User Guide CUSTOMER

Document Version: 1.0 – 2018-09-25

ANST User Guide

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Table of Contents

1 Getting Started ................................................................................................................................4

1.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 4
1.2 Working with ANST ................................................................................................................................ 5
1.2.1 Initial Screen .......................................................................................................................... 7
1.2.2 Trace Screen........................................................................................................................ 10
1.2.3 Support of FIORI apps ......................................................................................................... 17
1.3 Authorizations required: ..................................................................................................................... 18
1.4 Points to remember: ............................................................................................................................ 18
1 Getting Started

1.1 Overview

Automated Note Search Tool (ANST) lets you easily search for SAP notes and provides easy solutions to fix
issues in your system.
This can be done by accessing ANST where you can specify the program or transaction or any other possible
options available and start the issue replication process.
Once the issue is replicated, it generates a trace that is grouped based on SAP application components which
encompasses all the ABAP objects used/executed during the replication.
With ANST, you can:

• Search relevant and most accurate SAP Notes related to the bug.
• Identification of custom codes which are related to the bug.
• Identify tables, customize tables and find missing entries.
• Identify the possible objects from where debugging can be triggered.
• Place breakpoints in ABAP objects to help with effective debugging.
• Filter the trace generated, based on your application component, software component, and package.
• Look for a search term in the objects of the trace.
• Identify the order in which objects are called from the trace download.
• ANST lets you deep dive into the problem by taking you to the object code level.

ANST delivery information:

Initial version via SAP Note 1818192

Available for:
SAP_BASIS 700
SAP_BASIS 701
SAP_BASIS 702
SAP_BASIS 731
As of release 740 ANST is available for All support packages
Enhancements via SAP note 2605555
Available for:
SAP_BASIS 700 to 702
SAP_BASIS 731 to 731
SAP_BASIS 740 to 740
SAP_BASIS 750 to 753

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1.2 Working with ANST

1. Starting ANST
Start ANST using the transaction ANST or ANST_SEARCH_TOOL (in older SPs)
Choose the most appropriate option from which you can start replicating the problem.

Options displayed on this screen may vary based on the components installed on your system.
2. Reproducing the issue
Execute the program (or press “F8”) to replicate the issue. When the issue is replicated, navigate back to
ANST using the “Back” button in the standard toolbar.
3. Trace Generation
A trace is generated, and grouped based on application components you provided in the filter criteria. You can
then choose one or more components for SAP Notes search.
Additionally, the following options are available via the toolbar:

• Filter trace
• Reset filters
• Search Notes
• Scan Source
• Customer code
• Save trace
• Download trace
• Tables (Customizing tables, and all tables)
• Breakpoints (Set, delete, delete all)

1.3 Features within ANST

This section describes additional features which are available during the various steps mentioned above.

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1.3.1 Initial Screen

Following are the features in the initial ANST screen:

1. Execute: To execute or to start the replication for an issue with inputs provided.
2. Application Documentation: To know more in detail about ANST and how to perform an SAP Note search.

3. Object Customizing: This is the customizing table for ANST where you can give your preference about the
various object types to be used during the note search. This also means that only the selected object types
are visible in the trace. This is helpful in case there are lot of steps to be followed for issue replication and
large number of objects are involved.
4. Settings: This is the customizing table where you can define general preferences and some technical
parameters required for ANST.

• Date: Starting date from which the SAP Notes will be searched. Any SAP Note released before the specified
date will not be considered during the note search.
• ALV on Res: Result of note search will be displayed in ALV if this is checked. In case you do not want to
download the note from here, uncheck this. Result will then be displayed in read only mode.
• Max Size: Number of objects packaged together in block for the note search. This is to ensure good
performance during the note search. Keep the value below 800. This is used internally for technical purpose.
• RFC Destination: Specify the RFC destination SAPOSS or SPASNOTE whichever is available in the ABAP
system.
• Custom Objects Checkbox: These are the checkboxes for the custom objects which ANST can identify from
the generated trace for the Customer Code feature. If selected these objects will be searched for the
customer code. Currently this includes:
• BADis (This also includes explicit enhancements)
• Repaired Objects
• Field Exits
• User Exits
• Transaction Variants
• BTE – Business Transaction Events
• Max Objects: This represents the maximum number of objects which can be selected for the note search. If
the total number of selected objects based on your selection exceeds this, then search cannot be performed
and an error message will be displayed instead. Reduce the number of objects/application components and
try again.

5. Open trace: To open an existing saved trace. The following popup provides selection criteria using which you
can open a trace. If you are not aware about any of inputs, then let all the fields be empty and execute.

