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Tracing SAP BW AcceleratorLocate this document in the navigation structure

Use

If errors occur in queries, or performance problems arise with SAP Business Warehouse Accelerator, it can help to record system responses as traces. SAP support has tools to evaluate these traces. To record traces for query execution, use the Query Monitor (see Query Monitor).

Note

To record performance traces specially for SAP BW Accelerator, use the BW Accelerator Monitor (see Monitoring SAP BW Accelerator).

Procedure

Tracing Queries in the Query Monitor (RSRT)

In the Query Monitor, you can execute and debug queries.

  1. Select the query that you want to record a standard trace for.

  2. Choose Execute + Debug. The Debug Options dialog box appears. The options are ordered in a hierarchy.

  3. Choose Start of the navigation path SAP HANA/BWA Next navigation step SAP HANA/BWA Default Trace End of the navigation path.

    If you set the flag for SAP HANA/BWA Default Trace, the system automatically activates all traces listed under this option. These record information about the query currently being executed.

    You also have the option of selecting just one trace type.

Trace Type

Description

Python Trace

The index server is traced. The system generates an executable Python program.

To find out the selections for a query for example, SAP support can reproduce a query (without recording the ABAP read interface).

Plan/Performance Trace

A trace is recorded for the executing BW Accelerator component. The system generates an executable program.

To analyze the steps that the BW Accelerator executes (the execution plan), SAP support can reproduce a query (without recording the ABAP read interface).

ABAP Trace

The system records the parameterization of the read interface.

To analyze the problems with the RFC server for example, SAP support can reproduce a query on the basis of the BW Accelerator indexes (without the InfoCubes).

Standard Trace

The system records the trace with certain internal settings (trace levels). The result is provided as a text file for the query and is only valid for this query. This trace records error messages.

If a query throws an exception for example, you can check the trace for more precise error messages.

Display

Once you have activated a trace type, the system displays the trace that the query was executed by. You can make changes to the trace file and save it locally.

Large trace files can cause runtime problems. You can therefore also save a trace file without displaying or changing it.

Tracing BWA Performance in the BW Accelerator Monitor (RSDDBIAMON2)

You can activate a performance trace in the BW Accelerator Monitor. This logs system activities. SAP support has tools for evaluating these system activities. The trace is written directly in save-optimized format (*.tpt).

  1. To activate a trace, choose Start of the navigation path Performance Trace Next navigation step Start Trace Recording End of the navigation path from the menu.

    A dialog box appears, where you can make the following settings:

    • whether you want to start the trace for a particular user

    • when you want to stop the trace

      Recommendation

      For performance reasons, we advise against choosing a time that is too far in the future.

    In the status bar, the system shows how long trace recording has left to run (BW Accelerator Monitor (Trace recording still active for 00:10:30, for example).

    Note

    While a trace recording is running, you cannot start a new one.

  2. Stop trace recording.

    To stop a trace that is running, choose Start of the navigation path Performance Trace Next navigation step Stop Trace Recording End of the navigation path from the menu. If you do not stop a trace manually, the system stops recording automatically at the defined time.

    You cannot select this menu option if no trace recording is running at present.

  3. Save your trace file.

    To save a trace file locally, choose Start of the navigation path Performance Trace Next navigation step Save Trace File End of the navigation path from the menu. Once the trace file has been saved, the SAP system automatically deletes it from the system.

  4. To view important key figures for the trace, choose Start of the navigation path Performance Trace Next navigation step Display Trace Information End of the navigation path from the menu. The system displays the following key figures for the trace:

    • Start time

    • Stop time

    • Remaining time

    • User

    • File size [kB]

  5. When you save a trace file, it is automatically deleted from the SAP system. However, if you want to delete a file without saving it, choose Start of the navigation path Performance Trace Next navigation step Delete Trace File End of the navigation path. The SAP system deletes the trace file from the system.

    Note

    Choosing this option might be a good idea if the trace file is too large.