Developer Traces 
Developer traces contain technical information for use in the event of problems with your system. Using the entries in the developer traces requires a sophisticated knowledge of the host systems in which your SAP system is running and of the SAP system itself.
The traces can be useful in diagnosing host system and SAP-internal problems that are affecting your SAP system.
Developer traces are written in files in the work directory of the SAP application server that generated the trace.
RecommendationFile Names of Developer Traces
The names of the trace files are as follows:
Component |
File name |
|---|---|
Dispatcher |
dev_disp |
Work process /task handler |
dev_w<n>, whereby n is the number of the work process. |
Gateway |
dev_rd |
Message server |
dev_ms |
Internet Communication Manager (ICM) |
dev_icm |
SAP Web Dispatcher |
dev_wdisp |
RFC (Remote Function Call) facility |
dev_rfc, dev_rfc<n> dev_rfc traces RFC calls to external functions (written in C or Visual Basic). dev_rfc<n> traces RFC calls executed in SAP work processes. <n> is the number of the work process in the server (as shown above). A work process uses the same log file across RFC calls. |
Internet Communication Framework (ICF) |
dev_icf<n> More information: Managing Error Information |
Enqueue (lock) |
When a classical central instance is running with enqueue work process dev_w<n>, where w<n> is the enqueue work process. When a standalone enqueue server is used in an ASCS instance with the message server there are several trace files that all start with dev_enq. More information: Trace Files of the Standalone Enqueue Server and Replication Server |
Startup Service(sapstart) |
dev_sapstart |
Transport programs R3trans and tp |
dev_tp |
Monitoring infrastructure (test mode only) |
dev_moni In normal operation, you will not see this file. It is used only by test tools of the monitoring infrastructure. It therefore appears only if the test tools must be activated during a support session. |
The information traced is determined by the trace level - this applies to all trace files (see below).
Error and System Log Entries in Trace Files
Each line in the trace files starts with the component abbreviation. This is the letter that identifies the trace component. The assignment can be found under Trace Components:
In accordance to these letters, lines that contain error information begin with *** ERROR=>. Lines for which system log entries are written start with *** LOG <message ID>.
An "error line" contains the name of the calling function, the operation that failed, the error number (errno) (if a system call is involved), and the name of and line in the C module that failed.
Working with Developer Traces
The following sections explain how to use developer traces.
Activating and Deactivating Developer Traces
To find out how to activate and deactivate developer traces see Activating and Deactivating Developer Traces.
Displaying Developer Traces
To find out how to display developer traces see Displaying Trace Files.
Downloading Developer Traces
To find out how you can easily and quickly downlad trace files on to your computer see Downloading Trace Files.