Analyse Problem - Debugging Tool

Syslog

Active Global Support

March 2009

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 Course Content
(current Highlighted)

Introduction Dump Analysis

R/3 Basis Technological Overview ABAP Trace (Runtime Analysis)

Debugger I Performance Trace

Screens Memory Management

ABAP Messages Batch Processing

Debugger II Updates

Dynpro Trace User Exits

Syslog

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 Unit Objectives

This unit will prepare you to perform the following tasks:

Use the syslog to analyse what happend in a system at a certain point in time
Read the syslog entries in order the identify the origin of a problem

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 System log

/h
sm13
Which tool is a
good starting point ?
ST22

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The syslog is helpful if you encounter:

- update terminations (sm13)
- job terminations (sm37)
- any kind of unknown error
- If you encounter the Dump SNAP_NO_NEW_ENTRY then you can get the real error in
the syslog

The syslog is very helpful if you want to check the general situation of the system, which
errors occur in the surrounding of the real error.
With which error all the trouble began ?

Additionally the syslog is a good starting point for a deeper analysis.

With the information about error-kind/user/transaction/workprocess ... You can access
more detailed trace files like the developer traces.

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 System log - Information

Syslog of this application server

Syslog of all application servers

Keep in mind:
The normal (local) syslog only shows
the errors on the current server !!
Update or batch errors may occur only on special
server with update and batch workprocesses!

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System messages are logged in a single circular file on a server. When this log file reaches
the maximum allowable size, the system starts overwriting the file from the beginning.

Types:
If the R/3 system runs on UNIX hosts there are two types of logs:
Local: Each R/3 application server has a local log that contains messages generated by that server.
Central: Each application server also copies its local log entries to a central log.
On Windows NT and AS/400 hosts, only local logs (one per application server) are kept.
These logs are not collected into a central log.

Accuracy:
Local log file: Always up to date
Central log file: There can be brief delays between when the system records a message
in a local log and when the same message is written in the central log

Additional useful selections

User: Due to the number of logged information this will reduce the displayed list.
SAP process (work process x, update process etc. See F1 help to the field)
Problem classes

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 System log - Information

Double-Click for details

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Time: When was the error recorded

Ty: Type of work process (similar as in SM50)

Nr. Internal number of work process

Cl.: Client

Tcod: Transaction, in which the problem occurred

MNo: Syslog Message number

A ‘>’ sign in the text line means that the lines belongs together.

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 System log - Information

Get the workprocess number

-> have a look in the responsible dev_-file (ST11)

The dumps was issued in abcalc.c line 2166

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In this case we deal with a run-time error:

Therefore please step to transaction ST22 (ABAP Dump Analysis) to analyze the error in
detail.

Get the application server and the workprocess number. Via transaction ST11 you can
access the dev-trace files (In our case dev_w1)

Problem classes
K = Kernel messages
S = Status messages
T = Transaction messages
W = Warnings
X = Other types of messages

If you have to deal with aborted work processes, signals or other kernel failures please get
the responsible C-file -> with the file prefix it’s possible to forward the problem to the right
component

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 Logs About Special User Actions

Some dangerous user actions are logged by the system

Delete lock entry in transaction sm12 manually

Cancel workprocess in transaction sm50

Catch Process in Transaction sm50 and switch to debug mode

Lock Process via report RSTRC000

Change values in the debugger

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This is only a short extract of sys log entries caused by user actions.
For example the generation/touch tool TOUCHALL issues the following syslog message:
“User GEBHARDT forced re-generation of all ABAP programs”...

The system call:

* System log
call 'C_WRITE_SYSLOG_ENTRY'
id 'TYP' field space
id 'KEY' field 'AB6'
id 'DATA' field sy-uname.
issues a syslog entry (message number AB6)

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 System log - Update Termination

You receive an express mail “Update terminated”

start SM21 (syslog) or SM13 (update records)

ST22 -> Analyze the Dump

SE91 -> search the responsible Message

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If you receive an express mail ‘Update terminated’ then get the error reason from the
syslog or the update records (SM13).
With these info you can access the detailed error analysis

-> Find the terminating error message in the mentioned update module
(Z_UPD_SAPLANE_V1_NOWHILE_ERR) and find out more details from SE91

Or you access ST22 and search for the encountered Dump.

(search with error-id TABLE_INVALID_INDEX or with user, time....)

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 SE92 - Syslog Message

Customer complains about syslog errors R0J.

Use transaction SE92 to get the text linked to this
message number.

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SE92 can be used to get detailed information about a syslog message.

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 Exercise: Flight Data Update

Creating new data ZV1_CW_ASYNCH_ERR results in an abort message

being sent. At your next action you receive an Express Mail! Check out
the error in the syslog

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Start transaction ZV1_CW_ASYNCH_ERR and fill in some data

Save data

You will receive an info message and after that an express mail

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 Exercise - Solution

Double-
click

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 Exercise - Solution

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Based on the information, that a message AT108 was the reason for the problem, we can
check the transaction SE91 to see when this message is output.

However, in this example this does not help, because the affected message has not been
registered in SE91 (and is therefore not in table T100).

Therefore in this case it is necessary to check the update terminations, to get further
information.

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 Exercise - Solution

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In the function module an update of the table sflight is done.

Normally an A-message is used to display an error. In this case the message is given if the
update works! This is the bug.

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 Summary

Now you are able to:

Access the System log
Identify problems that will have left a System Log entry
Analyse the System Log with respect to relevant entries
Choose the right tools for further analysis …
… and navigate to them

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