The Main SAP Document Types

The following is an overview of the most important documentation types that you need in the various phases in the life cycle of SAP software.

SAPterm is SAP’s terminology database. It contains SAP-specific vocabulary in over 30 languages, as well as many glossary entries in English and German

• Target group:

  • Relevant for all target groups

• Current version:

  • On SAP Help Portal at http://help.sap.com  Glossary

  • In the SAP system in transaction STERM

SAP Library is a collection of documentation for SAP software covering functions and processes.

• Target group:

  • Consultants

  • System administrators

  • Project teams for implementations or upgrades

• Current version:

• • On SAP Help Portal at http://help.sap.com (also available as documentation DVD)

The master guide is the starting point for implementing an SAP solution. It lists the required installable units for each business or IT scenario. It provides scenario-specific descriptions of preparation, execution, and follow-up of an implementation. It also provides references to other documents, such as installation guides, the technical infrastructure guide and SAP Notes

The Installation guide describes the technical implementation of an installable unit, taking into account the combinations of operating systems and databases. It does not describe any business-related configuration

Configuration Documentation in SAP Solution Manager – SAP Solution Manager is a life-cycle platform. One of its main functions is the configuration of business scenarios, business processes, and implementable steps. It contains Customizing activities, transactions, and so on, as well as documentation

The Implementation Guide (IMG) is a tool for configuring (Customizing) a single SAP system. The Customizing activities and their documentation are structured from a functional perspective. (In order to configure a whole system landscape from a process-oriented perspective, SAP Solution Manager, which refers to the relevant Customizing activities in the individual SAP systems, is used.)

The technical operations manual is the starting point for operating a system that runs on SAP NetWeaver, and precedes the application operations guides of SAP Business Suite. The manual refers users to the tools and documentation that are needed to carry out various tasks, such as monitoring, backup/restore, master data maintenance, transports, and tests.

The application operations guide is used for operating an SAP application once all tasks in the technical operations manual have been completed. It refers users to the tools and documentation that are needed to carry out the various operations-related tasks.

The upgrade master guide is the starting point for upgrading the business scenarios and processes of an SAP solution. It provides scenario-specific descriptions of preparation, execution, and follow-up of an upgrade. It also refers to other documents, such as upgrade guides and SAP Notes

The upgrade guide describes the technical upgrade of an installable unit, taking into account the combinations of operating systems and databases. It does not describe any business-related configuration.

Release notes are documents that contain short descriptions of new features in a particular release or changes to existing features since the previous release. Release notes about ABAP developments are the technical prerequisite for generating delta and upgrade Customizing in the Implementation Guide (IMG).