Some Facts about SAP

After the internet, SAP R/3 is one of the hottest topics in the computer industry and the company that developed it. It is targeted to most industries: manufacturing, retail, oil& gas, pharmaceutical, banking, insurance, telecommunication, Transport, chemical and so on. All major hardware is fully engaged to partner with SAP: AT& T, BULL, Compaq, IBM, Sun have supported and certified R/3 platform.

SAP has list of major consultant all over the world like Anderson Consulting, Price Waterhouse-Cooper & Lybrand, Ernst & young KPMG and many more.

The company behind R/3 is SAP AG, founded by four former IBM employees in 1972. The company’s headquarters are in walldorf, a small German town. The company name. SAP stands for SYSTEMS, APPLICATIONS and PRODUCTS in data processing. In 1992 R/3 was introduced and in 1995 SAP AG was ranked fifth among independent software vendors. One of the reasons for Sap’s success is that since it is a standard package, it can be configured in multiple areas and adapted to specific need, of a company. All over the world there are more than 8000 installation of SAP R/3 that means more than 80000 companies rely on SAP software for their most crucial business need.

SAP has two main products in the business software market: Mainframe system R/2 and Client –Server R/3. Both are targeted to business application solutions. Here R indicates
REAL TIME.

R/2 is SAP AG mainframe software that runs on IBM, Siemens and other compatible equipment. This type of solution cannot be open, but with ALE technology, R/2 can be linked with R/3 system and share data. This system is mainly targeted at enterprises with data-intensive and centralized industries.

R/3 is the product that has really placed SAP AG as the leader in the industry. This complex Client/Server system is core of our course. The global acceptance of R/3 is not only because it caters all complex needs of business but also this international acceptance is because of R/3 ‘s international applicability. For SAP this does not mean having software available in different language, but also covering currency, taxes Legal practice concerning HR, Import/export regulations. SAP also values its customers and it is shown by the comprehensive set of quality services put by SAP to help customers during the process of I implementing and supporting the R/3 systems. These services include product information; training, installation and upgrade services like;

OSSOnline Service System is one of the primary sources of service and support provided by SAP. With OSS, Customers can search the SAP information database and find solutions for errors and problems with R/3 systems. You can also submit your problems to SAP.

Consulting Service with remote consulting service customer receives immediate and updated technical support and answers to their questions.

Maintenance Service: This is the basic and most common type of support for customers in technical support and answers to their questions.

Information Service: These are the various information sources for receiving detailed information about the R/3 system, marketing brochures, system documentation, training information and many more things.



Preventive Services: The primary one is the Early Watchservice, which ensures successful and efficient installation of the R/3 system in all phases. This service makes regular performance checks and analyzes the system to identify potential problems, help system managers and SAP sends the customer a report with the result of the analysis and recommendations for avoiding potential problems such as database becoming full.



So overall SAP R/3 is an open client/server software system, designed to manage business information needs of an entire enterprise. The whole dataflow of SAP R/3 works in an integrated way, which means the data needs to be entered just once and the system automatically updates other logically related data.


WORKING WITH R/3 System


The SAP R/3 presentation interface behaves very similarly to any other typical window application and is also known as SAPGUI. The first screen that you come across in R/3 system is SAP logon screen.

SAP R/3 logon screen


This is the first screen that appears when you use SAP logon utility. It has four fields: the client, the user, the password and the language.
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·Client: Here you enter the client number. The client is group of users who has similar rights. It can be group of users in a business entity or a whole business entity or a whole company.

·User: The name of the SAP user identification. Users of the SAP system are client-specific, which means that user belonging to one client is valid to only that particular client.

·Password: It is the password that has been assigned by the system administrator.

·Language: SAP R/3 system supports multinational language on the same system at the same time, which is very useful for multinational companies with different branches in several countries and possibly using different languages.

After entering all the fields press ENTER key and system will take you to MAIN MENU screen.

User might get different screens when he logs on, depending upon default settings of the user master record i.e. if user is DEVELOPER then the screen which he often works on its editor screen and he can go directly to this screen, if system administrator sets screen for the user.

