Remove or Uninstall ABAP Add-On

[Former Member]

Hi,

We have packaged an ABAP Add-On in one of our development systems and installed it on a test system using transaction SAINT. We now need to remove this Add-On from the test system to re-test deployment. Has anyone ever successufully removed an ABAP Add-On? Any help is very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Jason

[Former Member]

Ok, I think I have figured this out.

I was able to remove the Add-On by deleting it from the following database tables:

AVERS

AVERS_EXT

CVERS

CVERS_REF

After deleting the Add-On from those tables, it disappeared from the list of installed Add-Ons in SAINT. Then I was able to re-import the add-on. Manually deleting stuff from tables is never recommended so use this info at your own risk.

[Matt_Fraser]

Jason,

I realize this is now nearly six years later, but I'm curious if you encountered any issues in your system after you edited the tables you mention above.  Did this work for you?  I have a similar issue where an old add-on is installed in a DEV system that should have been deleted passively during a later upgrade, but for whatever reason it never went away and now it's "stuck" there.  It doesn't exist in our QAS or PRD systems, but because it still shows up in DEV modification adjustment transports get marked as requiring it and so are problematic to include in support package queues for downstream systems.  So, I'd really like to remove the add-on from DEV, or at least cause it to not show up as an installed component.

Thanks and best regards,

Matt

[morrison]

Jason's solution has  worked just fine,

We are at Netweaver 7.4 SP 5 and we are installing the BI_CONT addon. I have to say that it was such a nightmare but we finally did it. Thank you Jason.

Oscar Morrison.

[john_lewis5]

I'm also in the same situation - needing to delete an old add-on in our sandbox and development system.  We're currently at ECC 6, EhP5 if that helps.  Any new tables to delete from?

Thanks,

John

[Matt_Fraser]

Hi John,

Officially, there is usually no way to uninstall an add-on once it's installed (short of resorting to a backup taken before it's installed).  For a sandbox system, that's not usually a problem, as you just restore from backup or refresh from another system to recreate the environment, but I can see that this could be a problem for a development system if it's been a while and you can't afford to go back to an old backup.  Some add-ons have 'uninstall' packages available from SAP that you 'install' via SAINT and that process removes the original add-on.  Others can be 'passively' deleted during an upgrade.

If none of these apply to you, and you don't mind some risk and a completely unofficial process, you can have a look at thread http://scn.sap.com/thread/3198478 where I discuss how I ultimately solved my problem mentioned above.  Use at your own risk.  Not at all officially sanctioned.  But it worked for me.

--Matt

[Former Member]

Hi Matt,

We have installed one component on S,D,Q systems and we want to "uninstall" it.

It is 7.31 double-stack . What do you mean passive delete during upgrade ?

I know that manual deletion is not supported by SAP.

Thanks

Norbert

[Matt_Fraser]

Hi Norbert,

Passive deletion is an option for some add-on ABAP components during a release upgrade. Note, many components won't offer this option. An example of one that does is ST-A/PI (see Note 1083365): during the release upgrade, the upgrade tool asks how you would like to handle the upgrade of this particular add-on, and one option is to "delete" the add-on. This is typically only possible during an upgrade, however.

As Thorsten has indicated, some few components do have an uninstall option, which is done by downloading an 'uninstall' SAINT package and applying it as if you were installing it. Most components do not have this option, however.

For Sandbox and QAS systems, you could just overwrite them with a copy of production, but your DEV system is a problem. Overwriting is possible, but not recommended.

Probably you should open a Customer Incident with SAP support to see if they have a supported option.

Regards,

Matt

[john_lewis5]

I was able to use Jason's solution, and that worked. 

John

[MvW]

We were facing the same problem. During an EHP-Upgrade (5->6) an error message came up, that a certain Addon must be patched and cannot be kept via a vendor key.

By deleting the corresponding records in the tables named above, we were able to solve this problem.

[former_member367786]

Hello All,
we had a similar issue on a NW740 sp4 ERP installation, where we had Personas3 add-on installed earlier, but the pre-release version.
Later, we were encouraged to install the final (bugfixed) version, released in Aug, 2014.
However, the patched version had the same release numbering (3.00), so it was not possible to install the software on the same name and version, as it came from SMP (saint did not show the newly released add-on as an installable component).
After deleting the referred lines with debugging from tables

AVERS,

AVERS_EXT,

CVERS,

CVERS_REF,

CVERS_LAN

still could not install the addon.
Finally, found another reference in table

PAT03,

it was deleted, then I could install the addon.

