Different SAP upgrade tools

Different SAP upgrade tools

As there are differences in SAP technology components along with evolution of SAP software there are also different SAP upgrade tools. Let me share short overview of them within this post.

      1. SAPUp: Are standard SAP upgrade tools coming in two flavors:    

     a.     For ABAP Stack – SAPup

     b.   For JAVA Stack - SAPJup

          It consists of two programs:

         a.  Upgrade program – performing the upgrade

         b.    Control program - so called GUI to upgrade process (Upgrade GUI of SDT GUI)

Upgrade GUI is user interface where you can see the upgrade phases/progress via roadmap steps. With this tool you can perform Combined Upgrade (CU) and Unicode Conversion (UC) as well.

       2. SAP Enhancement Package Installer (SAP EhPi): Primarily used for Enhancement package (EhP) installations. EhP are aimed to enhance functionality of SAP Business Suite 7 and higher and SAP NetWeaver 7.0 and higher based systems. Used for systems based on both ABAP and JAVA Stacks. Moreover you can upgrade dual stack based system via synchronized procedures. You can also use SAPehpi for SAP Support Packages only.

SAP introduced its enhancement package strategy for SAP ERP as a means to simplify the way customers manage and deploy new software functionality. Customers can electively implement these software innovations from SAP and activate the software upon business demand. As a result, customers can isolate the impact of software updates and bring new functionality online faster through shortened testing cycles.
Learn here more about the enhancement package concept which is the first of its kind in the industry, offering customers greater long-term value and an easier methodology for managing software innovations.
 

 When is the best time to install an enhancement package?

SAP strongly recommends installing the enhancement package for SAP ERP when performing a regular SP stack implementation. The installation of enhancement packages and the application of the SP stack should be done together in one queue in the SAP add-on installation tool (known as transaction SAINT) or the SAP enhancement package installer. This reduces the downtime and manual effort for the whole installation procedure. In addition, you can leverage synergies concerning modification adjustment as well as regression testing for all software components at that time. 

Note: Effectively as of 21.4.2011 SAPehpi 7.10 is replaced by Software Update Manager (SUM) see below.

3. Software Update Manager – SUM (Software Logistics Toolset) – Software logistics tool for different kinds of implementation processes.

The Software Update Manager 1.0 is the tool for system maintenance:

• Release upgrade (major release change)
• System update (EHP installation)
• applying Support Packages (SPs) / Support Package Stacks
• applying Java patches
• correction of installed software information

The term update is the generic term for all of these activities, and it is used in the SUM documentation as well.

SUM is used for all SAP Net Weaver based systems, so systems either based on AS ABAP, or AS Java, or based on a dual-stack system.

Successor of other tools

The Software Update Manager replaces tools for upgrade, update, and implementing SPs:

• SAPehpi: SAP Enhancement Package Installer
• SAPup: tool for upgrading ABAP-based systems
• SAPJup: tool for upgrading Java-based systems
• JSPM: Java Support Package Manager
• CEupdateManager: tool for updating Composition Environment systems
• SolManUp: tool for updating and upgrading SAP Solution Manager systems
• SUM 1.0 SP10 is available since March 2013

  

     4. SPAM / SAINT / JSPM: tools to be used for installation and upgrade of add-ons, Support Packages, subsequent installation of additional technical usages of EhPs. Coming again in two flavors:    

a.    For ABAP Stack – SAINT and SPAM

b.    For JAVA Stack - JSPM 

SPAM and SAINT are hosted directly by ABAP AS and therefore are platform in depended.

SPAM: Support Package Manager.

If you are upgrading the patches of your existing components to the latest or to your required patch level, we will do it by using SPAM.

Ex: SAP_BASIS is on pl 9 .for upgrading this to latest(pl 13 or 14)

We will do this from SPAM.

SAINT: Add-On Installation Tool

If you want to install a new component in your system, which is not there in the system we will do this by SAINT.

For ex: ST-PI is not existing in your system want to install then u need to install the add-on for that component by SAINT.

After the installation you have to patch this to latest by using SPAM.

If you want to upgrade the release of the component we have to perform this by using SAINT.

Ex: PI_BASIS is on 2003_1_640 if u want upgrade this to 2004_1_640 then u need to perform this by using SAINT

       5. Application Specific Upgrade (ASU) – Tool hosted by ABAP Stack to collect all before / after upgrade activities, tasks etc.

Speaking of not only tools but even about upgrade methodology there is an initiative within SAP started: Near Zero Downtime for ERP. The purpose is to reduce downtime of ERP system while upgrade. It uses technologies like synchronizing of software changes between system and its copies – delta reply (workbench from System Landscape Optimization (SLO)).