Main features of any R/ window are as follows:

·R/3 standard window elements behave exactly the same, as any other standard window application would like minimizing a screen, setting the active window etc.

·From TOP to BOTTOM, R/3 window can contain typical elements such as check boxes, push ****ons, input fields and following elements:

·Menu bar is the first element of the every R/3 window. It contains the menu item corresponding to the particular R/3 application. The two menu options SYSTEM and HELP are always present in every R/3 window. SYSTEM menu option contains all utilities and functions, and is available to user at all the time. The HELP menu contains all the available options for the different types and methods of obtaining online help in the system.

·Standard tool bar: The second R/3 window element is present in every R/3 window. It is nothing but collection of icons, which perform common functions like saving the object, exit etc., the various icons on std. Tool bar as follows (from left to right):

Enter

Command Field
Save
Back
Exit
Cancel
Print
Find
Find Next
First Page
Previous Page
Next Page
Last Page
Help



All icons in R/3 window application support FOCUS property. It means, if you place cursor over an icon and the system will show the function of the icon.

·Application tool bar: The next part of the screen contains icons most commonly used in that particular task or transaction.

·Status Bar: Is the bottom line of the screen and usually shows error or information messages to the user. It also includes other information such as system ID, session number, client, server name and the response time.

In between application tool bar and status bar you have working area, which is different for different screens.

Logging Off


User can log off the R/3 system from any screen. There are three ways of logging off the R/3 system, which are as follows:

·From the menu bar choose SYSTEM -> LOG OFF. In this case, you get the log off dialog box, which informs the user that any data not saved will be lost if continuing with the log off procedure.

·Use / NEX transaction code in the command field. This is dangerous, since it does not ask if you want to save the data.

·Clicking on the EXIT ****on on the R/3 initial screen.


Using Transaction Code


The R/3 system provides an alternativeandefficient way of selecting menu options for moving around the tasks and functions of the SAP system by using transaction code directly in the command field.

When moving with transaction, you can go to any part of the system by merely typing a transaction code in the command field, provided you have authorization for that. That transaction code is the four-character code associated with any task. By typing the transaction code and pressing ENTER key, the system takes you directly to the initial screen for transaction. Whenever any transaction code is entered in the command field, it gets stored in the buffer memory. If you click on drop down arrow, system displays list of transaction code already entered and you can select from this list or enter new one. There are almost twelve thousand and ninety four transactions in SAP. For every task, transaction code is associated and it can be found by

·SYSTEM -> STATUS
Status window is popped up which contains the transaction code in the trans field.

·Through DYNAM IC MENU. It gives the list of tasks. If you click on the top line of the application areas and pressing the search and search next ****on will give you the transactioncode.[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Chinna/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image004.jpg[/IMG]
Important transaction codes, which you will be using often, are:

Data dictionary transaction

S001 - Initial ABAP/4 Development workbench screen.
SE11 - Initial ABAP/4 dictionary maintain screen.
SE16 - Data browser.
SM30 - General table contents display
SE84 - Main ABAP/4 repository information system.
SE84 - Repository information system for ABAP/4 dictionary object.
SE80 - Object browser
SCU3 - Table history transaction.

Editor transaction

SE38 - Initial editor screen for programs.
SE37 - Function library screen
SE51 - Screen painter screen
SE41 - Menu painter screen

Getting help in the R/3 system


R/3 includes many possibilities to get online help for almost every element of the system, users can get help for entire application, for specific function, for definitions of various terms used in SAP i.e., Glossary, messages, screens, fields etc.

You obtain HELP by using any of the following options:

• Help option from the R/3 window, which is compulsory menu item of every R/3 window.
• ? Icon of standard tool bar
• F1 function key.

The SAP system provides help on most fields that appear on the R/3 screen. To get help on particular field, position the cursor over it and press help ****on or F1 function key.

Another way in which R/3 system provides help is when system displays error messages in the status bar. Double clicking on the status bar shows additional information about the message.

