Automatic Release of Network Header when Activities are released

[Former Member]

Hello SAP experts!

We have an issue where the automatic release of the Network Header once all Activities below it are released is also causing new additional Activities to be automatically released. We were expecting it to behave like WBS Elements where even with the release of all child WBS would only result in the parent WBS to having a PREL status. 

I found a very old SAP Note (41712) that exactly describes our issue and provides the expected solution. However the correction instruction of the SAP Note is blank.

Why was the correction by this note removed? If we cannot implement the correction, then is there any documentation that would explain the current behavior in the system?

Thanks and regards,

Ramon

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Ramon,

You can achieve this by user status as said by Paulo.

For this you need to create user status for network as below:

by this way it allows to release the network activity and stop the network header to release.

When trying to release the single Network Activity, we get the 'User status NORL is active (NTW 4000142)' error message.

In above case or in case of single activity the workaround is you need to add a dummy activity before releasing the activity or another way to achieve this you need to create a next step in user status and set the status on network.

as below :

hope this could help you.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Manish,

I wanted to test this, but 'Release Operation' is not an available business transaction in OK02. I have already checked in BS32 and the StA and UsrSt checkboxes for business transaction RMAF Release Operation are already ticked.

But if the system will still try to release the Network Header, I'd imagine I'll still hit the error message 'User status NORL is active (NTW 4000142)'.

Thanks and regards,

Ramon

[Paulo_Vitoriano · Accepted solution]

Hi Ramon,

That is because Manish has the profile also enabled for NWA, so that is why Release Operation is there.

Try another idea, - initial user status of NWA to prevent Release... So, it will not auto-release even if Header is Released.

Regards,

Paulo

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ramon,

I wanted to test this, but 'Release Operation' is not an available business transaction in OK02.

"release operation' is availabe in OK02 you have to create status profile for network and select object type as below ;

after selecting object type as above , the release operation shown by system in business transaction list.

there is no need to go for BS32 transaction .

by making status profile you can control network header and activity release.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thank you Paulo and Manish, but I have tested the one with the Release Operation, unfortunately the results is the same. Setting Release as Forbidden only results in an error message when trying to release the NW / NWA.

What we need is a way to force the system to set PREL status to the NW instead of releasing it once all NWA are released.

[Paulo_Vitoriano · Accepted solution]

Hi Ramon,

I published an article, please have a look in above section.  My testing worked out with positive results.

Regards,

Paulo

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Paulo,

So you've stopped the release of the additional NWA instead of directly stopping the release of their parent NW. It's very creative,  a bit inconvenient that the error message pops up and that we need to remove the user status for the first NWA.

I was thinking of setting up the user exit to be deleted when it is finally released, but I guess it's conflicting with the Release Operation for the first release.

Thank you very much for this.

Regards,

Ramon

[Paulo_Vitoriano]

Hi Ramon,

Cannot comment on OSS notes, but it should be possible to fix with a User Status for the Network header.

Regards,

Paulo

[Former Member]

Hello Paulo,

Can you elaborate on that?

I have used User Status to prevent release if there are no budget as advised in another post, but to force PREL status instead of REL for the Network Header? How would I configure the User Status to do that?

Thanks and regards,

Ramon

[Paulo_Vitoriano]

Hi Ramon,

Enable the profile for Network header only.  Something like this, - have not tested myself

Regards,

Paulo

[Former Member]

Hello Paulo,

Thank you for the suggestion, but this set up prevents us from releasing the Network Activity if all Activities are released.

We need a way to set PREL status instead of REL for the Network Header. This way we can add new Network Activities without it being automatically released because it's Network Header was unintentionally released.

Regards,

Ramon

[Paulo_Vitoriano]

Hello Ramon,

Please do not confuse between Network Header and Netwrk Activity.  This status is for the header only.  It can be unflagged at any time having no sequence number.  Have you really tested the same?

Thanks,

Paulo

[Former Member]

Hello Paulo,

Yes, I have tested it. The User Status only valid for Network Header, initial status and Release is forbidden.

When trying to release the single Network Activity, we get the 'User status NORL is active (NTW 4000142)' error message.

Thanks and regards,

Ramon

[Paulo_Vitoriano]

Hello Ramon,

Yes, there is an issue.  System tries to Release Network Header when all NWA are Released, so for multiple NWA it can work until you try to Release the last NWA.  The ugly solution can be having a technical NWA that you never Release, but at your place I would open a message with SAP. Reference note 41712.

Regards,

Paulo

[Former Member]

Hello Paulo,

I've already raised it with SAP, they've said that it was "standard SAP behavior" even though they can't provide the documentation stating that it was. Our only form of documentation on the subject is that old SAP note 41712 which says it's an issue.

Our users opted to just create new Networks for those new Activities, but you can imagine that this is not a good practice and they expected a more permanent solution.

Thanks and regards,

Ramon