The purpose of writing this blog is to provide screen by screen procedure of enabling the SNOTE to consume the TCI (Transport based Correction Instructions) and implementing the TCI through SNOTE.
It is advisable to go through the whole blog before starting the implementation and open the SAP notes and guides referred in this blog as SAP updates the notes on regular basis.
Relevance in SAP Support Backbone Update
SAP Note Assistant (transaction SNOTE) needs to be enabled to download digitally signed SAP notes before January 1st, 2020 as part of the SAP support backbone infrastructure changes. The recommended method to enable the SNOTE for digitally signed notes download is to implement the TCI note 2576306 ,for which you will need to enable the SNOTE for TCI first.
Check the SAP Calculator here if the TCI can be enabled for your release or not, else you need to implement the SAP notes 2408073,2546220 and 2508268 which involve manual corrections ( e.g for SAP_BASIS release 711, you cannot enable the TCI).
Reference
Please refer to the below SAP documents and the SAP notes for updated information and steps provided by SAP. The cheatsheet mentioned below contains one additional pre-requisite SAP note to implemented in systems as compared to guide attached to SAP note 2187425, hence open both guides side by side.
Cheatsheet : Cheatsheet for enabling SNOTE for digital signed notes and TCI
SAP Note 2187425 : Information about SAP Note Transport based Correction Instructions (TCI)
Steps to Enable SNOTE for Digitally Signed Note:
Request technical SUSER to be maintained in RFC destinations to SAP.
Check here if your system is already enabled for downloading digitally signed note. If yes, skip to step 5 directly else proceed to step 2.
Check here if your system is already enabled for TCI. If yes, skip to step 4 to enable the TCI rollback if required. If NA, you need to SAP notes 2408073,2546220 and 2508268. If No, proceed to next step.
Enable SNOTE for TCI.
Enable SNOTE for TCI rollback.
Implement TCI Note 2576306 to enable SNOTE for digitally signed note.
RFC related changes for Support Backbone.
Step 1: Request Technical Communication SUSER
Request a technical communication user by following SAP Note 2174416. The user will be created after 24 hours once your request it. Activate it once it is visible.
Step 2: Check If SNOTE is already enabled for Digitally Signed Notes?
Check here if your system is already enabled for downloading digitally signed notes.
If yes, skip to step 6 directly, else proceed to step 3.
Step 3: Check If SNOTE is already enabled for TCI?
Check here if your system is already enabled for TCI.
If NA, you need to implement SAP notes 2408073,2546220 and 2508268 as TCI cannot be enabled for this release. After implementing these notes, skip to Step 7 directly.
If yes, skip to step 5 to enable the TCI rollback if required.
If No, proceed to next step.
Step 4: Enabling SNOTE For TCI
What is TCI?
SAP Note Transport based Correction Instructions (TCI) is a new channel to ship ABAP corrections with SAP Notes.
You can find detailed information about TCI and its comparison with the automatic corrections and the support packages in the pdf attached in the below SAP note
SAP Note 2187425 : Information about SAP Note Transport based Correction Instructions (TCI)
If your SAP_BASIS SP level is lower than the patch mentioned in the Cheatsheet( or guide attached to SAP Note 2187425) or the answer to the question "Is your system TCI note enabled?" is "No" in SAP Calculator, proceed with the below steps:
4.1 Pre-requisites for TCI:
Upgrade your SPAM to the latest version (at least 70). I would recommend to update it to the latest version (73 as on date 17/12/201) as few TCI notes mentioned later in this blog might require a version higher than 70.
Take the full database backup of your SAP system before enabling the TCI functionality and implementing TCI. This can act as the backout plan as the bootstrap note cannot be de-implemented as such
Create a separate transport request for each of the following tasks : one for pre-requisite notes, second for bootstrap note and third for rollback TCI note ( required for SAP_BASIS 731 and above).
4.2 Implement pre-requisite SAP notes
Download and implement the SAP notes relevant to your SAP_BASIS release as mentioned in the guide, for example we implemented the below SAP notes for our system on SAP_BASIS release 701 SP 09
1504500
1532112
2134534
2344014
2536585
2569813
2606986
2615270
Read these notes carefully for any manual activities. In our case, only SAP note 2569813 involved a manual step. Few of these notes will not be relevant according to your Support pack level. Implement all these notes in the first transport request and release it.
Implement these notes in the first TR and release it
4.3 Implement the bootstrap note
For enabling the Note assistant (SNOTE) to consume the TCI, implement the bootstrap SAP note relevant to your SAP_BASIS release as mentioned in the guide . The bootstrap note is implemented through SPAM and not through the SNOTE.
The bootstrap note can be captured in a TR starting from SPAM version 70 and above. Check the bootstrap note for your release in the SAP guide attached to SAP Note 2187425. For example, we implemented the bootstrap note 2444141 valid for release SAP_BASIS 701 as below:
4.3.1 Download the Bootstrap TCI: Open the bootstrap note (e.g 2444141) in SAP support portal and go to section Correction instructions. Select SAP_BASIS under Software component tab.