Working with R/3 user sessions



A very important feature provided by SAP. In R/3 system you can work with more than one task at any given point of time, by means of opening sessions. You can call sessions as independent R/3 window where you can perform other task.

By default, a user can open six sessions simultaneously and can work or move around with all sessions at the same time. Sessions can be closed at any time, without having to log off the system.

User can create new sessions from anywhere as CREATE SESSION comes under SYSTEM menu which is available in every R/3 window.

SYSTEM -> CREATE SESSION


Or

/0 in command field willopen a new session or window and will place it in front of all other windows.
To move among sessions

·Just mouse click on any part of the R/3 window to make that session active.
·Combination of ALT + TAB key.

R/3 Architecture


The overall R/3 system includes the following components:















BUSINESS APPLICATIONS




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The UPPER layer, the functional layer contains the different business application. The integration of all application depends upon basis system. All types of application are developed by using ABAP/4 (Advanced Business application - the 4th generation language)

The R/3 basis software is the set of programs and tools, which interfaces with the operating, system, the underlying database, protocols and the presentation interface. This layer enable all the application to work exactly the same way no matter what operation system or database, the system is installed on. It is an independent layer and ensures the integration of all modules. Besides all these specifies jobs, basis system also contains following components and thus provides more additional features:

·ABAP/4 development workbench in turn includes many features like repository, data dictionary, workbench organizer that will be discussed in later part of the topics.

·ABAP/4 languages, system administrative tools all these components are used to control, tune the R/3 system.

·Spool system manages the formatting of data for printing and passing it to the host spool system.

·Mail system you can send and receive mail form the outside world (Internet)

·Communication interface to external system inside R/3 system manages communication at the operating system level (TCP/IP), at the database level and between applications (RFC, EDI, and ALE).

·Database interface – This component supports different Relational databases from different vendors. The main task of database interface is to convert the SQL request from the SAP development environment to the database’s own SQL environment.

·Background processing with this facility you can submit your program for background execution.

BASIS system contains the layered components that facilitate the development of client/server architecture.


Client/server architecture

Client/server architecture is mainly a software concept that includes a set of service providers and service requesters. The set of computers acts as service providers and is called as server. The sets of software components, which act as service requester, are called as client.

In the client/server architecture, the database acts like a library clerk retrieving books from the shelf. The user programs have to request database for the data instead of searching for the data themselves. This way there is no risk of the users putting the data out of order. If the desired data is in use, the database makers the user wait until it is free.

The major advantage of the client/server architecture is that the server is available for a number of clients and there is distribution of work between the clients and the server. The user directs the request to the client in turn understands the user’s request and redirects the request to the server. The server retrieves the data, gives it to client.
You can have client and server on the same machine or on different machine. Each client has a corresponding process inside the server.

One of the most used client/server configurations with theR/3 system is the 3-tiered architecture, which separates system’s computer into 3 functional group:


Three tier architecture of R/3

Database Server
Application Server
Presentation Server

(Unlike normal Client server architecture where you have only two layers i.e. client and
Server.)
(Communication among the 3 tiers is accomplished by standard protocol services like TCP IP or CPIC (Common Programming Interface Communication).

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In above case database server stores the data centrally. Basically contains database engine and associated processes. The database layers contain the database system used by all servers.

Application server contains software components to run program. It contains a SAP kernel, which can run ABAP/4 program.

The presentation server is your client through which you send your request to application server. It is also called as (SAP graphical user interfaces) known as SAPGUI and is available in windows 3.1, NT, Windows 95, and Macintosh. They all look similar whatever underlying system they are running on.

The SAPGUI includes all graphical capabilities of window interface with menu bars, tool bars, focus property, and the entire mouse clicking options.

The R/3 system is open system in the sense that it can run on any operating system or any database and any communication technology. It means that.

·R/3 system can run on any operating system platform such as UNIX, NT, 95,AS/400
·It supports various RDBMS such as SQL server, oracle, Informix, DB2
·Standard GUIs supported by R/3 are Windows 95, NT, Windows 3.1,and Macintosh.
·SAP can use standard communication protocols TCP/IP, CPIC

[akhilesh dubey]

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