OS utilities - SAPPFPAR

OK, this one is really short (mainly I forgot to publish it 3 weeks back :-/ )

"The program sappfpar lets you check the minimum and maximum (worst case) swap space requirements for an SAP application server. It also checks the shared memory requirements and whether or not the parameters em/initial_size_MB and abap/heap_area_total are set correctly." (cite from SAP pages itself)
You will find it in this path:

/usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/exe/run

and those are some simple usage you could use these commands:
sappfpar check pf=<path_to_instance_profile> - to check given profile for errors and evaluate it

sappfpar check pf=<path_to_instance_profile> <parameter_name> - to show parameter value

I don't know what more to write. I nearly did not used it, but yes, it can be handy if you need to check, why is your SAP crashing or during some installations or upgrades.

If you want, you can read this and something little more on original page:
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/66/380fb7d43d11d188bd0000e83539c3/content.htm

OS utilities - SAPOSCOL / SAPHOSTEXEC / SAPHOSTAGENT

So today just quick look on two not so needed utilities (I'm party joking now).
SAPOSCOL and SAPHOSTEXEC are utilities for collecting of OS information and relaying that info to SAP application (in case of SAPHOSTEXEC not only this). 

Lets start with SAPOSCOL at it's older. You can find this application in path:
/usr/sap/hostctrl/exe/saposcol

As it was told, app is used to relay information about OS to SAP and there is always one running SAPOSCOL per SAP instance and SAPOSCOL is independent on SAP program (and vice versa)´. All colected data are sent to SAP through share memory, where on SAP is running job SAP_COLLECTOR_FOR_PERFORMANCE (every 24 hours) which writes this data to MONI DB. SAPOSCOL program have several parameters (like -o for showing collected data), witch u can use for his administration.

From SAP NetWeaver components as of release 7.0 EhP2 there should be program SAPHOSTEXEC. It's used for control of SAPHOSTAGENT and also for control of SAPOSCOL program. You can found his executables in:
/usr/sap/hostcontrol/exe/saphostexec

What SAPOSCOL is doing we already know, so what is this SAPHOSTAGENT good for? From SAP kernel 7.20 is this application installed on system to discover and monitor SAP instance, monitor OS through SAPOSCOL and to monitor and manage database on host. There are several other function like instance provisioning.
SAPHOSTAGENT is controled through SAPHOSTEXEC program/commands.


you can found full info on addresses:
SAPOSCOL:
https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/c4/3a6bff505211d189550000e829fbbd/content.htm
SAPHOSTEXEC:
https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73ehp1/helpdata/en/f5/6737c5de81497590d2fbb4fa055dd6/content.htm
SAPHOSTAGENT:
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73ehp1/helpdata/en/48/c6f9627a004da5e10000000a421937/frameset.htm

OS utilities - DPMON / JSMON / JCMON

So for today, we will encounter a few similar tools for OS checking and administration of ABAP and Java part of SAP. Lets start with DPMON.
DPMON is "Dispatcher monitor" This tool is similar to transactions DSM50 or SM66 and it is used for monitoring and some basic task on your ABAP work processess. It is not much, but can be handy in case you are not able to access system via SAPGUI, but you do not want to shut it down (or you have closed ports or whatever).

DPMON is using menu structure with text screens, where you have to go through choices to get to desired function. You can see load statistic, queues or even kill WP.

This tool can be usually found in path:
usr\sap\<SID>\SYS\exe\run

and is used by command:
dpmon pf=<path_to_instance_profile>


When you need to check your Java stack, you have 2 tools now - JCMON and newer JSMON. Both tools are quite similar to DPMON. If you have AS Java older than 7.1 you will have only JCMON on your system.
Both can be found in path:
/usr/sap/<SID>/DVEBMGS<#no>/exe

and are ussualy started by commands:
jcmon pf=<path_to_instance_profile>
jsmon pf=<path_to_instance_profile>
(where <path_to_instance_profile> is path to your DVEBMGS<#no> profile)

Like DPMON, JCMON is using text screens and list for choice of next step / menu. But these menus are numbered with unique numbers, so if you know proper number, you can switch between menus, even if you cannot see number in list. (so you can type any time 20 to see process list)

JSMON is simmilar to JCMON, but it is using color version of "text screens" and instead of numbers, it is using internal commands (like process, display port or help command)

OS utilities - SAPCAR

From today, I'l be posting short stream of more or less short blogs about OS utilities useful in life of SAP administrator.
It's little know-how from one of my colleagues and little add-on from me and internet. But it can be useful.

First in line is SAPCAR.

