ABAP Management

Your AE system provides various functions that support you in handling SAP variants, or batch data communication, which is a proven technique for transferring mass data from external systems to the SAP system. You can handle and process SAP outputs, SAP events, and SAP jobs. You can even transfer SAP calendar conditions to your AE system.

This page includes the following:

Variant Management

You can create and save predefined sets of input values in the ABAP Editor for any selection screen. These values are called variants. They make processing in SAP easy as jobs can be run with these sets of input values. The AE system provides various functions that you can use to read, copy, modify, delete, or list variants

Important! To eliminate possible sources of errors, check and set variants just before processing an ABAP program.

AE JCL for SAP

The BC-XBP 3.0 Scheduling Interface allows you to pass on parameters to ABAP programs without creating or maintaining static variants. For more information, see R3_SET_SELECT_OPTION .

Batch Data Communication (BDC) Management

Batch Data Communication is also referred to as Batch Input. It is a proven technique for transferring mass data from external systems to the SAP system. The batch input sessions that are used for this purpose contain one or several transaction calls including the transaction data. You can use your AE system to read, process, and monitor these sessions until the end. You can also use it to call transactions whose data is defined in an AE job directly (call transaction).

AE JCL for SAP

  • R3_GET_SESSIONS

    • Selects batch input sessions and lists the result in the activation report or a file

SAP Output (Spool) Management

You can use your AE system to handle and process job outputs, which are referred to as spool requests in SAP. For this purpose, you make your definitions in Job objects and through script elements. You can use the SAP page in SAP jobs to enter spool list recipients. The jobs sends all spool requests that is creates to the recipients you specify on this page. To handle spool requests, you can use the R3_CREATE_OUTPUT_REQUEST, R3_GET_JOB_SPOOL, R3_GET_SPOOLREQUESTS, and R3_SEND_SPOOL_REQUEST script elements.

AE JCL for SAP

See also Example: Compare Values in SAP Spool Lists

Event Management

The AE offers a sophisticated solution for event-aware process management. You can control processing based on many real-time system conditions and events that are available for various operating systems and application platforms. Definition and modification of events take place centrally and is platform-independent, ensuring ease of use by the authorized user. The SAP background processing system also provides event control and you can use AE events to trigger the appropriate SAP background jobs.

SAP Events and AE Integration

An SAP event is an entity that is defined in an SM62 transaction. You can trigger such a defined event manually, with an OS job or an ABAP program. As a result, the system runs a background process.

The AE system supports and integrates SAP events into its centralized process management. The Automation Engine can receive and trigger SAP events.

The full AE functionality is available for defining trigger conditions and points in time for an SAP event. Upon the occurrence of such an event, the appropriate processes in the SAP system start. Receiving events usually serves to synchronize subsequent processing in the AE with SAP Applications.

You can also use a Console-type Event object. The agent monitors the triggered SAP events and forwards the information to the Console events. Filters are available where you can specify SAP events that should trigger subsequent processing or an information message. See Monitoring SAP Events

AE JCL for SAP

Importing SAP Jobs

You can use AE Job objects to define new SAP jobs and to transfer existing SAP jobs to your Automation Engine system. The advantage is obvious; you must create the job only once.

Notes:

  • You need an agent connection to the SAP system to be able to transfer Jobs.
  • If you transfer Jobs to the AE, they are not removed from the SAP system. Job settings are read and copied to the AE Job object.
  • This method of transferring jobs is useful if only a few jobs are affected. If you want to transfer many jobs, CA Automic recommends using the AE.ApplicationInterface.

Important! If you plan to transfer masses of jobs, do so carefully and get a general idea first. Usually, the number of jobs has increased over time, they can often be reworked, simplified, or even replaced.

To import a job from your SAP system to your AE system

  1. Open an SAP Job object in your AE system
  2. On its Process page, click Form and select Import Job.

    3. The SAP Agent opens the Choose Job Name dialog.

  3. From the Choose Job Name dialog, specify search criteria in the Filter section on the right side of the dialog, and click the Filter button.
  4. Select the job listing you wish to import from and click Choose.

    5. The Job object adopts the statements the job contains. Parameters such as the variant or the output device are automatically added.

  5. (Optional) Add additional SAP jobs to the SAP job definition.

Transferring SAP Calendar Definitions

  • R3_IMPORT_CALENDAR

    Imports SAP Calendar objects and converts them to AE Calendar objects.

See also: