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To run your business processes, you use various SAP applications (for example, SAP CRM, SAP ERP, SAP PLM). You gather the data on the existing technical system landscape using the System Landscape Directory in the Landscape Management Database (LMDB). In the LMDB, you describe dependencies between systems to get a valid landscape data. This data is required to maintain and enhance the landscape consistently.

The landscape data describing maintenance dependencies is called product system. That is, a product system is a group of technical systems that belong to one or more products. In Maintenance Optimizer, you create a maintenance transaction for one product.

Maintenance addresses the installation of a product version on one or more technical systems:

  • Products are the applications that SAP delivers and group sets of functions to solve business requirements

    • Products are installed in dedicated product versions on hardware creating technical systems.

    • There are standalone product versions and add-on product versions (which require a standalone version).

    • Product versions are developed in software components (SC).

    • Product instances group SCs that must be installed on the same technical system

    • Example: HCM AS ABAP Backend, Enterprise Portal frontend

  • All technical systems used to install (parts of the) product version are grouped in a product system.

    • The smallest parts of product version that can be installed are defined by the product instances.

    • AS ABAP-based and non-AS ABAP-based product instances are usually installed separately.

    • Example: the SAP HCM component of the SAP ERP 6.0 product.

  • Landscape patterns describe the relations between technical systems grouped in a product system:

    • Hub: A technical system that is used in more than one product system. For hubs, always a minimum impact is calculated, only updating the hub if a higher version is required.

    • Sidecar: A technical system that is used in exactly one product system. A sidecar is always updated with the leading technical system.

    • Default: If no landscape pattern is explicitly declared, the default landscape pattern of a technical system is hub.

A technical usage is a grouping of software components and contents of SAP enhancement packages that need to be installed together so that a particular business function can be activated. A technical usage thus describes a specific configuration of a product version. It groups product instances for a specific usage. A technical usage can be distributed over multiple technical systems and technology types. There is a mapping between business functions and technical usages for ERP enhancement packages

For more information about managing the system landscape, see Managing System Landscape Information and Create Product System Information.

System Data for Product Maintenance with Maintenance Optimizer

Maintenance Optimizer gets its landscape data from the Landscape Management Database (LMDB). In maintenance transactions, Maintenance Optimizer takes the product version specified for the product system, and the relevant and additionally installed product instances, into account. It also handles the maintenance according to landscape patterns into which you have classified the technical systems.

The sources of the system data in the system landscape can be configured. For most technical system types to get information in the SAP Solution Manager, you must connect to the System Landscape Directory (SLD) using an SLD Data Supplier specifically available for the system type. Data from ABAP systems can be read from the local TMS domain server via RFC connections, but using an SLD connection is strongly recommended.

Maintenance Optimizer can only calculate meaningful configuration files if the system data in the Landscape Management Database is consistent. To consistently describe your technical systems and product systems, use the verification function in the Product System Editor. For more information, see Perform Verification Checks.

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