Batch scheduling in SAP:

I- Introduction: SAP initially developed industry specific ERP solutions for mainframe environments addressing the needs of big industry. SAP, using the same mainframe architecture, next developed SAP/R3, a UNIX version of R2, to tap small and medium business markets. Initially, SAP/R3 targeted relatively small organizations. It offered a UNIX server, limited number of users, and limited processing. Customer enthusiasm for distributed solutions led users to implement SAP/R3 in increasingly complex environments requiring integration into other applications. Beyond the advantages of the industry specific solutions offered by SAP/R3, and in spite of continual enhancements by SAP, the underlying mainframe architecture continues to be a burden. Technical administration of R3 solutions (conceptually highly centralized) adapt poorly to the daily requirements of open systems such as frequent change, management of multiple SAP environments, and integration in heterogeneous information system. SAP/R3 offers a limited solution for managing batch activity. Thats because SAP/R3 initially targeted smaller businesses with reduced technical configurations, few users and little batch activity. SAP/R3 is developed and sold, for the most part, as an interactive system. Batch management features are not major components in its sales and marketing positioning. However, experience shows batch management as essential for efficient management of production systems. The purpose of this document is to: describe the most frequent batch management needs in SAP/R3 environments, identify the limits of the SAP/R3 solution in this field detail how Dollar Universe can complement SAP/R3 and satisfy batch requirements.

II- Architecture: A products architecture should make it possible to execute functions necessary for its use in optimized conditions. SAP/R3 uses a three-tier architecture. Any SAP user with the required privileges can connect to all systems from a single point to fulfill a specific business role (user, developer, administrator). Interconnection requirements of each system are totally transparent to the user. However, SAP/R3s internal architecture is far from optimal for managing batch processes in a production context. Technical processes are tightly linked to the machines they run on. This limits what you can do. For example it prevents definition of dependencies between jobs running on different SAP/R3 systems, central monitoring of batch operations, and simple central administration of all SAP/R3 environments. A better architecture can eliminate these limitations. For example Dollar Universe, Orsyps job scheduler, uses a peer to peer cooperative architecture. Designed specifically for distributed systems Cooperative Architecture places full job scheduling automation capability

on each server. It distributes processing power where it is needed. It also increases the reliability of SAP batch automation, while providing comprehensive internal and external process synchronization. Dollar Universe Global Control offers central supervision of all batch production across multiple SAP and other systems. It improves response times of production teams through real time problem detection and intervention in production environments. Integrating Dollar Universe into a SAP/R3 environment strengthens the SAP industry solution architecture with all the advantages of Dollar Universe in distributed environments. This helps guarantee that the solution is operational and that system availability is optim ized for endusers. (IM NOT SURE WHAT THIS LAS T SENTENCE IS TRYING TO SAY)

III- Automation features Job Sequencing In traditional job scheduling each job is associated with a calendar that defines when a job will run. When two jobs are dependent on e ach other it is necessary to coordinate the two calendars so that the first job is completed before the second job is run. This can become cumbersome if you have multiple job dependencies. An alternative method is to keep the jobs independent of rigid sc hedules and have the execution of the second job begin upon completion of the first. The advantage here is that external events that slow down or delay the first job will have no impact on the scheule of the second.

SAP offers limited capabilities for managing dependencies between jobs. It is restricted to SAPbased events. For example SAP cannot handle: Conditions on files or events external to SAP Multiple dependencies - Job A expects job B and job C - Job A expects job B or job C (THIS NEEDS CLARIFIACTION) Logical resources: the only resources accepted by SAP are of the type batch processor which distributes the processing across available applications servers. (NOT CLEAR) Group or individual incompatibility between jobs

In the absence of an external scheduler, dependencies between application jobs are in most cases either managed from within the ABAP programs or by a scheduling gap. When dependencies are managed within ABAP programsoperations staff are restricted from intervening in the production proc ess and developers are required to correct each incident. The legibility(NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN HERE) of the production process is impaired and maintenance made more complex.

Use of scheduling gaps to manage sequencing is a high-risk solution. At best there is a waste of machine time. At worst, processing slippage may lead to simultaneous processing of incompatible jobs and seriously impact data integrity. Dollar Universe is a true event driven job scheduler. Its comprehensive conditioning features easily define all job execution triggering events. This guarantees efficient, timely processing. It also ensures optimal application availability since each processing phase is executed as soon as its triggering requirements are satisfied. By applying simple conditioning solutions, the operations process remains easy to follow (important in cases of failure) and easy to maintain. Dollar Universe is reliable, secure and efficient. Jobs run according to conditions specified by developers. Jobs will run at the earliest possible time, regardless the circumstances (production slippage, operator or end user job launches). In Dollar Universe the Boolean launch formula can combine unlimited numbers of conditions.And an unlimited number of resources can be defined to rep resent elements of the SAP functional environment and guarantee overall balance in the progression of the production workload.) Date Driven Scheduling SAP events are not dated. Moreover, the only date known to SAP, in terms of batch automation, is the system date. This makes it difficultto: - trigger a daily job on a monthly job which does not run on a fixed day, - ensure that, for jobs expecting a file, todays job will process only todays data, even if the file is delivered late, - ensure that jobs run in the right sequence when production days overlap. Dollar Universe provides Processing Date capability (business date), which is calculated from the scheduling date and independent of the system date at the time of execution. This means that events, and the applications data processed, by a given executed job can be identified by their Processing Date. The Processing Date can be included in the job definition and used within the applications batch processes, i.e. it can be passed as a parameter to SAP jobs. By enforcing the jobs execution prerequisites, Dollar Universe contributes to maintaining the integrity of applications data in all circumstances. User requests SAP/R3 allows users and developers to initiate batch processes interactively. either explicitly or in a manner totally transparent to the end-user. Since such jobs are not defined in the CCMS (SAP internal scheduler), their impact on the SAP system is impossible to control. The lack of control on user requests combined with insufficient conditioning capability on scheduled SAP jobs frequently leads to system overload, degradation of system resources and unsatisfactory response times. Dollar Universes conditioning and synchronization functions allow such user requests to be managed so that overloads are avoided.

