If you want to record the internal SAP system activities, use the function SAP system trace. Recording the processes in your application server enables you to monitor the system and facilitates troubleshooting.

The following components can be monitored using the SAP system trace:

• Authorization checks
• Kernel functions
• Kernel module
• Database accesses (SQL trace)
• Table buffer
• RFC calls
• Lock operations (client side)

There are two ways of selecting what traces you want displayed. In the initial screen, the components to be logged are selected and more filters are set, if required. The filters and restrictions for the traces that have these settings can be set when the traces are evaluated.

First configure the trace components. If necessary, restrict the selection using the pushbutton General filter, and then choose Trace on. You can also change the components while the trace is activate by choosing Change trace.

You can use both Settings buttons to save your settings and call them up again later.

You can use the Save button (or Go To ® Save in the menu) to save trace records in dedicated files. You are presented with a screen on which you can create a remark for the trace file and select whether this should be created automatically or whether a file has to be created for this purpose. The use of explicit files is described in greater detail below.

If you choose Analysis, a screen opens on which you can make various analysis settings.

Besides determining the trace components, you can restrict the analysis to particular users, work processes, transactions, and times.

For performance analysis, you can use the field Duration to analyze only records for which the duration of a trace record exceeds a specific period of time. This also applies to trace components that have a duration. This setting does not apply to the authorization trace.

You can also set a restriction that only specific tables are included in the trace analysis (this also applies to the SQL and the table buffer trace). You can enter two table names directly on the screen; you can add other tables using the button of the same name. The button changes color if there are more than two tables in the list.

In the lower part of the screen, you can specify a separate file, in order to protect a trace from being automatically overwritten. If you specify a separate file here, the "normal" trace files are ignored and the specified file is used.

Besides the button, there are 3 more buttons:

 Filter history

This shows you that last 10 filter settings of the user in question.

 Use default values

The filter gets the following default values: own user, own client, from 10 minutes ago (rounded off) until now, all trace types, not tables D010* and D020*.

 Delete all values

This button deletes the values in all fields.

The menu "Filter Settings" also contains all these functions.

Once you are finished making the settings for the analysis criteria, choose to display the results of the analysis.

Information in trace entries includes the following:

• Time (to the millisecond). Double-click to see the time to the microsecond.
• Type of the trace entry, that is, the component selected when the trace was activated or when the analysis settings were made.

Double-click on a line to get additional detailed information on this trace record.

If you want to protect a trace from being overwritten later, choose the Save button on the initial screen, or choose Go To ® Save from the menu.

On the next screen, you can create a short text for a trace, and choose whether the new file that is created specifically for this trace should be automatically created, or whether you want to specify a file. If you do not specify an absolute path, a file of this name is created in the log directory. In the case of automatic file creation, the system determines the filename and stores the file in the log directory. The advantage of this is that, unlike a manually created file, the F4 help can be used for to search for the file from the analysis screen.

Enter transaction code ST01. Alternatively, choose Administration ® System administration ® Monitor ® Traces ® SAP System Trace.