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6. Delete Trace: This is to delete an existing saved trace. Select the trace(s) which you want to delete and click
on “Yes” in the following popup. After this the trace will be permanently deleted.

7. Trace On/Off: This option lets you start and stop the tracing at any point in time. This is helpful when you
want to start the tracing not from the beginning of issue replication. Also, the trace can be stopped at any
point in time. This works for all supported options in ANST i.e. for SAP GUI based applications and web
applications as well. Currently it is restricted to the single user using the ANST.
For example, you start and stop the trace for web-applications if you are logged in with the same user which
has started the trace in ANST using this feature. More details refer:
http://scn.sap.com/community/software-support-and-maintenance/blog/2014/09/08/anst--start-and-
stop-the-trace-whenever-you-want
Note: If you have applied any filter criteria, then the filter is applied to the trace which is displayed in the
ALV tree output in the trace screen. Keep the filter criteria empty if you wish to generate the complete
trace.

8. Filter Criteria: You can filter the trace generated based on the Application Component(s), software
components, or packages. Check the "Customer code only" check-box to filter the trace based on customer
code.
9. Save Trace: Check this option if you want to save the trace for future use. Give a meaningful description of
the trace in the field above. Trace will be automatically saved during the replication of the issue and after the
trace has been actually generated. This is helpful in case where you do not want to replicate the issue again
and again.
Note: If you have entered any filter criteria, then the filter is applied to the trace upon save. Keep the filter
criteria empty if you wish to save the complete trace.
10. Upload Trace: Use this option to upload an ANST trace from your local system. When prompted, provide a
meaningful description and continue. The trace is automatically saved.
1.3.2 Trace Screen

The Trace Screen displays the objects called while reproducing an issue.

Application Component Sub-tree: Trace is grouped based on the application components. This sub-tree displays
the name of the application components and also the number of objects it contains inside the round braces.
Object Leaf Node: This is the leaf node of the trace tree which displays the object type, object name, change on
date, package and the software component for each individual object inside the trace.
This is colored yellow if it is a customer object.

Let's look at the different application toolbar options available at the trace screen which is generated after you
have replicated your issue.

1. Application specific toolbar:

o Expand/Collapse the nodes in the ALV tree.
o Search through the entire ALV tree based on any node.
o Change the layout.
o Print the entire trace as displayed in the ALV tree.

2. Filter options: You can set/reset the filter.

o You can filter the trace generated based on the Application Component(s), software components, or
packages. Check the "Customer code only" check-box to filter the trace based on customer code.

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3. Select options: Select/Deselect through the sub tree.
4. Note Search: Once you have replicated the issue, you can use this option to search for SAP Notes. This works
based on selection of application components/objects from the trace. The search is performed, based on the
node in the ALV tree. Once the note search is completed, a list of the most relevant SAP notes are displayed.

o Download Note: Double click on this icon to trigger the download of the selected SAP Note. After the
download is triggered, you will be navigated to the SNOTE transaction.
o Status: Provides the status of the SAP Note on your system. For example, if selected SAP Note is
available or not, implemented or not etc.
o Note Priority: Provides the SAP Note priority that corresponds to the number displayed in the Header
Data section of any SAP Note.
o Note Number: The column displays the SAP Note number. When clicked it opens the note in One support
launchpad in a browser.
o Application Area: This tells you about the application component name for which this SAP Note is
released.
o Note Title: Short text for the SAP Note.

5. Scan Source: You can scan for a particular term in the source code of all the objects in the trace displayed in
the ALV tree. Clicking on the scan source, the following pop-up is displayed:
Click continue, and the following screen appears highlighting the searched term:

6. Customer Code: There might be the case that issue is not due to SAP standard code but due to customer
code. In this case, no relevant SAP Notes can be searched; Instead, you can use this feature to search for
customer code and objects. This helps you to find the list of customer code (if there are any) involved during
the replication of issue from the entire trace.

o Object Type: This tells you about the object type for example if it is a class method, function module,
class definition etc.

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 o Object Name: This gives you the actual name of the object.
o Package: Name of the package or development class to which this object belongs to.
o Component: This represent the software component of the package for the object.
o Type: This represent the customer code type which is specific to ANST.
This is colored yellow if it is a custom object.

7. Save Trace: You can use this option to save the trace for future use. Give a meaningful trace description and
save it.

The trace is saved in such a way that the order in which the objects are called leading to the issue is
preserved.
Note: If you have applied any filter criteria, then the filter is applied to the trace upon save. You can reset
all filters if you wish to save the complete trace.

