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Purpose

You can display raw statistical data (individual records) and traces from ABAP and non-ABAP systems from complex system landscapes using the functional trace. The statistics and trace data of remote ABAP systems is accessed by RFC. For remote non-ABAP systems, the data is read using NetWeaver Management Agents.

The raw statistics data can originate from ABAP statistics records or Distributed Statistics Records (DSRs). While ABAP statistics records can only trace actions that are processed by ABAP components, with DSRs, you can trace actions that are processed using non-ABAP components. This works for both types of statistics records across component boundaries. Components that write statistics records send data from the statistics record with their communication with other components (their "passport"), meaning that the originator of an action or a data flow of a business process can be traced even beyond component boundaries.

The statistics records and traces are first stored locally on the relevant component and then read using RFC or the agent. The data is transferred to the monitoring system and displayed directly in the functional trace there.

Integration

The functional trace extends the following two transactions:

  • The functional trace is an extension of the data selection transaction STAD that can only display raw statistics data for the local ABAP system, and not for multiple ABAP systems and different DSR components, like the functional trace.
  • The functional trace is also an extension of the Global Workload Monitor (transaction ST03G). The Global Workload Monitor can only display aggregated statistical data that has been collected by a special collector.

    The functional trace, on the other hand, receives raw statistics data directly using RFC, or, in the case of non-ABAP systems, from an agent. It provides a finer resolution of information. For example, you can use the functional trace to trace actions that belong to a business process across system boundaries. You can also display traces in the functional trace. For more information, see Difference Between Functional Trace and Global Workload Monitor.

Features

The functional trace provides the following functions:

  • You can use system selection to choose the systems for which you want to analyze statistics records and traces. You can restrict the analysis to the local system or extend it to include systems in a system landscape or a Business Process. You can create system lists.
  • You can define a period for reading the statistics records in the data selection. The raw statistics records are read for this period for the components specified in the system selection.

    You can also specify parameters in the data selection with which you can also filter the raw statistics records, such as by the initial user and the initial system. The system displays the filtered statistics records in the analysis view.

  • If errors occur, you can display the application logs of the function trace to find the cause of the error.
  • You have various options for displaying and analyzing the raw data. For example, you can display the statistics records sorted chronologically in a call hierarchy or in a list.
  • In the analysis view, you can display traces for ABAP systems (SQL trace and runtime analysis) and DSR traces in addition to the raw statistics records. You can activate SQL traces directly from the functional trace.

 

More information:

 

Operating the Functional Trace