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System start/stop

note

This function is only available with the Avantra Automation and Enterprise Editions. For more information about editions please see the Avantra Editions Matrix.

Avantra allows you to start and stop SAP Instances, SAP Systems, Databases, and Cloud Servers directly from the UI.

Server​

To use the start/stop functionality for servers:

  1. Configure the integration to the cloud provider or hypervisor of the server.
  2. Navigate to Systems > Servers.
  3. Click Open on the server you want to start or stop.
  4. In the Properties tab, select the configured integration in the Service Authentication dropdown.
  5. The Start and Stop buttons will now be available.

You can now start and stop the server at the cloud provider or hypervisor level. To use this functionality, see Cloud servers and use the Start Cloud Server and Stop Cloud Server built-in automation steps.

Cloud servers​

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The permission Start/Stop Server is required.

  1. Navigate to Systems > Servers.
  2. Click Open on the Cloud Server you want to start or stop.
  3. The Start and Stop buttons are available. If you restart a cloud server, you can define a wait time after the server is stopped before it's started again.

SAP systems​

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The permission Start/Stop SAP is required.

You need to have the SAPControl user defined in order to use this feature. See also Defining the SAPControl User.

To start or stop an SAP System:

  1. Navigate to Systems > SAP Systems.
  2. Click Open on the SAP System you want to start or stop.
  3. The Start and Stop buttons are available.

When stopping an SAP System, you can choose between a hard and a soft shutdown. A soft shutdown is only available for ABAP systems and requires you to define a soft shutdown timeout.

If you restart an SAP system, you can define a wait time after the system is stopped before it's started again.

You can also use the Start SAP System and Stop SAP System built-in automation steps to start and stop SAP Systems.

To start/stop the database of an SAP system, ensure the database requirements are met, as outlined in Start SAP Database.

If you wish to use a custom process to stop and start an SAP System, you can define a workflow of type Start SAP system, Stop SAP system, or Restart SAP system. Configure the monitoring parameter and it will be used in place of the standard steps, for example, using the Start or Stop buttons.

SAP system databases​

Support for different databases depends on the database vendor and operating system. Check your combination is supported under Start SAP Database.

If you wish to start or stop any SAP system database that is not supported, or if you wish to use a custom process to start and stop, you can define a workflow of type Start SAP system, Stop SAP system, or Restart SAP system. Configure the monitoring parameter and it will be used in place of the standard steps, for example, using the Start or Stop buttons.

Ensure the configuration for your database type is done, to allow you to stop and start SAP System Databases as described in SAP Systems.

IBM DB2 or DB6​

note

Stop and start of DB2 only works when the database is configured without PureScale and without Database Partitioning Function (DPF).

For an SAP System on DB2, you must provide an operating system user with suitable access to stop and start the database server in credential OS User for Start/Stop DB (SSH) on the SAP System. This may be the database instance owner. The provided user should be able to use the db2stop and db2start commands.

MaxDB​

For an SAP System on MaxDB, you must provide an operating system user with suitable access and configuration to stop and start the database server in credential OS User for Start/Stop DB (SSH) on the SAP System. This may be user sdb or <sid>adm. The provided user should be able to use the dbmcli command with -c db_online and -c db_offline.

Microsoft SQL Server​

For an SAP System on SQL Server, you must ensure the operating system user that the Avantra agent runs under must have access to stop and start Services.

Oracle​

Oracle start and stop is handled by Start and Stop Automation add-in.

warning

Avantra is currently adding support for stop and start of all operating system and database combinations in the automation add-in avantra-startstop. Eventually, the add-in will be the only functionality to start and stop databases, but no deprecation announcement has been made. For new installations with Oracle, the add-in should be used. The add-in supports Oracle on Linux and Windows but the standard step only supported Oracle on Linux.