Download the SAR file in your local desktop
4.3.2 Log in to client 000 of the system in which you would like to install the TCI.
4.3.3 Upload the bootstrap TCI SAP Note to the system: Call transaction SPAM, then choose Support Package > Load Packages>SAR archives from Front End and navigate to the directory into which you have downloaded the SAR file (K70100DCPSAPBASIS.SAR)
4.3.4 Define the SPAM queue for TCI bootstrap file:In transaction SPAM, select "New Support Packages" and click on display button.
From the OCS Package Directory: New Packages view, select the respective bootstrap TCI SAP Note
To define the TCI queue, click the Calculate Queue button.
4.3.5 Import the defined queue
You will find the next action in the below status. Do not confirm the queue in SPAM, instead open the snote in the client in which you have created the transport request.
4.3.6 Open SNOTE t-code in configuration client where you have created transport request.
Download the bootstrap note through SNOTE
Now, implement this SAP note
Capture the bootstrap note implementation in the second TR.
Now, you can go to SPAM to verify if the queue status is confirmed through SNOTE
Release the second TR, Now your system's Note Assistant is ready to consume the TCI notes. Proceed to the next step to enable the system for TCI note rollback.
Step 5: Enabling SNote for TCI Rollback
Read the guide attached to SAP Note 2187425 for the rollback steps.
For SAP_BASIS release <731 , that is for releases 700, 701 and 702 there is no need to enable the rollback separately as it is already enabled with the pre-requisite notes and the bootstrap note that you had implemented earlier. Proceed to step 6.
The below procedure is for systems with SAP_BASIS release 731 or higher:
5.1 Implement Pre-requisite Notes
You don't need to implement the pre-requisite notes as mentioned in the guide as you would have already implemented these in the step 4.2.
5.2 Implement SAP Note 2408383 for TCI Rollback
The below screenshots are for SAP_BASIS release 740, it would be similar for other releases as well.
5.2.1 Download the correction instructions relevant for your SAP_BASIS release from SAP Note 2408383,Check 4.3.1 on how to download corrections for TCI note
5.2.2 Login to 000 client and upload the SAR file in SPAM.
Check 4.3.3 on how to upload the TCI note file in SPAM
5.2.3 Login to config client and download and implement the TCI note 2408383.
Go to T-code SNOTE and download SAP note 2408383.
Implement the SAP note in a separate third TR
If you get the below dump LOAD_PROGRAM_CLASS_MISMATCH or LOAD_PROGRAM_INTF_MISMATCH, implement the SAP note 2408383 again.
5.2.4 Download and Implement SAP Note 2643757. Capture this note in the same third TR and release the TR once implemented.
Step 6: Implementing TCI note 2576306 To Enable Digitally Signed Notes
Please read the TCI note carefully before implementing it, as it may contain some pre-requisites or reports that may need to be run before implementation of the note (e.g check the required authorizations for your user ID and the recommended SAPCAR version)
6.1 Implement the TCI Note through SNOTE
Follow the instructions provided in SAP Note 2187425 > attached PDF > section 1.4.1 which currently reads:
6.1.1 Download the correction instructions from the TCI note by opening it in SAP support portal (e.g TCI note 2576306). The system provides SAR file K70100KCPSAPBASIS.SAR. Save the downloaded SAR file into your directory.
Check 4.3.1 on how to download corrections for TCI note.
6.1.2 Login to Config client and upload the SAR file in the transaction SNOTE of your development system.
SNOTE>Goto>Upload TCI
6.1.3 Download the TCI SAP note 2576306 using SNOTE and implement it.
Capture the TCI note in separate TR
6.2 Manual corrections for digitally signed Note:
Read the TCI note 2576306 carefully for any manual corrections. e.g current note states below:
Important Note:
The TCI package associated with this SAP Note contains messages only in their master language (German). To maintain the messages in other language translations please refer to the manual instruction of SAP Note 2508268 (Please look for required message numbers and their respective texts under manual instruction number 12).
Due to the missing translations in required logon language, pop-ups during note download may appear with no message text in it (instead message class name and number is seen). This can be resolved by maintaining translations in the required logon language.
Please check your SAP_BASIS release and SP for manual corrections validity in SAP Note 2508268 and perform them as mentioned in point 12 of this note to maintain the messages (810-830) in your system logon language for message class SCWN e.g below
Save this in same TR as in step 6.2 and release it.
Actions in subsequent systems (QA,PROD)
Import the pre-requisite notes TR in the subsequent systems (step 4.2)
Import the bootstrap note TR (step 4.3).
Import the TCI rollback TR (step 5)
Import the TCI note TR (step 6)
Step 7: RFC related changes for Support backbone
1. For SAP_BASIS release < 740, follow this blog to switch the RFC connectivity to HTTP connectivity for releases 700 to 731
2. For SAP_BASIS release >= 740 , you can enable the HTTP connectivity with SAP Support backbone for release 740 and above by executing the automated task list implemented through SAP TCI note.
Please like this post if it helped you or comment if you have any queries/suggestions.