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SAP Support Backbone Update

How the SAP Support Backbone update affects
SAP Solution Manager and Focused Run

SAP's Support Backbone is the central infrastructure located at SAP to provide technical support to our customers. The Support Backbone consists of several different systems for different purposes - for example, it provides the SAP Support Portal infrastructure, the Maintenance Planner, SAP EarlyWatch Alert Reports, and many more. 

On the customer side, SAP Solution Manager and Focused Run for SAP Solution Manager connect to the SAP Support Backbone to exchange data for various purposes: Support cases, system data for Maintenance Planner, SAP EarlyWatch Alert data, and many more. 

The SAP Support Backbone has been updated. After a transition period of 1.5 years, the legacy infrastructure has been shut down on January 8, 2020. Since Monday November 30, 2020 all RFC communications from customer systems to SAP have been closed permanently and irreversibly.

If you have not yet done so, you need to switch the communication of SAP Solution Manager and Focused Run to the new infrastructure to ensure connectivity.

 
 

What is the support backbone update all about?

 

 

What happens when you switch?

The most important changes are upgrading to https communication channels and the enablement of server certificates to use SSL.

Which actions do you need to take?

Focused Run for SAP Solution Manager

The communication channels in Focused Run 2.0 (or higher) enable the exchange of data with the updated SAP Support Backbone. All Focused Run customers need to upgrade to Focused Run 2.0 (or higher, latest version recommended). Focused Run 1.0 systems will not be able to communicate with the SAP Support Backbone after January 8, 2020.

Information on upgrading Focused Run can be found in the Focused Run Expert Portal.

Remark: Focused Run 1.0 has entered its customer-specific maintenance phase on November 23rd 2019.

SAP Solution Manager

When you switch to the new communication channels you enable the exchange of data with the updated SAP Support Backbone. The following is required:


       Scenario 1:  You are on SAP Solution Manager 7.2

  • Upgrade to SAP Solution Manager SP07 or higher (*Upgrade to SP08 or higher is recommended)

       Scenario 2:  You are on SAP Solution Manager 7.1

Please note: For SAP partners (PartnerEdge Sell, VAR, CCC, PCOE), SP08 or higher is required.

Find hands-on instructions for your move onto the new communication infrastructure here:

Which SAP Solution Manager scenarios are impacted?

The following scenarios are technically impacted by SAP's Support Backbone Update, meaning that you have to take action – see above – if you need any of these to continue to work after January 2020. 

Landscape Management

License Management

Test Suite

IT Service Management 

SAP Engagement and Service Deliver

Where can you find help with questions or problems?

What happens if you don't take action?

Since January 8, 2020: 

  • SAP Solution Manager 7.2 systems on SP04 and lower support package stack levels are no longer able to communicate with SAP's support backbone. Systems on SP05 and SP06 allow limited connectivity, manual efforts are required. Please check the overview presentation for more information.
  • SAP Solution Manager 7.0 and 7.1 systems cannot communicate with the SAP Support Backbone anymore.
    To avoid disruption of sending EarlyWatch Alert reports from Solution Manager 7.1 to SAP while you have not yet upgraded, please implement SAP Note 2837310 (find a detailed description for SAP Solution Manager 7.1 in this video)
  • SAP Partners (PartnerEdge Sell / VAR, ISV, PCOE etc.) lose connectivity unless they upgrade to SP08 or higher.

Areas "outside" SAP Solution Manager and Focused Run are affected by the update of the Support Backbone. Please refer to the overall landing page for more information.