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RFC Channel

A remote function call (RFC) is the call of a remote-enabled function module (RFM) in a partner system. The caller is the RFC client and the called partner is the RFC server. Information about the server is stored on the client side in table RFCDES. RFC destinations are maintained in transaction SM59. The remote destination can be another application server in the same or a different R/3 System, an R/2 System, or a non-SAP system.

Synchronous RFC (sRFC)

With synchronous RFC (sRFC), processing stops in the calling program while the called remote function is processed. Once the RFC output is returned, processing continues in the calling program.

Asynchronous RFC (aRFC) 

In an asynchronous RFC, the called remote function is started immediately in the calling program and then continues processing on its own, separately from the calling program. The function output can be received later in the program. Asynchronous RFC is intended for parallel processing. You can also use aRFC within a single SAP R/3 System, for example, to move some of the processing load to an application server that is used especially for this purpose or use aRFC locally within the same application server to implement parallel processing in several work processes.

In table RFCDES, you can set the number of aRFC calls for each destination using the aRFC options. After these aRFC calls, an automatic load check is performed on the target server. If resource bottlenecks are detected, the system waits for a short time for the next aRFC call to the same remote system, and the client program is rolled out of its work process. It can then receive results from previous aRFC calls.

Technical Prerequisites

The following technical prerequisites have to be met in order to use the RFC monitoring:

  • SAP Solution Manager 7.1 SP 05 or higher (see available metrics for details)
  • Managed system is ABAP based system with basis release ≥ 7.0
  • Managed system as at least ST-PI  2008_1 SP06 or higher

Available Monitoring Content

Monitoring Template: RFC

With IFMon you can monitor RFC destinations of type 3 (to another ABAP system) or T (TCP/IP destinations).

Metric Name Description MAI Category Since SP

RFC Channel available

Availability measured by UXMon Script

Availability

 7.1 SP 05

RFC Destination available

Ping to RFC Destination

Availability

 7.1 SP 10

RFC Destination available (with logon)

Ping to RFC Destination including logon

Availability

 7.1 SP 11

Number of AppLog Errors (RFC)

Exceptions from Application log (SLG1)

Exception

 7.1 SP 05

Number of ABAP Dumps

Dumps in the target system containing the Destination name and the function module

Exceptions

 7.1 SP 05

Number of Exceptions via ABAP Instrumentation Platform

Number of Exceptions via ABAP Instrumentation Platform

Exceptions

 7.1 SP 05 

RFC Latency

Latency time of a ping to RFC Destination

Performance

 7.1 SP 11

Average RFC Response Time

Average Response Time in ms

Performance

 7.1 SP 05 

Average RFC Response Time per Instance

Average Response Time per Instance in ms

Performance

 7.1 SP 08

Number of RFC executions

Number of executions

Performance

 7.1 SP 05 

Number of RFC executions per Instance

Number of executions per Instance

Performance

 7.1 SP 08

Notes:

  • Performance metrics are retrieved from single statistic records (STAD). These record contains only limited number of RFC sub records (default =5). Therefore function module executions are missing when there are more than 5 function modules executions within one connection/dialog step.
  • Metrics are always retrieved from the target system, if the target system is of type ABAP. Elsewise they will be retrieved from the source system.
  • Monitoring of Application Log Settings are not specific to the defined Interfaces but to the specified object/sub-object.

Note: Performance Warning: Because of potentially high data volume instance specific data collection is turned off by default

Configuration

The Interface and Connection Monitoring setup can be accessed via SAP Solution Manager Configuration (SOLMAN_SETUP). 

To access the Integration Monitoring setup please go to SAP Solution Manager Configuration (SOLMAN_SETUP) → Application Operations → Integration Monitoring → Interface and Connections.

Note: If you didn't perform the infrastructure configuration yet, follow the Interface and Connection Monitoring Setup with SAP Solution Manager 7.2.

Monitoring Template: RFC

Navigate to the Define Scope step. You can create a new scenario or use an existing one. Make sure the sender and the receiver system are part of the Interface and Connection Monitoring scenario.