Hope, it helps, best regards,

Zsolt

[Former Member]

This message was moderated.

[d028544]

Hello,

SAP strictly forbids the modification of those tables for specific Add-Ons or even essential software component. As you do not really delete those products from a SAP system. This will only partially remove meta information from a SAP sytem.  After the "reinstallation" the data and many other log files are still exists and may have some really inconvenient side effects in a SAP systems (inconsistent installation, incomplete database table conversion, problems regarding maintenance via notes and support packages, modifications cannot be reverted...) .

Additionaly it will be very difficult or even impossible to resolve upgrade or maintenance issues.

If you have any  issue regarding an installation of a SAP product, you should contact the corresponding SAP support. They will provide you the right solution.

Currently SAP only provides for a small subset of Add-Ons the deinstallation.

Thanks a lot for your understanding

with kind regards,

   Thorsten Scheyter  (Development support)

[former_member367786]

Dear Thorsten,

thanks for giving the alert.

It is definitely the right solution to apply an uninstallation package instead of table manipulation.

To make clear our case: we have a sandbox/proof of concept system where we applied a pre-release addon following SAP advice for download and install, then as we had troubles with the software SAP provided a bugfixed version of the software with the same version number as before and adviced to install the new one. As it is not possible to install the same software with the same version (even if it is different on code level) and an uninstall package was not available SAP adviced to follow this 'unofficial' way of addon 'uninstallation' as described in this SCN track, however, the risk was mentioned, as well.

Best regards,

Zsolt

[d028544]

Hello Zsolt,

a customer can do what he wants in a testing environment. However SAP and our customer had some severe problems because of such table changes. So you should not do it and ask SAP for advices in case of problems during an upgrade in a productive environment.

Thanks a lot for your understanding,

[Former Member]

Dear Thorsten,

can I prepare a system without some add-ons and fulfilled than remote client copy with profile SAP_RMPA? Of course missing tables are to be added in "Expert settings" beforehand.

in such case I would like to get a test system from a development system but without some add-ons.

Best regards, Evgeniy

[d028544]

Hello Evgeniy,

of course you can prepare a test system and do a remote client copy. But you should be aware that the data might be inconsistent afterwards if the source system and target system deviates. The installation, deinstallation (if possible) and even transports can leave little changes in the above mentioned tables and if a trace/log is incomplete the installation of SAP notes, Support packages and upgrades may result in errors.

Therefore the only valid and recommended path is to provide a copy of the system or use the official tools.

best regards,

  Thorsten

[Former Member]

Hello Thorsten,

thank you very much for your complete explanation.

I'll follow them.

best regards, Evgeniy

[johnny999]

We are running into the same issue with an outdate SAINT.

I am surprised with Thorsten's comment that doesn't help anyone. To be honest, it is a stupid idea to force third party vendor to provide ACP as they may not even exist. Then it becomes a stupid idea from SAP to even allow third party vendor to provide SAINT package when SAP cannot govern them.

End of the day ... the customers are suffering and SAP has no resolution???

[anne-petteroe]

Hello,

While we're happy that you've come to SAP Community to get an answer to your question, you posted your question as an answer in an old thread. Posting in older threads is not the best way to get guidance.

If you're looking for help, you should ask a new question: https://answers.sap.com/questions/ask.html.Kind regards,
Anne

[patelyogesh]

Hello Jason,

Please look in to SAP note  2011192 - Uninstalling ABAP add-ons

Regards

Yogesh

[d028544]

With the new SAP Add-On Assembly Kit (if you have licence), you can develop own uninstallable Add-Ons.

best regards,

  Thorsten Scheyter (SAP Development Support)

[kammaje_cis]

Here is the answer if someone is still looking for.

In the extended attributes, mention the new Attribute.

Once this is done, in the SAINT transaction, there will be a tab which will allow you to Deinstall the Component. (SPAM level 0057 at least).

If you have already created the package (or delivered to the client), then you have to create a ACP (Attribute change package) and install this into the system where the component is installed. After that your component will become Deinstallable. (Not uninstallable . SAP's terminology).