Tuesday, 22 April 2014

SAP Landscape


SAP Landscape.

Landscape is like a server system or like a layout of the servers or some may even call it the architecture of the servers viz. SAP is divided into three different lanscape DEV, QAS and PROD.

-  DEV would have multiple clients for ex: 190- Sandbox, 100- Golden, 180- Unit Test.
-  QAS may again have mutiple clients for ex: 300- Integration Test, 700 to 710 Training.
-  PROD may have something like a 200 Production.

These names and numbers are the implementer's discreet on how they want it or they have been using in their previous implementations or how is the client's business scenario.

Now whatever you do in the Sandbox doesn't affect the other servers or clients. Whenever you think you are satisfied with your configuration and you think you can use it moving forward, you RE-DO it in the golden client (remember, this is a very neat and clean client and you cannot use it for rough usage). As you re-do everything that you had thought was important and usable, you get a transport request pop up upon saving everytime. You save it under a transport request and give your description to it. Thus the configuration is transported to the Unit Test client (180 in this example).

You don't run any transaction or even use the SAP Easy Access screen on the 100 (golden) client. This is a configuration only client. Now upon a successful tranport by the Basis guy, you have all the configuration in the Testing client, just as it is in the Golden client. The configuration remains in sync between these two clients.

But in the Testing client you can not even access SPRO  (Display IMG) screen. It's a transaction only client where you perform the unit test. Upon a satisfactory unit test, you move the good configuration to the next SERVER (DEV). The incorrect or unsatisfactory configuration is corrected in Golden (may again as well be practised in the sandbox prior to Golden) and accordingly transported back to 180 (Unit Test) until the unit test affected by that particular config is satisfactory.

The Golden client remains the 'database' (if you wanna call it that) or you may rather call it the 'ultimate' reference client for all the good, complete and final configuration that is being used in the implementation.

In summary:
Landscape : is the arrangement for the servers
IDES : is purely for education purpose and is NOT INCLUDED in the landscape.
DEVELOPMENT ---> QUALITY ----> PRODUCTION
DEVELOPMENT : is where the the consultants do the customization as per the company's requirement.
QUALITY : is where the core team members and other members test the customization.
PRODUCTION : is where the live data of the company is recorded.
A request will flow from Dev->Qual->Prod and not backwards.
1. Sandbox server: In the initial stages of any implementation project, You are given a sandbox server where you do all the configuration/customization as per the companies business process.
2. Development Server: - Once the BBP gets signed off, the configuration is done is development server and saved in workbench requests, to be transported to Production server.
3. Production Server: This is the last/ most refined client where the user will work after project GO LIVE. Any changes/ new develpoment is done is development client and the request is transported to production.
These three are landscape of any Company. They organised their office in these three way. Developer develop their program in Development server and then transport it to test server. In testing server tester check/test the program and then transport it to Production Server. Later it will deploy to client from production server.
Presentaion Server- Where SAP GUI have.
Application Server - Where SAP Installed.
Database Server - Where Database installed.

What is the meaning of "R" in R/3 systems?
R/3 stands for realtime three tier architecture. This is the kind of architrecture SAP R/3 system has.
R/3 means three layers are installed in Different system/server and they are connected with each other.
1) Presentation
2) Application
3) Database

Why do we call client 000 as golden client?
Golden client contains all the configuration data and master data so some extent. All the configuration settings are done in golden clients and then moved to other clients. Hence this client acts as a master record for all transaction settings, hence the name "Golden Client".


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System landscape basically is the set-up or arrangement of your SAP servers. Ideally, in an SAP environment, a three-system landscape exists. A three-system landscape consists of the Development Server, Quality Assurance Server and the Production Server.

In some Projects, they may maintain pre-production server also.


Development Server is where the consultants do the customization as per the company's requirement. Once the BBP gets signed off, the configuration is done is development server and saved in workbench requests, to be transported to Quality/Production server.

Quality server is where the core team members and other members test the customization.

Production Server is where the live data of the company is recorded. This is the last/ most refined client where the user will work after project GO LIVE. Any changes/ new development is done is development client and the request is transported to production.

Transport management system is the coordination of the movement of objects and configuration changes from the development system to the Quality Assurance system and then to the Production system.
Best practise for transporting is, configuration/changes are first made in the Development system, thoroughly tested in the Quality Assurance system before been loaded into the production (Live) system.

----It is important to state that a test system - Sandbox can also exit separately. The essence of the sandbox is to test the configuration of the business processes of a company, especially at the inception of the project (before the Business Blue Print is signed). It can also serve as a practice environment, even after go-live. Whatever you do in the Sandbox doesn't affect the other servers or clients.

Note: IDES is purely for education/demonstration/training purpose and is NOT INCLUDED in the landscape.

sap architecture

R/3 Architecture 
The SAP R/3 System has a three-tier client/server architecture. All data is stored in a database, and the data is processed in the application layer on the application servers. The SAPgui frontend (presentation layer) is the interface to the user. All three layers are connected to each other with networks. The following graphic depicts the client/server architecture of the R/3 System, and the communication requirements between the presentation and application layers and between the application and database layers:
Depending on your requirements, you can distribute the services to different hosts.
Smaller applications keep the database and the R/3 application on the same host. The large volume of data that passes between the R/3 application and the database (SAP server communication) is processed locally and not through a network.
The presentation layer is usually made up of PCs on which the SAPgui frontend is installed. The SAPgui is not a terminal emulation but an application program that displays R/3 application data graphically. This means that there are no great demands placed on the connection between the SAPgui frontend PCs and the R/3 application (access communication).
Higher processing demands on the R/3 application can be realized by additional application servers (application servers are hosts on which the R/3 application runs).
Very high demands are made on bandwidth and delay time between the application servers and the database server. You need to set up a suitable network connection to meet these demands.
You can speed up and secure data throughput to the database by placing the database on a separate host. The database server host then communicates only with the R/3 application servers. By isolating the database completely from the rest of the corporate network, you prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and ensure high performance.
For data backup purposes you may need to connect the database server to a dedicated network (SAN = Storage Area Network).

