Support Packs installations

Support Packs
Support pack installations are mini-upgrades, the purpose of a Support Pack is to provide a bundle of fixes that have all been tested together. A Support Package corrects errors in the SAP System or makes necessary adjustments, for example, due to legal changes. The objects affected are replaced in your system.Each Support Package is valid for only one release (but for all databases and operating systems) and requires an exactly defined number of predecessors.

The following types of Support Packages are available:

• SPAM/SAINT Update: A SPAM/SAINT Update (PAT) contains updates and improvements to the SAP Patch Manager and the SAP Add-On Installation Tool.
• FCS Support Package: An FCS Support Package (FFD) updates an FCS system to its General Availability release so that other Support Packages can be imported.
• Component Support Package: This type of Support Package (COP) is valid for one software component (SAP_BASIS, SAP_HR, SAP_APPL) and contains corrections to errors in the Repository and Dictionary in this software component only.
• BW Support Package: A BW Support Package (BWP) is a Support Package for the software component SAP Business Information Warehouse (SAP_BW) and only contains corrections for this component.
• Add-On Support Package: An Add-On Support Package (AOP) is valid for an add-on with a particular release and contains corrections for this add-on.
• Conflict Resolution Transport: A Conflict Resolution Transport CRT is exclusively used for add-ons, for example, IS-IS or IS-OIL. It resolves conflicts that can occur between Support Packages and an add-on.

Before going to applying support packages you should follow the some prerequisites:

1. SPAM/SAINT should be latest version( always apply support packages to the level n-1)
2. No aborted packages in your system
3. Minimum two background work process are available
4. Free space in EPS directory
5. Must read the note for following sequence of support packs
6. Latest Kernel version (Upgrade "Kernel")

Update Saint Tool:

1. Download required version
2. Uncar and keep in eps/in
3. Go to SPAM
4. Go to Support Package
5. Click import saint/spam update
6. This step will take some time and then  click on green ok button
7. Some time it will throw error ….no need to worry just go to spam steps 5 again and the version will change  
8. http://www.sapbasistuts.com/home/abap-stack/abap-stack-wiki/sap-spam-saint-update

SPAM Steps 
The SAP Patch Manager informs you of the status of the step currently being executed in the status bar. If you want to know which steps are executed for which scenario, run the program RSSPAM10.
The following list explains the steps executed by SPAM in the order in which they are performed.
1.PROLOGUE: In this step, the system checks if you are authorized to import Support Packages.
2.CHECK_REQUIREMENTS: In this step, various requirements are checked for importing a Support Package, for example, the transport control program tp logging on to your system.
3.DISASSEMBLE: In this step, files from the corresponding EPS parcels are disassembled, or unpacked, and stored in the directory.
4.ADD_TO_BUFFER: In this step, the queue is put into the transport buffer of your system.
5.TEST_IMPORT: In this step, the system checks if there are still objects in tasks that have not yet been released and are overwritten when the Support Package is imported.
6.IMPORT_OBJECT_LIST: In this step, the object lists for the Support Packages in the queue are imported into the system.
7.OBJECTS_LOCKED_?: In this step, the system checks if there are still objects in tasks that have not yet been released and are overwritten when the Support Package is imported.
8.SCHEDULE_RDDIMPDP: In this step, the transport daemon (program RDDIMPDP) is scheduled.
9.ADDON_CONFLICTS_: In this step, the system checks if there are conflicts between objects in the queue and installed add-ons.
10.SPDD_SPAU_CHECK: In this step, the system checks if a modification adjustment is necessary (Transactions SPDD/SPAU).
11.DDIC_IMPORT: In this step, all the ABAP Dictionary objects of the queue are imported.
12.AUTO_MOD_SPDD: In this step, the system checks if modifications to the ABAP Dictionary objects can be adjusted automatically.
13.RUN_SPDD_: In this step, you are asked to adjust your modifications to the ABAP Dictionary objects by calling Transaction SPDD.
14.IMPORT_PROPER: In this step, all the Repository objects and table entries are imported. Then actions such as distribution, conversion, activation and generation occur.
15.AUTO_MOD_SPAU: In this step, the system checks if modifications can be adjusted automatically.
16.RUN_SPAU_: In this step, you are asked to adjust your modifications to the Repository objects by calling Transaction SPAU.
17.EPILOGUE: In this step, the import of the Support Package is ended. The system checks if the queue has been completely processed.

• Log files will be under /usr/sap/trans/log. Log files are not created for all the phases.
• If you want to know which steps are executed for which scenario, run the program RSSPAM10 

Steps to applying SAP Support packages

1. Login from DDIC and enter Tcode SPAM, Click on Package level to know the existing level of the support packs and the add-ons.
2. Go to transaction SPAM and Load the support packages from frontend if it is < 10 MB. The support packages which are in the form of .car will be decompressed into eps/in directory.  
3. If the size is > 10mb, copy the support packages to /trans directory and uncar the support packages using the below command 
4. cmd>cd usr\sap\trans
5. sapcar –xvf .car
6. The command SAPCAR will decompress the CAR file and put two files (with extensions .ATT and .PAT in the /usr/sap/trans/EPS/in directory.
7. Go to SPAM from DDIC and client 000 and click on Display/define A box will appear with the Support Package categories, Click on the category for the support packages that you uploaded and it will list them in order. You can apply them individually or the whole list at one time.
8. Go to support package click import queue (or) Click on truck icon.
9. Click on continue after importing in to the Queue.
10. Click Continue.

