Starting and Stopping the SAP System

SAP systems comprise three layers:

• the operating system layer
• database layer, and
• application layer

The individual layers build on one another in this sequence.

As a result, the individual components must be started in exactly the same sequence
because each layer can only run if the underlying layer is active.

The operating system layer provides a basis for the database and application layers,
and it runs on a server. The database and SAP system are installed on this server,
or, if necessary, the database and application can also be operated on two separate
servers. The server and operating system must be running for you to start the
database and application. The operating system manages the hardware resources
of the physical server, and makes it available to the running applications.

All SAP system data are stored in the database. This includes the application data
(such as POs, invoices, and so on) generated by daily transactions, as well as the
system settings (Customizing) and the source code of programs. functions modules,
and so on. The database must be active if you want to start an SAP application
because this is the only way to ensure that the application can access the data.
You can only start the SAP application itself if the operating system and database
are already running. While it is running, the application accesses the information
stored in the database.

To stop an SAP system, it is necessary to repeat the same steps in exactly the reverse
order. You stop the SAP system before stopping the database. The operating system
and the physical server can then be shut down.
Steps to Follow When Stopping the System
If you stop the database without stopping the SAP system first, the application can't
save buffered data that hasn't yet been stored. In this case, data loss is inevitable. The
same applies if you shut down the operating system or physical server without closing
the SAP system and database properly. The application and database buffers cannot be
emptied, and the buffered data cannot be saved.

Starting the SAP System

Follow these steps to start the SAP system:

1. Start the server and the operating system. Check the operating system log to determine
whether the start has been successful.
2. Start the database. Check the database log to determine whether the start has been
successful.

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Starting the Database
This step is optional because the database is started first automatically by the start script
when you start the SAP system. However, if you start the database manually, you can
check the database log before starting the SAP system.

3. Start the SAP system. If you have a Microsoft Windows operating system, use
the SAP Management Console. In the taskbar, choose START • PROGRAMS • SAP
MANAGEMENT CONSOLE.

Starting Without the SAP Management Console

The SAP Management Console is only installed at the Microsoft operating system level. If
you use a different operating system, open a shell and use the startsap console command
to start the SAP system. This also works with the Microsoft command prompt.

4. Right-dick on the system ID of the system you want to start (for example,
NSP).

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5. Enter a start timeout in the dialog box that opens. If you're only running a single
instance, simply click OK to confirm.

Start Timeout
A start timeout is only relevant if you're running other system instances alongside the
central instance. The central instance must be running before you can start the other
instances.
Entering a start timeout value indicates how many seconds the system should wait before
starting the other instances. The value is based on the length of time it takes to start
your central instance, based on past experience.

6. Another dialog box opens, in which you must enter your password to gain
authentication as an administrator. Only administrators are authorized to start
and stop an SAP system.

7. If the database has not already been started, it is started now automatically, followed
by the SAP system. In the SAP Management Console, the status is initially
yellow, which changes to green after a successful start.

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Patience Is a Virtue
It may take several minutes to start an SAP instance. Patience really is an essential
characteristic of good system administrators. You need to wait and remain calm if it
takes longer than expected.
A red traffic-light icon will alert you to the occurrence of errors. As long as you don't
see any red traffic lights, simply give the system the time it needs.

8. The system has started. To check whether the SAP system is running. log on to
the system with the SAP GUI. You know that the system has been started correctly
if the logon screen appears.

Checking the Start Logs

If problems occur when starting the system, you need to check the start logs. You'll find
these logs at the operating system level in the directory
/usr/sap/<SID>I<Instance>lwork.

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Check for error messages in the following files:
~ sapstart.log
~ sapstartsrv.log
~ dev_disp
~ dev_ms
~ dev_wO

Eliminate the error , and restart the system.

9. Log on, and check the system log (Transaction SM21) to determine whether any
errors occurred at startup

Checking the System Log After Startup

You should wait for a minute or so after starting the SAP system. This makes it easier
to read the system log. Several log entries may still be in the process of being written
to the log during the start phase. If you wait, you won't need to refresh the system log
view several times to display all of these.

