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Function documentationSolution Documentation

 

SAP Solution Manager provides various tools and methods for implementing and maintaining both SAP and customer solutions. The Solution Documentation model is based on a hierarchical structure, which uses a solution as the single, central point of access for all Solution Documentation content.

Recommendation Recommendation

As a starting point, familiarize yourself with the new terms and concepts related to process management in SAP Solution Manager. Even familiar terms already used in former releases may have different meaning in this release. See Basic Terms and Concepts.

End of the recommendation.

Prerequisites

Configuration of Process Management in SAP Solution Manager Configuration

In SAP Solution Manager Configuration (transaction SOLMAN_SETUP), you have to do the following:

  • You have to configure all applications-relevant subscenarios in Cross Scenario Configuration.

  • You have to configure all subscenarios in Mandatory Configuration.

    For a correct graphical representation of solutions, you have to configure the scenario Infrastructure Preparation, step Enable Gateway Services. In the list of gateway services for Process Management you have to activate the services AGS_GBC_ODATA_BPMN_SRV (Graphical Component BPMN Gateway Service), AGS_GBC_ODATA_GOM_SRV (GBC GOM Gateway Service), and PROCESSMANAGEMENT (SAP Solution Manager APIs for third party tool integration).

  • You have to configure the scenario Embedded Search in order to establish the connection between Embedded Search and TREX or SAP HANA.

  • You have to configure the process management in the scenario Process Management. Refer to the scenario documentation to learn more.

Features

Functional Highlights of the Solution Documentation

The Solution Documentation provides you, among others, with functional highlights in the following areas:

  • Usability

    You use a modern browser-based user interface making the administration and documentation of SAP solutions simple, intuitive and business-focused, and you benefit from graphical process modeling.

  • Context-driven user interface

    There are almost no buttons in the user interface to add new elements. Just use the right mouse button at the location where you want to add the new element. The context menu offers all the functions that are allowed at the selected location or element.

  • Implicit Save of user entries

    You do not need to save your entries with a “Save” button. Every change of an element is saved automatically when you select another element. Optionally, or if you want to finish your work without selecting another element, you can save your work manually with the “Save” button.

  • Re-Use

    You can organize reusable documentation for business process steps and other entities such as transactions, development objects, and configuration activities in libraries. Reduce your content management effort by working on reusable documentation elements only once for multiple use in different end to end business processes.

  • Integration

    You can take advantage of the concept of Solution Documentation as a single source of truth for all content related to business processes. A solitary solution will support all application lifecycle phases from implementation through to operations. Do away with creating solutions altogether when they are not needed, for example for sole use of basic SAP services, such as EarlyWatch Alert.

  • Versioning

    You can simplify maintenance, new development and upgrades by using the version concept – branches. With this concept, you are part of the quantum leap in SAP release management.

  • Big Solutions

    You can handle solutions of all shapes and sizes with multi-level hierarchies without limitations on the size and hierarchical complexity.

  • Custom Extensions

    You can add extra structure levels and your own attributes by taking advantage of the flexible, model-based architecture of Solution Manager 7.2 to systematically extend SAP standards.

How Solution Documentation works

The Solution Documentation model is based on a hierarchical structure, which uses a unified solution concept as the single, central point of access for all Solution Documentation content. The solution comprises the description of your system landscape as well as the documentation of your business processes, interfaces, technical objects and your custom developments.

Thus, the solution concept stands in the center of the Solution Documentation. It is the sum of a company’s system landscape, applications and processes. It acts as a container for versions of Solution Documentation, one of which is the production version. The terms systems landscape, process and version have the following meaning:

  • System Landscape

    Logical Component Groups are groups of Logical Components. Logical components point to actual technical systems.

  • Process

    A process is a set of logically related activities and executes functions in systems to achieve a business goal.

  • Version

    Each Solution Documentation version is a branch containing processes, libraries, and systems.

You organize your Solution Documentation into the following different areas:

  • Libraries of reusable documentation for technical objects, such as development objects, executables, and configuration activities

  • Library of business process steps where you can reuse the documentation from the other libraries

  • Library of interfaces where you document the interfaces used by your end to end processes

  • End to End Business Processes where you model your scenarios and processes by reusing the process steps, interfaces, and technical objects from the libraries,

In detail, these areas of the Solution Documentation model provides the following features:

  • Developments and Executables Library

    • Component-oriented container of technical objects and their documentation, e.g. Web Dynpro applications, transactions, custom reports etc.

    • Technical objects can be reused in different process steps and end-to-end processes

    • Libraries can be partially automatically generated based on usage statistics and structured by the application component hierarchy (ACH)

  • Process Step and Interface Library

    • Function-oriented container of all process steps and their business-context independent documentation

    • Process steps can be reused in different end-to-end processes

    • Automated, on-demand generation of the library structure based on the ACH, which can be manually extended

  • Configuration Library

    • Function-oriented container of configuration activities, grouped into reusable units

    • Configuration units can be reused for repeated configuration tasks

  • End to End Processes

    • Business-oriented documentation of processes describing your end-to-end scenarios

    • Library elements, e.g. process steps, interfaces and technical objects, can simply be reused

The library concept enables you to re-use and to reference all the objects mentioned above whenever possible. This is the key to avoid redundant documentation.

Activities

You can start the Solution Documentation via the SAP Solution Manager launchpad. You can also use transaction code SOLADM for the Solution Administration tool and transaction code SOLDOC for the Solution Documentation tool.

If you start Solution Documentation for the first time, the system displays a popup with all available solutions. Otherwise Solution Documentation starts directly with the last opened solution and the last opened branch. In a solution, you can switch to another solution via the solution selector in the Global Functions menu.

More Information

Activation of the Solution Documentation Content for Customers using already SAP Solution Manager 7.1

As of SAP Solution Manager 7.2, you manage your solutions using the Solution Documentation. To continue using your existing SAP Solution Manager projects, you need to activate your existing content in the Solution Documentation. You only need to activate ongoing projects and projects that you plan to use in the future. You can still display non-activated projects but you cannot edit them.

As a starting point, there is an overview section in the SAP Community Network (SCN) that covers all aspects of content activation, including a FAQ list and a blog with detailed information. See SAP Solution Manager 7.2 Content Activation (https://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/display/SM/SAP+Solution+Manager+7.2+Content+ActivationInformation published on SAP site).

For all activation-related activities, there is a comprehensive Solution Documentation Content Activation Guide that provides you with all activation-relevant information.

You can find the latest version of the Solution Documentation Content Activation Guide at the following location: Start of the navigation path http://service.sap.com/instguidesInformation published on SAP site Next navigation step SAP Components Next navigation step SAP Solution Manager Next navigation step <current release> Next navigation step 5 Upgrade Next navigation step Solution Documentation Content Activation Guide End of the navigation path. Furthermore, you can use the following direct link: https://service.sap.com/~sapidb/012002523100011391702015E/ActivationGuide_SolMan72.pdfInformation published on SAP site to access this guide.

If you do not want to use your existing SAP Solution Manager projects from former releases, you can skip all activation-related activities.