ABAP Cloud - Checklist for Implementation
What do you actually have to consider when implement ABAP Cloud into your S/4 HANA system? Here is a small checklist.
Table of contents
In this article, we will look at the prerequisites you need for ABAP Cloud. We will also look at the authorizations and tools that we will need as developers on the system in the future.
Introduction
ABAP Cloud is the development model of the future and combines the current concepts of the modern ABAP language. Not all of ABAP's options and language elements are supported, which makes the language and code slimmer. However, before you can start developing, you should prepare and configure the system. We'll take a closer look at the different aspects of the objects and configurations in the next sections.
Prerequisite
In order to be able to introduce ABAP Cloud into your system, you need at least an S/4 HANA 2022 release on your system. Without this release, no software components (SWC) can be used and thus the 3-TIER model. You can already create your first objects with the language version "ABAP for Cloud Development" before this release, create, but is only recommended to a limited extent and does not work for all object types.
Authorizations
So that you and your colleagues can work in the system with ABAP Cloud, you need authorizations. Two objects or characteristics are currently important.
S_CTS_ADMI
The authorization object S_CTS_ADMI is required to create software components. For this, the field CTS_ADMFCT with the characteristic "SYSC" is needed.
S_ABPLNGVS
The ABAP language version is required to create objects in the new language version "ABAP for Cloud Development". However, you can also use it to control whether developers are still allowed to develop in the classic way or can only create objects for ABAP Cloud. Makes sense especially if only a small number of developers in the company are authorized to create TIER 2 and 3 objects.
The following versions are currently available for the ABP_LNG_VS field:
- 0 - Standard ABAP
- 2 - Keyuser
- 5 - ABAP for Cloud Development
S_OM_MREQ
The authorization object is required in order to be able to check the sent emails in the email app. Here it is sufficient to set the activity (ACTVT) to 03. If you do not have any authorizations, the app remains empty and no emails are displayed.
Model
After the requirements and authorizations are in place in the system, we can create the 3-TIER model and the corresponding packages.
Software components
You can create software components in the system using the report RSMAINTAIN_SWCOMPONENTS. We then recommend that you create the corresponding structure packages of the same name in the system. Another recommendation is that the size of the software components is not too large; to become, similar to the SWC in the ABAP environment.
Re-structuring
If you would like to have an overview of the developments in the ABAP Cloud environment for the future, we recommend that you subordinate the TIER-3 packages to a TIER-3 structure package so that in the end we get a simple overview of TIER-3 and can see our technical debt at a glance. You can find the relevant information in the TDEVC table:
We recommend the following selection:
- DEVCLASS - Here on Z* if you are working in the Z namespace in order to delimit all customer-specific packages.
- PARENTCL - Filter to "Empty" because we want to have all the top packages in the hierarchy, which we then want to subordinate to our TIER-3 package.
- PDEVCLASS - Current transport rail of the system. This restriction makes sense especially if you also have objects from other systems that you cannot transport normally.
- DLVUNIT - Before ABAP Cloud, all in-house developments were in the SWC "HOME" created in the system, we can ignore other components here.
We would now assign all unassigned packages to our new parent package (for example ZCA_TIER3), so that we have an overview of the open objects in TIER-3 and can roughly estimate the migration effort at any time.
Configuration
Not all functions are active in the system by default, for example in an ABAP environment in the BTP. You can find the various services to be configured here.
Sending e-mails via the new ABAP Cloud Framework must first be configured in the on-premise system using the transaction SBCS_MAIL_CONFIGSMTP. It is important for the report to set the settings as default.
To check, you can look in the BCS_MSG_SMTPCONF table; there should be a corresponding default entry here.
bgPF
For background processing using the "Background Processing Framework", the RFC destination must be maintained in the system. The configuration can be carried out using the SBGRFCCONF transaction. To do this, check whether the standard connection "BGPF" has been created in the "Define Inbound Destination" tab.
In an S/4 HANA 2022, there is a good chance that the connection has not yet been created. From S/4 HANA 2023, the connection should be delivered as standard.
Development environment
ABAP Cloud relies on the ABAP Development Tools, or ADT for short, for developing applications, components and extensions in the system. From this point on, you should familiarize yourself with the functions of the (new) development environment, otherwise you will not be able to use many of the new objects and functions. There may be differences with some functions if you create them in SE80 or try to work with them via the ADTs.
This also includes providing the infrastructure for using the ABAP development tools in Eclipse, as well as activating the corresponding services, ports and authorizations in the systems.
Apps
So that you as a developer can use all the new functions directly, you also need some Fiori applications on all systems. These are previous standard functions, such as SM36, SM37, SM30 or SOST. Here is a short list of the applications and their benefits:
- Application Jobs (F1240) - Scheduling of application jobs in the system, these are the new jobs in the system.
- Application Job Templates (F2058) - Creation and management of templates for application jobs. This can also be used to create multi-step jobs.
- Custom Business Configurations (F4579) - Maintenance of tables in the system by the user. Customizing tables can be maintained with or without transport.
- Upload Business Configuration (F4638) - Option for Excel upload and download for each business configuration.
- Monitor E-Mail Transmissions (F5442) - Evaluation of the e-mails sent from the system and their status.
- Maintain Translations (F4950) - Translation of applications into different languages. This allows all types of texts (data elements, metadata extensions, etc.) to be translated.
Optional
In this section you will find optional steps that are not necessarily mandatory for the introduction of ABAP Cloud, but support you in the use and development.
ABAP Test Cockpit
The ABAP Test Cockpit (ATC) offers some Tests that check the APIs and their release. But also tests in the area of language versions and permitted object types. You can find the tests in a current ATC under the section Cloud Readiness.
If you want to implement 100% ABAP Cloud, the tests will help you to register deviations in the system and document them via the exception process. At the same time, the developers in the company are made aware of the use of new technologies and possibilities.
Note: If you want the latest tests and perhaps also security checks (CVA) without expensive on-premise licenses, there is also the ABAP Environment with the Developer Scenario. This also allows you to avoid the problem that the Central ATC always has to be at the highest release level of the system landscape.
Checklist
Here you will find a summary of what is needed and what you should configure in the system:
- S/4 HANA 2022 release available
- Authorizations (development, software components)
- Introduction of 3-TIER model
- Configuration of new functions
- Provision of ABAP Development Tools
- Activation and assignment of the Fiori apps to the Developers
- Optional steps as ATC
Conclusion
The points on the checklist are intended to take some of the work off your hands and help you roll out ABAP Cloud on the S/4 HANA systems more quickly. We will add new and additional points in the future.