Stopping the SAP System

There are several reasons why you may need to stop or restart the SAP system:
➔An unplanned hardware or software failure
➔Planned hardware or software maintenance
➔Changes to profile parameters that cannot be switched dynamically
➔A planned complete backup of the server
If you need to stop the SAP system, it is essential that you do so in consultation
with your end users. Stopping the system at your own discretion and without any
prior warning is very likely to infuriate users because all unsaved data are lost.

Preparing for a System Stop

Before you stop the system, you must perform checks and take precautions to ensure
that system activities have ceased at the time of the system stop.

Checking System Activities Before Stopping the System

For certain activities, such as large posting jobs, you may find that some t ransactions have
already been posted, while others have not. A subsequent restore may be problematic
in such cases.

Follow these steps before a system shutdown:

➔Coordinate the system shutdown with all departments affected. If a group of
users has already scheduled an activity for the period during which you want
to shut the system down, and the activity is dependent on a live SAP system,
you may have to postpone your system stop and give a higher priority to the
needs of these users.
➔ Create a system message (Transaction SM02) to inform all users of the planned
system stop.
➔ Before you stop the system, make sure that no users are still logged on or active
in the system (Transaction SM04 or AL08) .
➔ In Transaction SM37 , check whether any jobs are active or have been scheduled for
the time during which the system stop is to take place.

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 Reschedule all jobs, or cancel the jobs that are due to either run or be started
during the planned system stop .
➔ Check whether any active processes are still running (Transaction SM50 or
SM51).
➔ Use Transaction SMGW to search for any active RFC connections, which may
indicate interfaces that are currently running.

Use the checklist shown in Table below as preparation for stopping the system.

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In the event of an emergency, or if the system stop has priority over all other
requirements (for example, if you have a file system overflow, log storage overflow,
device failure, and so on), the system must be s topped immediately. In such cases,
end users are forced by circumstances to adapt. However, you should still try to
work through the checklist.

Stopping the SAP System

You should not stop the SAP system until you've completed all necessary checks
and are certain that all system activi ties have ceased.
To stop the SAP system, follow these steps:
1. First, stop the SAP system. If you have a Microsoft Windows operating system,
use the SAP Management Console. In the taskbar, choose START • PROGRAMS • SAP
MANAGEMENT CONSOLE.

2. You can choose to stop the SAP system only or to stop both the SAP system
and the database. To stop the SAP system only, right-click on the name of the
instance you want to stop (for example, SAP 0), and choose STOP.

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Stopping the Database
In contrast to the start process, the database can be stopped separately. This might be to
your advantage, because it's not always essential to stop the database in addition to the
SAP system (for example, when changing profile parameters). It is must faster to restart
the SAP system alone than to restart both the system and the database.

3. To stop the database as well as the SAP system, right-click on the system !D (for
example, NSP), and choose STOP.

Stopping without using the SAP Management Console

If you don't use a Microsoft operating system and therefore have no access to the SAP
Management Console, you must stop the SAP system using the console. Open a shell
or the command prompt, and enter the stopsap r3 console command. To stop the SAP
system and the database, execute the stopsap or stopsap all command.

4. Select the shutdown type in the dialog box that opens.

➔HARD (SIGINT):
The SAP system is shut down immediately .
➔SOFT WITH TIMEOUT (SIGQUIT/SIGINi):
The system first attempts a soft shutdown.
If the specified period elapses without a successful shutdown of the
SAP system, a hard shutdown is executed instead .
➔SOFT WITHOUT TIMEOUT (SIGQUIT):
When the system is shutting down, a core dump is generated first.
In other words, the current status of the application is written to a log file,
which can be used for subsequent troubleshooting.

Choose OK to continue.

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5. A dialog box opens, in which you are required to enter your password to gain
authentication as an administrator. The SAP system may only be shut down by
administrators.

6. Next, the database is stopped, followed by the SAP system or, alternatively. only
the SAP system is stopped, depending on which selection you have made. The
status changes from green to gray in the SAP Management Console.

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You have now stopped the SAP system or both the database and SAP system. If you
have stopped the SAP system only in order to allow changes to profile parameters
to become effective, you can now restart the system immediately.
If you have stopped both the SAP system and the database, you can now stop the
operating system if necessary and shut down the physical server.

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