Patching Java instances with hotfixes using MOPZ - downgrade?

[Former Member]

If hotfixes for a certain part of the J2EE engines are installed and MOPZ is used to get a new support package, it takes only the core patches without the hotfixes.

E. g. if BI_REPLAN SP14 + Hotfix 3 is installed MOPZ will pick BI_REPLAN SP15 Hotfix 0. This leads to a warning in JSMP that I´m "downgrading" an application.

As far as I understood those "hotfixes" they are like (example)

COMPONENT SP14 Hotfix 3 is equal

COMPONENT SP15 Hotfix 2 is equal

COMPONENT SP16 without hotfix

Since the application in the SMP does not enable me to manually pick the .scas with the latest hotfixes and I can´t manually download them since they are not in the necessary JSPM-.xml file what´s the procedure here? Can I safely assume that all applications can be "downgraded" without harming the system?

Why is MOPZ not picking up the latest ones?

Markus

[markus_doehr2]

No solution available.

Maybe I should write a blog about

"How to increase your TCO using Maintenance Optimizer"

Markus

[Valdecir]

Hi Markus Döhr

When you use MOPZ, the transaction normally directs you to the Support Package Stack page for downloading the packages contained on a stack.

The hot fixes are not contained in a stack. They are urgent fixes created to solve urgent problems until the next stack is not available.

In my experience, you should always stay at the most current stack. If you have problems, then the second option is to go to last available support package and when you still have problems, then the hot fix is the option.

In your case, I think it is not recommended to downgrade. I think it is the case to find out the next support package available ( after the hot fix ).

If you need to download a fix, you still can do this going to SAP Service Marketplace, find the hot fix package and put it in your download basket manually. Then, in order to approve the download, you will need to go through MOPZ ( this time it will show you the current download basket with the fix already there and you will be able to download it ).

In a last option, you can open an OSS message requesting the file for the hot fix. SAP will give you an URL where you can download it whithout passing through MOPZ.

Regards,

Valdecir

[markus_doehr2]

> In your case, I think it is not recommended to downgrade. I think it is the case to find out the next support package available ( after the hot fix ).

Well - if would do like this we would still be on SP12 and not, as recommended, on SP15.

> If you need to download a fix, you still can do this going to SAP Service Marketplace, find the hot fix package and put it in your download basket manually. Then, in order to approve the download, you will need to go through MOPZ ( this time it will show you the current download basket with the fix already there and you will be able to download it ).

Yes - the problem is, I can't integrate that fix into the stack - and it's not always possible to wait until a stack fixes the problem "by default".

> In a last option, you can open an OSS message requesting the file for the hot fix. SAP will give you an URL where you can download it whithout passing through MOPZ.

MOPZ is not the problem, the problem is, that those hotfixes which are available in the normal download area are not taken from MOPZ. I'm not talking about hotfixes as attachment to notes, however, the problem is the same there.

If MOPZ is "the tool to manage" deltas then it should do appropriately and not just "half"

Markus

[Valdecir]

Hi Markus

I fully agree with you. I think MOPZ is still in development and some of the fucntionalities are not still fully in place, unfortunately.

Regards,

Valdecir

[markus_doehr2]

The problem is: how to deal with that? If you have two dozen instances to maintain you can't just create an OSS call each time and ask for a solution.

I created an OSS call for this topic - let's see what they will tell me.

Markus

[markus_doehr2]

Follow up: I got a reply from the support saying:

""You could safely ignore the warning only and only if you are sure the

fixes included in LM-SERVICES SP12 P5 (in your case) has little impact

on your system.""

So - how can I decide whether this is the case - or not?

Markus