8. Download Trace: You can use this option to download the trace for future use. Give a meaningful trace
description and save it.
9. Tables:
o Customizing tables: Sometimes issues could also be related to missing or wrong customizing entries. In
this case this feature will be useful for you.
If you would like to see the results for specific application components/objects, select the nodes from the
ALV tree and click on "Customizing Tables", else, all customizing tables involved during the replication of
issue from the entire trace will be displayed. The list is grouped based on the application components.

o Application Component: Customizing tables are grouped based on the application component. This
represent the name for the application component.
o Table Name: This represents the name of the customizing table.
o Object Date: Last changed on date for the customizing table.
o Description: Short description for the table.
o Package: Name of the package or development class to which this table belongs to.
o Component: This represents the software component of the package for the table.
Double clicking on the table name displayed, takes you to the table's Data Browser screen.
• All tables
o Sometimes, you may want to see all the tables involved during the issue replication. If you would like to
see the results for specific application components/objects, select the nodes from the ALV tree and click
on "All Tables", else, all tables involved during the replication of issue from the entire trace will be
displayed. The list is grouped based on the application components.

o Component: This represents the software component of the package for the table.

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 o Application Component: Tables are grouped based on the application component. This represents
the name for the application component.
o Description: Short description for the table.
o Package: Name of the package or development class to which this table belongs to.
o Table Name: This represent the name of the table.
o Type: Represents the delivery class of the table.

When you double-click, a list of all the objects which have the table name in their source code will be
displayed.

10. Breakpoint
You can use breakpoints to debug your application. This feature supports External breakpoints only.
Set - If you would like to set breakpoints for specific application components/objects, select the nodes
from the ALV tree and click on "Breakpoint" and choose "Set". The following pop-up appears, showing
unsupported objects (if any)

Click continue to set the breakpoints.

 Note:
o A maximum of 30 breakpoints can be set.

Delete - Used to delete the breakpoints that are set for the selected trace objects displayed in the ALV
tree.

Click continue to delete the breakpoints.

Delete All - Used for deleting all the breakpoints.

On clicking continue, the following confirmation pop-up is displayed.

On clicking "Yes", all breakpoints are deleted for the user.

11. Information Documentation

Provides detailed information on ANST.

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1.3.3 Support of FIORI apps

ANST supports issue replication for Transactions, Programs, BSP Application, Web Dynpro Application, Web
Application Configuration, CRM BSP Frame, CRM Web client, CRM UI Frame. With SAP delivering new UIs with
UI5 technology, ANST now supports Fiori-UI5 Applications as shown below.

Fig: Fiori-UI5 Application option is available in the initial screen of ANST

Choose ‘Fiori-UI5 Application(Backend) option and provide the URL. Now click on execute to replicate the issue
and click on back once the issue is replicated to generate the trace as shown below for one of the sample
applications.
Important remark about FIORI UI5 application option:
If your architecture consists of separated systems for the gateway and back-end, then the trace you get from the
gateway will only include the ABAP objects that are executed in the gateway. To get the back-end trace in this
scenario, you have to log on to the back-end system and do a trace of the process using "start-stop" trace feature,
mentioned in this guide (Trace On/Off). Then you can search separately for notes that are relevant from the
gateway and from the back-end.

If back-end system and gateway are embedded, the above does not apply and just one trace will be enough.

1.4 Authorizations required:

Auth object: S_TCODE: Transaction ANST.

Auth object: S_TCODE: Transaction SNOTE: For the note search functionality.
Auth object: S_DATASET: Authorizations for file access.
Auth object: S_ALV_LAYO: for displaying/editing ALV lists.
Auth object: S_GUI authorizations for GUI activities (for example, download / upload)
Auth object: S_DEVELOP for setting/deleting breakpoints.

1.5 Points to remember:

• ANST SAP Note search is based on the objects present inside the generated trace. Hence, search will be
optimal if there are less number of objects. So try to replicate the issue with minimal steps involved.
• ANST SAP Note search depends on the RFC connection which you maintain in the “Settings” options
available. Do ensure that you have maintained RFC destination: SAPSNOTE in SM59 pointing to SAP OSS
system.
• Always read SAP Note before implementation if it really matches to your problematic scenario.
• Using it for the first time and you get an error message: “Fatal Error. Customizing table is not filled.” Refer the
SAP Note: 1909768.
• The following notes should be implemented so that ANST works correctly:
o 2469123 – ANST: Remove identification of irrelevant SAP Notes.
o 2361155 – ANST: Change user on start&stop functionality
• When you are using ANST for a web application and you get an error message: “Web trace cancelled by the
user.” Refer SAP Note: 2286869 After following this if the error still occurs then raise a ticket on the
component BC-UPG-NA.
• If you could not find any relevant SAP Note which can solve the issue, then report the case to SAP support by
raising a ticket to BC-UPG-NA component.

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