Profile Files and Their Resolution Hierarchy

When an SAP system is being installed, at least two profile files are created automatically. One is the default profile whose instance contains profile parameter values. The other is an instance profile created for each instance with which profile parameter values can be configured for a specific instance. If the default profile already exists, it is updated. There is also the kernel default that gets the profile parameter values directly from the source code.

The value assigned to a profile parameter is determined by the following resolution hierarchy:

If the profile parameter is set in the instance profile, it is assigned the value defined there.
If a profile parameter is set in the default profile, it is assigned the value defined there only if it is not set in the relevant instance profile.
If the profile parameter is set neither in the instance profile nor in the default profile, it is assigned the kernel default.

Caution When you define the profile files you should only set profile parameters either in the default profile only or in the instance profile only.

Profile parameter values can also be passed directly from the command line. A typical example of this is starting the enqueue replication server in the instance profile of an ERS instance with the instance number of the ASCS instance.

Example _ER = $(DIR_EXECUTABLE)\enrepserver$(FT_EXE)Restart_Program_03 = local $(_ER) pf=$(_PFL) NR=$(SCSID)

A further example is if programs do not required all the profile parameters to start them. In this case, the required profile parameter values can be passed simply from the command line.

Caution The profile parameter values passed from the command line are located in the resolution hierarchy above the instance profile.