Payload Trace
Describes how to use the Payload Trace tool to check the exact content of HTTP header and body data sent and received.
The Payload Trace tool enables developers, administrators, support consultants, and end users to monitor the flow of data sent as part of service requests and responses. The tool is particularly helpful if you want to check the exact content of HTTP header and body data sent and received. In some cases, for example, unexpected data might be contained in the response that did not lead to an actual system error that would be displayed in the Error Log, but that nevertheless needs to be investigated.
To facilitate support in cases where unexpected data might have been returned, a replay function is available that enables you to trigger the service call again and replicate the circumstances in which the data was initially returned. In this way, the replay function saves time and effort as the user who triggered the original service request does not have to replicate the service call in their system. The same data is returned in the response body and enable further analysis.
Configuration and Activation
For information about how to configure and activate the Payload Trace tool, see Configuring Tracing Tools.
Payload Trace Analysis
- Service call info
- HTTP method (for example, POST or GET)
- Processing time (in milliseconds)
- Application time (in milliseconds)
- Request size (in bytes)
- Response size (in bytes)
- Response format (xml, xlsx, json)
- Date
- Time
- Expiry date
- Status
To display the overview details about a particular service call, select the relevant row in the table and choose Details or choose Display or double-click the relevant row to have the details displayed on the SAP Gateway: Payload Trace screen for further analysis.
- Date
- Time
- User
- Call type
- Method
- Service call info
- Transaction ID
- Select an entry and choose Show Source to display the source data for analysis.
- Select an entry and choose Download to PC to download the results.
- Select an entry and choose HTTP Header to display the corresponding header data in a document display browser, which enables you to read the data in context.
- Select an entry and choose HTTP Body to display the corresponding body data in a document display browser, which enables you to read the data in context. You can choose between two different views: Original Payload and Data Explorer.
- If you want to replicate the service call, select the relevant entry and choose the Replay function to open the SAP Gateway Client and initiate the service call again.
- Select one or more entries and choose Performance Trace to navigate to the Performance Trace Summary screen for a detailed overview of processing times.
Expiry Date of Payload Trace Log Items
As default, log items are stored for the duration of two days starting from the date on which you started the active trace. However, you can change the expiry date for entries stored in the log to suit your own needs. To define the expiry date, select the log items for which you want to change the expiry date and choose the Change Expiry Date icon. Enter the new expiry date in the Set new expiry date dialog box. You can access a calendar in which you can select the new expiry data directly by choosing the field help. Save the new date by choosing the green checkmark.
Search Trace
A search function is available so you can find traces easily that have been recorded for an earlier date or time although the original configuration is no longer displayed. You might want to use this search function to search for trace recordings activated by a different user, for example. On the initial SAP Gateway: Tracing Tools screen, you can start the search function to find traces according to specific search criteria. To start the search function, choose 
Tools 
Search Traces Payload Trace
.
- User Name
- Requested URI Part
- Request ID: identifier sent from consumer to SAP Gateway
- Transaction ID