Troubleshooting - Distribution of Maintenance Certificates

1) Some of my systems are not automatically supplied with maintenance certificates. What is the reason for this?

Answer:
Check and ensure the following points apply in the SAP Solution Manager system:

• The system data is current. The system number (18 digits) is set for the system in the system landscape (TA SMSY, select the system, choose the "System Data in SAP Support Portal" tab).

• The job REFRESH_ADMIN_DATA_FROM_SUPPORT in the Solution Manager runs daily. The log does not deliver any errors with regard to license data requests.

• You can use the report RAGS_MK_DISPLAY_FILE to check if the Solution Manager contains a license file for the system. The field SWPRODUCTNAME=Maintenance_### declares a maintenance certificate in this file.

• The application log (TA SLG1) does not deliver any error for the object = SOLAR, subobject = AGS_MAINT_KEY.

• For ST 400 Support Package 16 - 17: Automatic distribution is activated.
  Check the status and activate it by choosing the following path in the Implementation Guide (IMG): SAP Reference IMG -> SAP Solution Manager -> Configuration -> Scenario-Specific Settings -> Change Management -> Node text not found  -> Activate Automatic License Data Distribution.

Check and ensure the following points apply in the managed system (satellite system) that should contain the maintenance certificate:

• At least the following software component ST-PI is installed in the system.
  SAP Basis 700: ST-PI 2005_1_700 Support Package 06
  SAP Basis 710: ST-PI 2005_1_710 Support Package 04

• IMPORTANT:

• Transaction SDCCN is activated.

• The "Maintenance Package" task in transaction SDCCN is scheduled daily and the log does not deliver any error concerning the retrieval or installation of the license file in SLICENSE. Check if the settings in transaction SDCCN of the managed system are correct. Choose "Goto -> Settings -> Task-specific". On the screen displayed, choose "Maintenance -> Settings" and the "License Data" tab. The "Repeat every" value determines whether the license management in the "Maintenance Package" task or in the "Get License Data" task (as of ST-PI 2008) is actually carried out. Set the value to "1" -> "day(s)" (once a day). If the "Get License Data" tab page is no longer available, the system carries out the license management in the "Maintenance Package" task" each time the task is run.

• You MUST make sure that the task "Refresh Sessions" is descheduled. This can prevent the retrieval process in the "Maintenance Package" task. The logic of the refresh session is executed implicitly in the maintenance package.

                    Note the following: When you have descheduled the "Refresh Sessions" task, it takes 24 hours until the maintenance certificates can be transferred successfully using the "Maintenance Package" task.

• The RFC connection SM_<SID>CLNT<CLIENT>_BACK is available and is working (you can test this in transaction SM59). It has also been specified in transaction SDCCN (choose Goto -> Settings -> Task-specific -> RFC destinations -> Settings).

2) The maintenance certificate for a system is displayed in the SAP Support Portal.
In the system, transaction SPAM or SAINT issues the following warning message: "No valid maintenance certificate found for system XXX."
In the system in transaction SLICENSE -> "New Licenses", the maintenance certificate (Maintenance_<DB>) is not displayed:

Answer:
Automatic distribution of the maintenance certificate can take several days as the retrieval and installation is executed in each case by daily jobs or daily tasks.

The maintenance certificate is requested by the SAP Solution Manager using the job REFRESH_ADMIN_DATA_FROM_SUPPORT. It is visible in the SAP Support Portal once it has been successfully generated.

During the next execution of the job REFRESH_ADMIN_DATA_FROM_SUPPORT the maintenance certificate generated is retrieved from the SAP Support Portal and is saved locally in SAP Solution Manager.

In the managed system, during the next execution of the "Maintenance Package" task the maintenance certificate available in SAP Solution Manager is retrieved and installed in the managed system.

In the system in transaction SLICENSE -> "New Licenses", the maintenance certificate (Maintenance_<DB>) is now displayed:
Transaction SPAM or SAINT no longer issue any warning message.

It may not be possible to install maintenance certificates automatically in transaction SLICENSE because the buffer is allocated to small. To solve he problem, you can set the following profile parameter to a higher value:

slic/buffer_entries_dig_sig

The benchmark is 15. You must then restart the system.

 

3) Why is the product license for the relevant system not delivered for some license files?

Answer:
The system delivers "new" digitally-signed product licenses only with the maintenance certificates in the file. An old license is probably still valid in the system data. This is correct and can be retained.



4) What do I have to consider with regard to the license and maintenance certificate after a system copy?

Answer:
SAP must create the new system under an installation and license it. When the new license is implemented, the system automatically assigns and sets a new system number (18 digits). You must also change this in the Solution Manager in the system landscape (transaction SMSY) for the relevant system. The automatic distribution process now also requests maintenance certificates for this system in future.

If there are problems, compare the system number of the system from SLICENSE with the number from SMSY and the number for the system data for SAP. If the system numbers are different, generally the system number for the system data is correct. In this case, delete the incorrect system number from SLICENSE in the system and install the correct one. Download www.service.sap.com/licensekey.


