System Changes

Avantra provides a built-in Change Management solution allowing Customers to request changes on their Systems. Many of the System changes are recorded automatically using System Change Auto Detection.

Avantra is able to automatically detect the most important SAP System and Database changes and create corresponding records in its integrated change management system. This feature is also known as Automatic Change Detection.

If you use Virtual Cluster Servers, even switches of your cluster switchover solution will be recorded. The idea is to avoid documenting a system change manually if the change documentation can be retrieved from the system itself.

Table 1. Objects covered by System Change Auto Detection
Object	Data Source
SAP client settings	SAP System — see transaction SCC4
SAP System change option	SAP System — see transaction SE06
SAP component and SPAM version/patch level	SAP System — see transaction SPAM
SAP Instance kernel version/patch level	SAP System — see transaction SM51
SAP System RDBMS version	SAP System — see transaction ST04
SAP Instance profile parameters	Files located in profiles directory
J2EE System Properties per process (Dispatcher/ServerX)	J2EE JMX Interface
J2EE VM Properties per process (Dispatcher/ServerX)	J2EE JMX Interface
J2EE software components	Java SAP System Database
J2EE kernel/patch level	J2EE JMX Interface
Database parameters	depends on Database type
Oracle Database changes done with SAPDBA or BR*Tools	sapreorg directory
Virtual Cluster Server node switches	Physical Server
Version changes	Trex and Web Dispatcher SAP Instance
SAP HANA Configuration Layers	SAP HANA Database

More details, although most things are pretty much self-explaining, can be found in the Knowledge Base article Avantra System Change Auto-Detection.

Working with Changes

Avantra supports the following Change process:

Figure 1. Aavantra Change Workflow

Creating a Change

Perform the following steps to create a Change record:

Select Support Changes from the top-level menu. Choose New from the toolbar.
Select a Customer and push Next.
Select a Customer Application and push Next.
Choose values for Reason, Component, and Impact. Choose a Planned implementation date and fill in a Short Description. Push the Create button.

After the Change is created, it can be edited multiple times. The only restriction is once the Change status is changed to “Closed”, the Change record can no longer be edited.

You need the Permission Edit Changes in order to create or modify Changes.

You need the Permission Approve Changes in order to change the status from planned to processing.

You need the Permission Approve Implemented in order to change the status from implemented to done.

Viewing Changes

In order to view Changes, choose Support Changes. You may adjust the time period and the Change status.

In order to set many Changes to the status Done, choose More Set Changes to Done.

You need the Permission View Changes in order to view Changes.