Support Package Strategy 

Both Support Packages and R/3 Plug-Ins change objects in a standard R/3 System. In order to avoid inconsistency, you must have a particular R/3 Support Package level when installing R/3 Plug-In. From release 2000.1, R/3 Plug-In will be shipped modification-free for the R/3 releases 4.0B to 4.6C. ‘Modification-free’ means that no conflicts arise with existing or future R/3 Support Packages. R/3 Support Packages can be implemented without R/3 Plug-In CRT. This solves any conflicts. However, the minimum R/3 Support Package levels (see table 1) must be used in the systems, so that PI 2000.1 can be installed modification-free. For R/3 releases 3.1H and 3.1I, R/3 Plug-In is modifying, and R/3 Support Packages must be used with the corresponding R/3 Plug-In CRTs. You can find an availability matrix for R/3 Plug-In CRTs in SAPNet (ALIAS: r3-Plug-in). PI-A is the non-modifying version of R/3 Plug-In for BW and BBP 1.0.

 

 

R/3 Plug-In Prerequisites for Use

R/3 Release

PI 99 & PI-A 99

PI-A 2000.1

PI 2000.1

3.1H

0

0

71

3.1I

27

27

43

4.0B

20

20

38

4.5B

03

03

16

4.6B

-

-

3

4.6C

-

-

1

 

* As of October 2000, R/3 3.1H is no longer maintained. Correspondingly, the R/3 Plug-In is no longer maintained after that date.

If you conform to these levels, no conflicts will occur with Standard R/3 at the time of installation. If the system has a lower SPL, the appropriate R/3 Support Packages (with R/3 Plug-In CRTs) must be applied one after the other until the specified SPL is reached. The same applies if an R/3 Plug-In upgrade requiring a higher SPL is to be carried out. If your system already has a higher SPL ("over-shooter") or if a higher support package is to be applied after the installation of an R/3 Plug-In, you must use the appropriate R/3 Plug-In CRT. R/3 Plug-In CRTs correct the aforementioned conflicts by comparing the objects that have been changed by both the R/3 Plug-In and the Support Package. Extensive tests take place before the CRT is made available, which rules out possible functional conflicts.

Due to the activities associated with the production of a CRT, they always appear a little later (4 – 6 weeks). Consequently, the earliest possible application of the R/3 Support Package is also delayed. The availability of CRTs is published in the SAP Online Service System in the form of notes (see note number 0145564).

Execution

With effect from R/3 Release 4.6B, only modification-free Plug-Ins will be delivered. This means that development is encapsulated. Modifications that cannot be avoided are prepared in such a way that they can be included in a certain Support Package and will therefore later become part of the R/3 Standard delivery. Because modifying and non-modifying Plug-Ins are currently required, there will be two shipments of R/3 Plug-In 2000.1:

* As of October 2000, R/3 3.1H is no longer maintained. Correspondingly, the R/3 Plug-In is no longer be maintained.

From 4.6B, R/3 Plug-In will be modification-free and will only be shipped as a PI version. The advantage of modification-free versions is that they are not dependent on:

 

For further information, see R/3 Plug-In.