Note: - While applying support packages it triggers two phases SPAU and SPDD 

• SPDD

When the support packages contain any changes in the data dictionary then this phase is invoked.

• SPAU

When the support packages contain the changes related to repository objects SPAU phase is invoked.  it prompts whether to keep to existing changes modified by notes or adapt to changes.

Modification Adjustment during Import of Support Packages Use: - If SAP modified objects that have also been modified by the customer, a modification adjustment is executed in the transactions SPDD and SPAU during import of Support packages.

Procedure

• As far as the modification adjustment is concerned, you use the common procedure described below to import Support Packages:
• Create two change requests in the Workbench Organizer (transaction SE09), one for the modification adjustment with transaction SPDD and the other one for the modification adjustment in transaction SPAU.
• Create a task for each developer who is involved in the modification adjustment.
• The developers must use transactions SPDD and SPAU to determine whether to retain or delete the modifications.
• After modification adjustment is finished, the developers must release their tasks.
• Use transaction SPAM to access the SAP Patch Manager.
• Choose Patch -> Import Patch Queue. A confirmation dialog window appears.
• Choose Enter to finish the import process of the Support Package.
• Release the change requests that result from the modification adjustment using transactions SPAU and SPDD.

It prompts you the Queue is imported successfully and asks to confirm the queue.
Go to -> SPAM -> Support Package -> Confirm the Queue
This shows the support package has implemented for the one of the queue and you need to do the same as for the other queue (software components).

Post processing for support package 

1. Check if any alerts or error messages in SICK and SM21.
2. Release all the background jobs (BTCTRNS2).
3. Unlock all the users.
4. Run SGEN (SGEN compiles all programs.SGEN reduces abap load on the system).

ABAP Stack SP Upgrade:

1. Download required sp's from service marketplace.
2. Extract downloaded files to your "saptranshost"
3. Logon your system (client 000) with user that has "SAP-ALL" authorization.
4. Run transaction SPAM, define queue, and start import.

JAVA Stack SP Upgrade:

1. Download required sp's from marketplace.
2. Unpack the files or move them to the "saptranshost" depending of your release.
3. Run SAPINST or JSPM depending on your release.

ABAP+JAVA Dual Stack systems SP Upgrade:

• Patch ABAP Stack as described.
• Patch JAVA Stack as described.

Question and answer:
Q. When you will apply patches? Give short of examples the situation, where to troubleshoot you have applied patches!
Q.Why it`s required to shut down all SAP, Database instances & services during kernel up-gradation.
A. Because SAP system and database uses kernel service starsapsrv.exe for their functioning, if the service file to be updated is in use, kernel upgrade is not possible then. 
Q. Why it`s required to keep all instances up during the updating hot package?
A. Because SAP system process the system tables/object and modifying them during updating hot package besides hot packages are the most basis packages required for SAP system to work fine. 
Q. Can we apply higher version Patch Level using lower version of SPAM? 
A. NO
Q. What is importance of Import Queue?
Maintain the support packs selected. 
Check the dependency, actually queue can’t be defined unless the dependencies of selected components meet and let them apply in order. 
Q. Can we apply higher level of HR or other Financial Patch with lower version of ABAP/BASIS patch level?
A. Never. Because SAP Basis/ABAP are the most basic components that need to be updated before you can update any components. 
Q. Is there any sequence to apply hot packages?
A. Means, BASIS – ABAP – HR – FIN or HR – FIN – ABAP – BASIS vice versa Basis and ABAP should be at first then others. 
Q. BASIS and ABAP patch level should be same. So first which patch level should be updated ABAP or BASIS? If BASIS then why? If ABAP then why?
A. Not necessary for them to be at same patch level. Though standard says they should be at same level.  Generally we apply BASIS and ABAP together. If we have to apply one at first, it should be basis. 
Q. Why you update SPAM version before applying other patches? What is the logic behind this?
A. A SPAM/SAINT Update (PAT) contains updates and improvements to the SAP Patch Manager and the SAP Add-On Installation Tool. 
Q. How you will decompress the downloaded compressed patch files? After decompression what are the two files generated. State the names of that files & type of the files? 
A. SAPcar –xvf filename.sar
They will contain PTT and ATT files.
Q. Why we login as DDIC user at the time of patch administration? If we logged as different user, what will the problem?
A. Users are locked generally for SPAM upgrade. Hence use DDIC, its standard SAP user. 
Q. Updating the patch level means Updating of SAP system or Upgrading SAP system?
A. Updating the SAP system
Q. Why Support packages are required
A. A support packages is a quantity of corrected SAP objects.
Support packages are required to correct errors in various components. This is done by replacing erroneous objects with corrected versions of these objects.
Each software component has a separate sequence of Support Packages. 
Q. How from Client 000, all clients exists in SAP system get effected?  In which table these stored?
A. It updates standard table’s objects and data dictionary objects which are accessible by all the clients.