubleshooting Managing SAP Notes • Integrated notes search from the SAP Service Marketplace, as well as the ability to implement the notes via the SAP Note Assistant Solution Manager diagnostics
• Provides all functionality to centrally analyze and monitor a complete SAP solution
Change Request Management After reviewing the features of the Service Desk, let's examine some of the more advanced features of SAP Solution Manager. Two commonly used advanced features are Change Request Management and Solution Manager Diagnostics. Change Request Management, as part of the SAP Solution Manager, integrates service desk functionality for managing change requests. The processes supported by Change Request Management include urgent corrections for implementing fast and direct changes in the productive environment, and maintenance cycle activities such as regular releases and implementation, upgrade, or template projects.
Solution Manager Diagnostics A key requirement for efficient and safe support of IT solutions is the ability to perform root cause analysis with speed and efficiency. Solution Manager diagnostics provides all functionality to centrally analyze and monitor a complete SAP solution. It also reduces the time needed to train a support consultant in root cause analysis. Summary This topic reviewed the Solution Manager functions that help manage, support, and optimize the productive environment. The features included solution monitoring and the service desk. You also learned about advanced features of solution manager such as Change Request Management and Solution Manager Diagnostics.
Module Summary This product provided an overview of SAP Solution Manager. You reviewed the uses of SAP Solution Manager, such as allowing customers to integrate their SAP Solutions and manage other components, including the SAP Service Desk. You also learned that the ASAP methodology is fully integrated into SAP Solution Manager, and Accelerated SAP roadmaps provide content, tools, and expertise from thousands of successful implementations. You learned about the major features of both the Blueprint and Configuration transactions and how you can use these features to develop your own customized structure. Finally, you reviewed the features included in solution monitoring and the service desk and how these features help manage, support, and optimize the productive environment.