Development Concepts and Architecture 

SAP NetWeaver is the leading integration and application platform. The driving force of SAP NetWeaver is to build interoperable, collaborative, and process-centered applications based on its new Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA). SAP NetWeaver is an application server and Web services package that adheres to industry standards and interacts with Microsofts .NET, IBMs WebSphere, J2EE and SAP ABAP languages.
SAP NetWeaver contains the tools and infrastructure to develop new applications as well as to adapt and migrate existing ones. The SAP NetWeaver philosophy for new applications is to create highly re-usable and service enabled applications, so called composite applications. Existing applications can be adapted to SAP NetWeaver by using the supported industry standards.
This chapter gives an overview of the basic structure of business applications, the new architectural concepts and design patterns for composite applications as well as the standards and SAP technologies that are involved.

sap introduction for beginner

What is SAP ?

SAP is an ERP system. ERP stands for Enterprise Resources Planning. ERP term used for software that controls whole organizations different departments. For example, SAP, Oracle, People soft, JD Edwards are some of the top ERP software systems.
SAP is beautifully and neatly integrated ERP software. SAP is a leader when it comes to easy integration among all the departments. It provides industry specific solutions for different industries other then its basic SAP modules. SAP suit contains SAP FI, CO, SD, MM, PP, HR, PA and other modules. It also comes with SAP PS,FSCM, CRM and BO/BI modules. Although it will be client's decision whether they want to buy all modules or some specific modules. SAP comes with some industry specific solutions as well such as Insurance, Security, Apparel and Footwear (AFS) etc.

What is SAP History ?

Five ex IBM employees started SAP as a small software and just one customer in Germany.. Those visionary entrepreneurs started SAP in 1972. They started it with the vision of the software that process data when a user wants, when a customer wants and not in overnight batch jobs like earlier software.
In earlier years, SAP started as R/2 that is Real time architecture with 2 servers. This got changed in later years as R/3 that is Real time architecture with 3 servers. These 3 servers are Application Server, Production Server and Database server. In 2009, SAP released its latest version that is ECC 6.0 Now it is being assumed that SAP will not release any new versions but it will keep updating it with time.
Recently, SAP is teaming up with Open Text in ECM (Enterprise Content Management) sector and other third party tax wares to provide an end to end solution for organizations. For example, SAP and Open Text all together provides an end to end Vendor Invoice Management (VIM) solution.

SAP Modules

As I mentioned earlier, SAP is an ERP system that handles almost all department of an organizations. SAP handles an organizations's Finance , Controlling, Human Resource, Sales, Distribution, Material management, Warehouse, Production, Security, Research and many other departments. Not just that but SAP has a special industry specific solutions for almost all industries such as manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance, Security, Finance, Treasury etc.
SAP FICO, SD and HR are most important modules. FI and CO modules controls finance and controlling respectively. SD controls sales and HR controls Human Resource departments. FICO is a base module which gets highly connected to SD, MM, HR and PS modules.
Let's just talk about some basic SAP modules those are useful for all domains.
Finance (FI), Controlling (CO), Sales & Distribution (SD), Material Management (MM) and Human resources (HR) are some of the most important sub modules in SAP. Depending upon the organization needs, a client can buy whatever modules needed. For example, a client can buy FI, SD and MM modules only without buying CO and HR modules.


  • SAP FI Module- FI stands for Financial Accounting

    • SAP CO Module- CO stands for Controlling
    • SAP PS Module – and PS is Project Systems
    • SAP HR Module – HR stands for Human Resources
    • SAP PM Module – where Plant Maintenance is the PM
    • SAP MM Module – MM is Materials Management -
    • SAP QM Module -  QM stands for Quality Management
    • SAP PP Module – PP  is Production Planning
    • SAP SD Module – SD is Sales and Distribution
    • SAP BW Module – where BW stands for Business (Data) Warehouse
    • SAP  EC Module – where EC stands for Enterprise Controlling
    • SAP TR Module – where TR stands for Treasury
    • SAP    IM Module – where IM stands for Investment Management
    • SAP   QM Module – where QM stands for Quality Management
    • SAP – IS where IS stands for Industries specific solution
    • SAP – Basis
    • SAP – ABAP
    • SAP – Cross Application Components
    • SAP – CRM where CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management
    • SAP – SCM where SCM stands for Supply Chain Management
    • SAP – PLM where PLM stands for Product Life Cycle Management
    • SAP – SRM where SRM stands for Supplier Relationship Management
    • SAP – CS where CS stands for Customer Service
    • SAP – SEM where SEM stands for STRATEGIC ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT
    • SAP – RE where RE stands for Real Estate

    abap course details

    ABAP COURSE DETAILS

    1.  ABAP KEYWORDS & SIMPLE PROGRAMS

    2. DATA DICTIONARY

    3. CLASSICAL REPORTING

    4. INTERACTIVE REPORTING

    5. ALV REPORTING

    6. MODULE POOL PROGRAMMING

    7. BATCH DATA COMMUNICATION

    8. ENHANCEMENTS(BAdIS)

    9. BAPIS

    11. SAP SCRIPTS

    10. ALE IDOCs

    11. SMARTFORMS

    12. ABAP OOPS