5) There are several identical system IDs under an installation in different system roles. The systems automatically receive no maintenance certificate. What is the reason for this?

Answer:
Check if the system number is set for the systems in the system landscape (TA SMSY, select the system, choose the "System Data in SAP Support Portal" tab). The system number cannot automatically be assigned in this case, as unique referencing is not possible. Maintenance certificates cannot be requested without a system number.

6) The maintenance certificate was uploaded manually in a system. However, transaction SPAM or SAINT still issue the following warning: "No valid maintenance certificate found for system XXX." In the system, the maintenance certificate (Maintenance_<DB>) is displayed in transaction SLICENSE -> "New Licenses".

Answer:
Check whether the hardware key of the maintenance certificate matches the
hardware key of the system.

7. In the work center license management (Support Package 18 to 19), partially incorrect license data is displayed in the detail view. What is the reason for this?

Answer:
The error can occur if one system ID is used several times for different systems. Implement Note 1307034 to correct the problem.

8. Due to previous errors during the license generation, there is old license data in the SAP Solution Manager system. The errors are visible in the report RAGS_MK_DISPLAY_FILE. How can I update the data in the SAP Solution Manager system?

Answer:
The SAP Solution Manager system does not execute a query in the SAP Support Portal each time the job REFRESH_ADMIN_DATA_FROM_SUPPORT is run; instead, it keeps note of the time when the job was last run. However, this is not ideal in the case of this error. Delete the contents of the tables AGS_MAINT_KEYS and AGS_MK_LIC_EXP. The tables are filled again the next time you execute REFRESH_ADMIN_DATA_FROM_SUPPORT.

Proceed as follows:

• Call transaction SE14.

• Enter the table name in the "Object name" field.

• Choose "Edit".

• Select the radio button "Delete data" to the right of the pushbutton "Activate and adjust database".

• Choose "Activate and adjust database".

Execute the job REFRESH_ADMIN_DATA_FROM_SUPPORT again. The license data in the SAP Solution Manager system should then correspond to the data in the SAP Support Portal.


9. I have log entries for license management in transaction SDCCN in my managed system. What do they mean?

The log entry is as follows:

1.) Fetching license data completed from destination <RFC connection> [maintenance package]
> function module SLIC_LIKEY_INSTALL_LICENSE not existing, skip task
Fetching license data started from destination <RFC connection> [maintenance package]

The entry is for information purposes and does not require any further steps. License management is supported only as of Basis Release 7.00. The function module SLIC_LIKEY_INSTALL_LICENSE is only available there. The license management part in the maintenance package task notices this, and terminates further processing.

2.) No active master Solution Manager destination maintained (Maintain SDCC)
Getting license data not possible (Maintain SDCC)

SDCCN requires a unique master SAP Solution Manager to be retrieved from the data. In transaction SDCCN, specify the master Solution Manager. Choose Goto -> Settings -> Task-specific -> RFC destinations -> Settings. Maintain the master SAP Solution Manager from which the license data is retrieved by setting the master indicator when in change mode. Note the following: There should be only one master SAP Solution Manager.

10. New license data and maintenance certificate data is replaced by older data in managed system.

At one time, there was an error in the SAP license generation.  As a result, parts of expired maintenance certificates were displayed in the license file.  The enhanced source code in Note 1312413 (that is implemented in the managed system) checks every license part in detail for system ID (SID), installation number, system number, and validity date to ensure that invalid license parts are not implemented.

11. Other known causes of errors
This is a compilation of known Customizing errors.
Eliminate the following errors:

Support Portal:
You have requested license data for an incorrect hardware key.

SAP Solution Manager system:
The system data is not maintained correctly in landscape maintenance (transaction SMSY), for example, there is an incorrect installation number or system number in the managed system. This occurs as a result of system copies.

Managed system:
The data in the managed system is incorrect or incompletely maintained, for example, there is no system number or installation number, or these numbers do not correspond to the data in the Support Portal or in system landscape maintenance in the SAP Solution Manager.

The hardware key in transaction SLICENSE does not correspond to the hardware key requested in the Support Portal.

12. In the system overview, the traffic lights do not reflect the license status of the managed system.

The validity status for the licenses/maintenance certificates in the managed system is read using the background job LANDSCAPE FETCH (program RSGET_SMSY). If this data is missing, check whether the job is scheduled daily and whether the user has all authorizations in the RFC connection SM_<SID>CLNT<Client>_READ that he/she is using.
Among other things, check whether the user has the authorization to call the function group "SUNI".

12. In the SAP Solution Manager system, the short dump CALL_FUNCTION_NOT_FOUND occurs because the function module AGS_MK_SET_INSTALL_STATUS is called; this function module does not exist.

In the next SAP Solution Manager release, this function module is used to write the installation status back. You imported an ST-PI 2008_1_xxx Support Package 01 into the calling system. Since the short dump of the RFC call is caught, no termination occurs in the managed system.