Official Support from SAP on Support package levels

[Former Member]

I have NW7 Dual stack system. Currently at SP10

Looking for an "official Policy" on supported SP levels from SAP, if it exists already. Please help me by providing a link that information or a document if it exists.

We are working on an ongoing infrastructure support policy for this installation.

Thanks in advance.

Vasu

[prashb · Accepted solution]

Srinivas,

SAP wants you install new Support Package Stacks regularly to prevent problems that have already been corrected, from recurring in your SAP solution. For more information about SAP's Release Strategy, see SAP Service Marketplace at service.sap.com/releasestrategy.

Also for supported SP levels, you can check the following notes:

Note 849887 - SAP ERP 6.0: Support Package Stacks Release and Info Note

Note 879289 - Support Package Stack Guide - SAP NetWeaver 7.0

The Support Package Stack Guide to SAP NetWeaver 7.0 will be available as of SP Stack 05 by the scheduled release date at http://service.sap.com/maintenanceNW70.

Regards

prashanth

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thank you Prashanth.

Agreed to each of your points.

However, For an example scenario, if business chooses not to implement latest Support Packs (or stacks), (e.g. if they don't necessarily solve any relevant problems). Now some time passes, 1,2 or 3 yrs or more.

Finally, when we call for support to SAP, is there a time frame that SAP support will continue to support the current patch levels.

So, I'm looking for something like a End of Support Life for a given Patch level.

e.g. What is the last date the SAP support will officially support SP10 on my current infrastructure.. When we call for support there should not be a response saying, "your patch level is too old and is not officially supported".

For rest of our infrastructure, we have the official time frames, ranging from 2 yrs to 5 yrs from various vendors. And each of the revisions/patch levels have a fixed date on how long they will be supported.

Thank you for reading through.

Srinivas.

[markus_doehr2 · Accepted solution]

You can run a certain level of support packages as long as you can live with the "deficiencies" resulting out of that. You can run on the initial installed level if you can deal with the fact, that you will need to apply a LOT of notes in case you run into an error (because of dependent notes because of the low support package level).

There may also be cases where it´s impossible to provide a correction by note (e. g. table changes) and where corrections can only be delivered by support packages.

Last but not least the law may force you to install a certain level (e. g. fiscal year change) to get the newest (and correct) data out of the system for all kinds of changes that may be necessary to comply the law.

Basically you can leave your system on a certain support package as long as you wish but it may become difficult or even impossible to give you a solution if more than an ABAP code correction is necessary.

This is especially true on dual stack systems where a change in the portal may force you to upgrade your complete backend to a certain level because there the ABAP + Java stack must be in sync --> one of the reasons why we totally avoid dual stack installations.

Markus

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Markus,

Very Good, thank you. This is exactly the direction I was looking for.

Please add to or correct my statement here as you see fit.

"SAP will continue to support the base install, there is no official end of Support date for a given Support Pack level. There exist end of life for Releases.

However, given long enough duration on a base install, solutions to problems become increasingly difficult due to the requirements for a given SAP NOTE and underlying corrections."

For an actively changing (development/enhancements in progress) SAP installation, from Basis perspective, it is in the interest of business to keep up with the SP stacks, (depending on strategy, N-1, N-2 ... etc) periodically.

Would you good folks support above statements?

Thank you

[prashb · Accepted solution]

Hi Srinivas,

You are 100% right !!!, very good point. Also It will be very difficult to apply large number of support packs, if you didn't update regularly. Since for future upgrade you need system to be at a specific SP level.

Regards

Prashanth

Edited by: Prashanth Bidare on Jun 26, 2008 8:50 AM

[markus_doehr2 · Accepted solution]

> However, given long enough duration on a base install, solutions to problems become increasingly difficult due to the requirements for a given SAP NOTE and underlying corrections."

I would say

"...become increasingly difficult up to impossible due to the requirements for a given SAP NOTE and underlying corrections...."

Markus