Create the Interface Channel:

  1. Select the scenario and click Next.
  2. In the Preparation step, perform all relevant manual activities and run all automatic activities.
  3. In the Configuration step, click the Add button.
    • Channel Name: Enter a meaning full name (max. 30 characters)
    • Type: Select RFC
    • Monitoring Template: Select RFC
    • Description: Enter a description for the channel
  4. Click Next.
  5. Source Type:
    • Select Technical System
  6. Source: Select the on-premise system from the drop-down list. Specification of Unspecific Managed Object or anything non-ABAP is only possible for the target system. The source system has to be a technical system of type ABAP and has to be part of the Scope (Technical Scenario) for which the setup is running.
  7. Target Type:
    • Select Technical System
    • If the target system is not on-premise please select External Service if it is a cloud service or Unspecified Managed Object.
  8. Target: Select the target system from the drop-down list or enter the name for the unspecified managed object.
  9. The measuring point is selected automatically.
  10. If more than one client are connected for the on premise system please select the correct client for the monitoring.
  11. Click Next.
  12. Click Finish.

Maintain the Interface:

  1. Select the interface channel you created
  2. On the Interfaces tab click the Add button.
  3. Provide the following information
    • Interface Name: The name of the interface
    • RFC destination: The name of the RFC destination that you want to monitor. You can use wildcards.
    • Function module: The name on the called function module that you want to monitor, if you only want to monitor calls to a specific function module. You can use wildcards.

Leaving a parameter empty will result in an aggregation over this parameter. You also have the possibility to use wildcards, which will result in single metrics reported for each match during data collection. You can add more than one RFC destination to one channel. Please note that the input help will only contain values after the available RFC destination were successfully collected by the extractor in the previous step, Preparation. 

Select Metrics:

  1. On the Metrics tab, select the metrics you want to monitor. Please note that the selected metrics are collected for each RFC destination entered above.

  2. Enter Metric Parameters:

    • Metric: RFC Channel available

      • Parameter set name: You can enter a name for the parameter set to distinguish it if you have more than one.

      • Script Name (mandatory): Enter the name of the UXMon script used to monitor the RFC availability. To learn how to record the UXMon script please refer to the wiki page ICMonAvailability Script.

    • Metric: Number of AppLog Errors (RFC)
      • Parameter set name: You can enter a name for the parameter set to distinguish it if you have more than one.
      • Technical System (mandatory): The technical system in which the application log is written.
      • Object name (mandatory): The object name for the application log entry.
      • Sub-object name (mandatory): The sub-object for the application log entry.
      • User name: Name of the user who caused the logged event.
      • External ID (Expert field): External ID for the application log entry.
      • Message ID (Expert field): Message ID for the application log entry.
      • Message no. (Expert field): Message number for the application log entry.
      • Message text (Expert field): Message text for the application log entry.
      • Program (Expert field): Name of the program which caused the logged event.
      • Transaction code (Expert field): Name of the transaction which caused the logged event.

 

Note: RFC Destination Name

Note that for some metrics the RFC destination needs to be fully specified and wild cards in the RFC destination parameter are not supported. These metrics are:

 

  • RFC Destination available
  • RFC Destination available (with logon)
  • RFC Latency

 

Note: RFC Destination available (with logon)

This metric requires a white list for the destination name and can only be selected via value help. If the destination is not available in the value help it cannot be used. This white list is created by the extractor scheduled in the setup step 5.1.

You can maintain attributes as described in the Interface and Connection Monitoring Setup with SAP Solution Manager 7.2 on the Attributes tab.

Thresholds and the collection schedule are maintained in the next step of the guided procedure. Once you have maintained all your channels, click Next in the main guided procedure to move to the Activation step.

Maintain Thresholds and Schedule:

  1. Select the Alert for the channel (the alert is the line with the red flash icon next to it).
    • On alert level you can maintain notification and incident message creation.
  2. Select the Metrics
    • You can adjust the thresholds on the tab Thresholds. Some of the metrics have the Already Rated threshold. Do not change this.
    • Do not change the data collector type or data collector name on the Data Collection tab as the monitor will not work anymore if this is changed.
    • Only change the collection interval if you know what you do or if advised to do this by SAP.
  3. Click Apply and Activate → <Choose one option> to activate the monitoring