Release Notes Avantra 20.11

Introduction

Avantra 20.11 is our latest major release replacing Avantra 20.5.

The new release offers great options, such as a private tech preview of the Automated Upgrade for SAP Kernels, as well as native support for the management of SAP IQ databases, SAP Cloud Platform Integration, SAP Cloud Connectors, and SAP SLT Replication Servers.

Feature / Edition Avantra Avantra Pro

Monitoring

Native Monitoring (all types of objects)

Custom Checks

Security/Compliance Custom Checks

Automatic Change Detection

End-to-End Monitoring

Business Services

JavaScript Custom Check API (RUN_JS)

General

Automation

Dashboards

Solution Documents

Maintenance Windows

Notifications

Integration

Cloud Integration

Start/Stop Management

Web Services

SAML

Active Directory

Reporting

Service Level Reporting

Availability Overview

Predictive Resource Planning

What’s new in 20.11

Native support of SAP IQ Database

  • Eight built-in checks for backups, cache, connections, data files, data spaces, long transactions, waiting operations and threads

  • Resource prediction and a comprehensive set of performance indicators available

  • Can be enhanced easily based on SQL Query und RUN_JS (JavaScript based) custom check types

Native support of SAP Cloud Platform Integration & SAP Cloud Connector

  • Native support of SAP Cloud Platform Integration (SCPI), Neo and Cloud Foundry environments

  • Out-of-the-box checks to prevent issues SCPI customer face in day to day operations, for instance keystore expiration or failed messages

  • Native support of SAP Cloud Connector (SCC) using SAP Cloud Connector monitoring API, including health checks, performance monitor, and top time consumers

Native Support of SAP SLT Replication Server

  • Automatically detects SLT deployments

  • Verifies IUC jobs as well as status and unprocessed records for each configuration found

Automated Upgrade for SAP Kernels

The new Kernel Upgrade Feature is available in the 20.11 release as a private tech preview. Interested customers please contact us. Use the Avantra Preview page or talk to your customer success manager or our support team.

  • Avantra automates the SAP standard procedure based on SAPCPE

  • Currently only Unix systems supported (Windows planned for Q1 2021)

  • Packages can include full kernel packages and/or specific components only, i.e. disp+work, tp

  • Automatic processing of kernel package meta data ensures the right package is applied to systems

  • Rollback in case of failure and automated cleanup supported

  • Schedule at your convenience: Check prerequisites during daytime, automatically complete with downtime phase during nighttime

Other New Features and Improvements

  • Massive performance improvements of the Avantra Master due to recoding

  • Five new built-in SAP HANA health checks:

    • Delayed delayed statements due to admission control (HANA 2.0 only)

    • License expiration and peak memory usage compared to licensed peak memory

    • Usage check for table allocation with regards to the allocation limit

    • Identification of table partitions approaching the upper limit of the 2 billion rows

    • Verifying the HANA system user

  • There is a new JavaScript-based Resolver in the Notification Management system

  • The SAML integration supports multiple Identity Providers and does no longer require the Avantra Pro Edition.

  • Many small Mobile App improvements based on customer feedback

  • Import of Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud VMs into Avantra as known from AWS instances (Pro Edition only)

  • RUN_JS and SQL_Query custom check types now support ECMAScript 2019 (instead of only ECMAScript 5.1).

  • Other custom check improvements:

    • Multiple result sets in RUN_JS custom checks

    • Support of self-signed certificates in HTTP_RESPONSE custom checks

  • The Avantra server will support Linux on Power (little endian) starting with one of the upcoming patches

  • PostgreSQL 12 will be supported as database backend for the Avantra Server with one of the upcoming patches

Important Notes

  • Please observe the Avantra 20.11 - Known issues prior to installation

  • Starting with Avantra 20.11 Windows Server 2003 is no longer supported.

  • IBM AIX is no longer supported for the Avantra server.

  • With Avantra 20.11 we discontinue the delivery of an Avantra Agent RPM package in order to focus on the so called bin-installer

  • If you upgrade from Syslink Xandria 7.3 or Avantra 20.2 or Avantra 20.5 to Avantra 20.11 you need to re-activate your license after the upgrade, if your Avantra Server has no Internet connectivity. See also Activation.

  • If you upgrade from Syslink Xandria 7.3 or Avantra 20.2, after the upgrade, the database user and password settings in .xandria/database.cfg in the installation directory of the Avantra Server will be encrypted. If you need to save the unencrypted values, please do so before you start the upgrade.

  • You need a Java 8 or 11 to run the Avantra Agent 20.11.x!

    For the Avantra Server you need a 64-bit Java 8 or 11.

    Java 12 or higher is not supported yet.

  • For the upgrade of the transports, see Procedure: Import Transport Request.

Compatibility

Most important facts about compatibility between different versions of Avantra and Syslink Xandria components:

  • Syslink Xandria Agents 7.3.x, Avantra Agents 20.2.x, Avantra Agents 20.5.x, and Avantra Agents 20.11.x are compatible with Avantra Server 20.11

  • Avantra Agents 20.11.x are not compatible with Avantra Server 20.5.x or less. In other words: You must upgrade your Avantra Server to 20.11 before you can upgrade the Avantra Agents to version 20.11.

  • You need to upgrade to Avantra Agent 20.11.x before you can import the transport request transports-for-avantra-20.11.0.zip. While the Avantra Agent 20.11 is compatible with older versions of the transport, only the latest version supports all Avantra 20.11 features.

Extended SLT Checks introduced in 20.11.5

To run new SLT checks with Avantra 20.11.5, a new workbench transport (AVAK900157, "Avantra Interface V20.11.5 for SLT") is required.

It can be imported to SAP systems with DMIS (version 2011_1 only, patch level 5 or higher). It has to be imported in addition to the main workbench transport request (Avantra Interface V20.11.5 for SAP Release). DMIS 2018 is not currently supported.

See also the Upgrade Notes.