SAPCAR utility is application for packing/compressing and unpacking of files. It's mainly used for SAP installation packages, but if you want, you can use it on other files to. SAPCAR has 90-95% compress ratio for text files and lover compress ratio for binary files (I did not find later one).
On unix/AIX/linux you will find this utility in directory:
 usr\sap\<SID>\SYS\exe\run
and you should call it with upper-case.On windows, search for sapcar.exe


usage:
SAPCAR -xvf "<filter_for_files_to_extract>" - to extract files
SAPCAR -cvf <name_of_archuve> <files_to pack> - to pack and compress files
SAPCAR -xvf <file> -R <path>  - to give path where to unpack files (relative or absolute)

used parameters explanation:

-x	- extract data
-c	- compress data
-v	- verbose
-f <FILE>	- use archive file FILE (default DEFAULT.SAR)
-R <dir>	- use dir instead of current directory/td>

Note:
because Java packages are compressed in .zip format, do not use SAPCAR on them. Just unzip them (7zip or Winzip).

If you would like to know more about this utility, there is one quite good link:
http://www.easymarketplace.de/SAPCAR.php#OnlineHelp

SAP Open academy ...

Some news could be short.
Did you know about #MOOC? That aberration means Massive Open On-line Course. (You can read more about therm on Wiki) and one of places where you can get them is Open SAP .
This page is managed by SAP company. It is quite good start point for some of SAP educations and you can bound your SAP ID with your Open SAP account if you want.
Disadvantages I found so far: courses are here only for some period and there are not much of them. But who knows what future holds ...

VNC - Virtual Network Computing - sometimes you need to use AIX tools ...

So it's here. After long time as dumb SAP admin, I was learned, there are parts of SAP hidden to my ignorant self. OK, I know how to access Java part of SAP, but I did not had time to dig what exactly is that tool I'm using. And ignorance is not blessing in this time ...

So some theory about VNC tool first.
"VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is a useful collaboration tool which creates an X-Windows desktop on AIX and then serves up the desktop as an HTTP web page. The X-Windows desktop can be shared, so that several users can share control of the mouse and keyboard and all users can see what other users are doing, making it very easy to see what command someone else was typing or quickly and conveniently show others what command to type."
(cite from IBM site)

 I borrowed that from IBM site, where you can learn more about VNC ... for SAP admin, who have help of OS admin is not necessary to know all the stuff. If you are not so lucky, you could read original page. For rest of us is this short guide.

VNC is composed from 3 parts:
- VNC server
- server you want to access
- client on your PC
VNC server can reside on target server ... but do not need to.

That was theory, now rest in praxis (and a few commands).

Use command which vncserver on desired server. if you found vnc server, you are 'lucky' else you need to access server in your landscape where vncserver is running (or install it thanks to link above).

Now you can start on server where VNCserver is:
vncserver - rfbport <number> - by this command you will start your VNC session. Since default port is 59<vncdisplay_#no>, this port can be blocked for remote access. So use any of allowed ports (perhaps SAP dispatcher ports can help). If you don't need to change ports, you can use vncserver command only.
there are other parameters, but usually you don't need them to often.
If you did not set password during start of your session, use also command vncpassword to set password (you will need that in last step).

Then go to server where you need to export display (or stay where you are) and export that display by command: export DISPLAY=<VNCserver_servername>:<vncdisplay_#no> for Bourn shell (or setenv DISPLAY <VNCserver_servername>:<vncdisplay_#no> on case of C shell).
As last thing use command xhost + to allow server accepting of commands from remote hosts. Than we are done on AIX side.

Now you have your server part ready, so you can access your server session remotely (and display graphical data or let someone else see what you are doing).
For that you need to have desktop client (like RealVNC or anything simmilar) installed. Then start your client, write <IP_of_VNCserver>:<vncserver_port_#no> , than provide password you set during previous steps and you should be in.

If its not working - check if you can access server vith VNCserver from your desktop (IP, ports, DNS translation, if you use that instead of IP).

Now you have your session remotely displayued in VNCviewer. You could share this view with anyone else or you could submit commands for displaying graphical programs and interfaces on your AIX/Unix. For that some time other.

All of above in short:
which vncserver - to check presence of VNCserver
vncserver - rfbport <number> - to start your VNCserver session
vncpassword - to set pwd for your VNCsession
setenv DISPLAY <VNCserver_servername>:<vncdisplay_#no> - to forward your display
xhost + - to allow commands through VNC
- start VNC client on desktop and do your work.

New year, new ...

... new what? :-) OK, dunno know. maybe its time to actually start thinking about "projects" I started and never finished. Like this one .... so let's see.