SAP HANA​

For an SAP System on HANA, you must:

  1. Create a Standalone SAP HANA SystemDB Database.
  2. Define a SAP HANA database user with DATABASE ADMIN or DATABASE STOP and DATABASE START privileges in either credential purpose Database Default User (BASIC) or HANA Tenant Operator (BASIC) of the SAP HANA SystemDB. The latter is used if defined, else the former is used.
  3. Define the SAPControl user in credential purpose SAP Control User (BASIC) of the standalone database for the System DB.
  4. Select the SAP HANA SystemDB in the field System DB on the Properties of the SAP System.

Sybase ASE or SAP ASE​

If the Sybase or SAP ASE database runs on the Linux operating system, you must:

  1. Provide a database user with System Administrator privileges in credential DB Start/Stop (BASIC) on the SAP System. This may be user sapsa or sa.
  2. Provide an operating system user with suitable access and configuration to stop and start the database server in credential OS User for Start/Stop DB (SSH) on the SAP System. This may be user syb<sid> or sybase. The user should be one that can successfully use the startserver command.

If the database runs on the Windows operating system, you must ensure the operating system user that the Avantra agent runs under has access to stop and start Services.

SAP instances​

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The permission Start/Stop SAP is required.

You need to have the SAPControl user defined in order to use this feature. See also Defining the SAPControl User.

  1. Navigate to Systems > SAP Instances.
  2. Click Open on the SAP Instance you want to start or stop.
  3. The Start and Stop buttons are available.

In case you click Stop you have the option to choose between a hard and a soft shutdown. In case of a soft shutdown - which is only available for ABAP SAP Instances - you have to define a Soft Timeout as well.

Standalone Databases​

note

The permission Start/Stop Database is required.

Support for different databases depends on the database vendor and operating system. Check your combination is supported under Start Database.

If you wish to start or stop any database that is not supported, or if you wish to use a custom process to start and stop, you can define a workflow of type Start Database or Stop Database. Configure the monitoring parameter and it will be used in place of the standard steps, for example, using the Start or Stop buttons.

  1. Navigate to Systems > Databases.
  2. Click Open on the Database you want to start or stop.
  3. The Start and Stop buttons are available. If you restart a database, you can define a wait time after the database is stopped before it's started again.

SAP HANA​

For a standalone SAP HANA database, you must define the SAPControl user in credential purpose SAP Control User (BASIC) of the standalone database.

Starting and stopping systems using Maintenance Windows​

You can also stop and start Systems using a Maintenance Window.

Open the recently created Maintenance Window and choose appropriate values for Begin of maintenance, Stop System(s) n minutes after maintenance window starts, End of maintenance (?), and Stop System(s) n minutes before maintenance window ends.

For the Stop process, you also can choose between hard and soft shutdown, and in case of a soft shutdown, you have to define a soft shutdown timeout. The soft shutdown is available only for ABAP SAP Instances and SAP Systems.

Click Apply.

Starting and stopping systems using Monitoring Parameters​

A workflow can be assigned to a specific monitoring parameter, so the built-in functionality for the Start/Stop/Restart buttons can be replaced. The assigned workflow is executed to start/stop when the Start/Stop/Restart button is clicked.

The assigned workflow must be the corresponding type as the monitoring parameter. While configuring the monitoring parameter after adding it to the workflow, choose the correct workflow from the dropdown menu of the workflows filtered by type.

The new monitoring parameters are:

  • WorkflowStartServer
  • WorkflowStopServer
  • WorkflowStartSAPInstance
  • WorkflowStopSAPInstance
  • WorkflowStartSAPSystem
  • WorkflowStopSAPSystem
  • WorkflowRestartSAPSystem
  • WorkflowStartDatabase
  • WorkflowStopDatabase
  • WorkflowStartSAPBusinessObject
  • WorkflowStopSAPBusinessObject
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If the monitoring parameter is not set, the built-in Start/Stop is executed.

Complete the following steps to configure the monitoring parameter to start/stop the System:

  1. Open the System you want to manage.
  2. In the Properties, choose the Moni.Params tab and click New.
  3. Choose the needed monitoring parameter from the dropdown menu and click OK.
  4. In the column Value of the added monitoring parameter, select the required workflow from the dropdown menu and click Apply.