All information on this page is valid for both, SAP applications and SAP enhancement packages.

Starting with a leading application component, each support package stack (SP stack) describes a combination of predefined and recommended support package levels for all single components included in a product version. Dependencies are defined successively, from top to bottom.

For some components (e.g. SAP GUI or SAP UI) a status is specified for each release that is supported. Other components may be optional, which means that the corresponding support package or patch level must only be fulfilled if you use the components productively.

The same rule applies to SAP Industry Solutions. The SP stack definition of an Industry Solution contains support packages of many different Industry Solutions, but you only need to implement those SPs that are:

• used in the activated Industry Solutions in your system.
• needed as preparation to activate an Industry Solution after the implementation of the SPs.
• required due to a technical dependency (very rarely).  

Example of what a support package stack could contain:

• A support package level of the leading application component (e.g. SAP APPL 6.00), which identifies the SP stack.
• A support package level of the Application Basis (e.g. SAP ABA 7.00), which is a prerequisite for the application support package.
• A support package level of the Basis component (e.g. SAP BASIS 7.00), which is a prerequisite for SAP ABA support package.
• A recommended kernel patch level (e.g. SAP KERNEL 7.00). The kernel patch level that is used productively can be higher than the one that has to be used for an upgrade to the corresponding release.
• A minimum patch level for each supported SAP GUI release, whereby the releases are alternatives, and each specified patch level represents a minimum requirement that can be exceeded at any time. The minimum requirement within an SP stack will only be increased in exceptional cases. Since the SAP GUI is a part of nearly all SAP products, it must meet the requirements of all SP stacks for the different products used in parallel. This means that you need to use the maximum required SAP GUI with the maximum required patch level.

In principle, the specified level of all components must at least be fulfilled in order to apply a support package of the leading component. For most components it is only recommended to have a higher SP level in case there are problems for which no workaround or local corrections are available. If no problems in the systems occur, there is no need to exceed the SP levels until the implementation of the next SP stack.