Putting user requested batch processes under the control of Dollar Universe makes it easier for operators to monitor them. Being informed of problems in real time lets operations staff be proactive towards users. Operators can recover failed jobs or inform users of problems. This significantly contributes to improving service quality. Dollar Universe also allows statistical tracking of user requested batch processes that can be correlated with other elements such as transaction response times. This helps production services take long-term action to improve levels of service to end-users. Scheduling . Job definition and scheduling in CCMS is not object oriented. It is extremely limited, and has no notion of configuration structure.. For example, CCMS does not offer the following concepts: Job streams; each individual job is scheduled independently. Scheduling data quickly gets out of hand, is hard to maintain and difficult to follow for operations staff. Degraded processing paths; there is no automatic response to job failure. Each incident requires a manual intervention. Object approach to scheduling; for example scheduling parameters must be re-entered for each job to be scheduled. CCMS does not support the concept of a launch window, which is the interval during which a job is actively waiting for its execution prerequisites to be satisfied. Dollar Universes wide ranging scheduling functions reduce the workload needed to set up and maintain schedules in secure production environments. This limits manual interventions while ensuring overall system coherence Using its launch windows, Dollar Universe offers more flexibility and enhanced response to the state of events. Should prerequisites not be satisfied at the end of the Launch Window, events can also be defined with Dollar Universe: either the job launch is forced or it changes to an overdue status, with clear notification to operators. (THIS IS CONFUSING) IV- Change management SAP/R3 provides cross-system transport functions for application objects but not for CCMS scheduling parameters. When application objects are transported to an SAP system, the scheduling parameters must be keyed in a second time on the target system. Consequently, there is always the risk, in any push into production, of introducing errors when re -creating CCMS scheduling parameters. Dollar Universe uses distinct and separate areas for Development, Integration, Simulation and Production. , Scheduling parameters can simply be transferred from one SAP/R3 system to another.( NOT SURE THIS MAKES SENSE)This way, objects (including scheduling records) can be transferred from the Development Area on a SAP development system to the Production Area on a SAP production system eliminating the need to recreate existing objects that have already been validated.

Using Dollar Universe, the scheduling transfer mechanisms can be associated with the SAP/R3 data transports from one SAP system to another. This makes it possible to associate the transfer of parameters from one Area to another with the automatic transport of SAP data to the target system in a secure manner, by first checking that no users are connected to, or jobs running on, the target system. The efficiency and security of Dollar Universes change management lead to a normalized structured environment, which in turn leads to increased productivity.

V- Job monitoring Beyond the fact that SAP R/3 provides no centralized monitoring interface (see Architecture), the SM37 monitoring transaction is both functionally and ergonomically limited and does not make it easy for operators to follow operations efficiently. Filtering criteria are limited; color codes, allowing different job statuses to be easily distinguishable, do not exist. Job streams are not represented graphically. Nor is it possible to graphically display the dependencies between jobs or on events. You cannot display consolidated views by application, environment, job stream or user. Dollar Universes Global Control module deals with these issues with highly ergonomic centralized monitoring and powerful filters. The actions necessary to ensure smooth running of production jobs can be taken in real time from the Global Control interface Monitoring (filtered or consolidated) of all scheduled and user requested batch jobs, both SAP and non-SAP, Gradual analysis of problems, Real time intervention (kill a running job, manual trigger of a job, removal/suspension of a scheduled job, recovery of an aborted job) Such features guarantee users optimal av ailability of their applications.

VI- overview: SAP/R3 provides a number of industry specific solutions to its customers. To ensure availability of these applications and supply the required levels of service to end users, it is essential that all aspects of the applications batch activity be managed. Implementation of Dollar Universe in the SAP/R3 environment will get the most out of SAP/R3 functionality, for users, developers and production teams: Cooperative architecture designed specifically for distributed systems, is unique in that it guarantees optimal applications availability through local automation, while allowing centralized administration and job monitoring,

Comprehensive range of automation features provide naturally simple and robust solutions, guaranteeing applications data integrity while limiting the development and maintenance workload necessary to set up automated operations. Control of user requested processes ensures management of all SAP batch activity giving production teams a be tter handle on system performance. Security in handling change, which production automation objects, contributes to the reliability of the production environment when installing new applications releases. Centralized monitoring of production processes incl ding both SAP and non-SAP jobs, u allowing the same facilities for tracking, diagnosis and real time intervention on the production workflow.

Dollar Universe provides a comprehensive solution to all batch processing needs in SAP/R3 environments.