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tRFC Channel

Via tRFC, data can be transferred safely and reliably between applications. The RFC client calls a specific function module on the RFC server. The called function module is executed exactly once on the server. The resulting data is then stored temporarily in the SAP database under a unique transaction ID (TID), that is, data creation and data transmission are two separate processes. The tRFC is used for example to send business documents from one SAP system to another SAP system, often by using the ALE/IDoc layer.

One or several functional module calls can be grouped into a single tRFC LUW (logical unit of work). Due to its asynchronous nature, the tRFC can handle situations where the called remote system is not available at the time of posting. In such a case a reprocessing is triggered by the tRFC framework.

The status of the transmission and processing can be monitored in the SAP system using transaction SM58. Errors can occur during communication and/or in the function module or the processing program.

Technical Prerequisites

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

  • Managed system is ABAP based system with basis release ≥ 7.00 (RFC client)
  • ST-A/PI (at least versions 01R) is implemented on managed system

On the managed system, use transaction SM58 to check whether there are tRFC entries present. Get an understanding what kind of tRFC calls exist in your system, based on function modules, user names, receiver destinations, and especially typical status codes that may appear in normal or error situations. This heavily depends on the used product, the implemented business processes, and of course on the interfaces to other systems and applications.

Available Monitoring Content

The metrics of this monitoring template monitor the tRFC entries (transactional remote function calls). It can be used for an automatic monitoring and alerting instead of the standard transaction SM58.

Monitoring Template: tRFC

Metric Name Description MAI Category Since SP

Number of tRFC entries in critical state

Evaluates the number of specific tRFC entries in a critical state.

Exceptions

 7.1 SP10

Age of oldest entry in critical state

Evaluates the age of the oldest specific tRFC entry in a critical state.

Exceptions

 7.1 SP10 

Number of tRFC entries in critical state (combination with age)(1)

Evaluates the number of specific tRFC entries in a critical state. Shares a common event with metric “Age of oldest entry in critical state (combination with number)”.

Exceptions

 7.1 SP12

Age of oldest entry in critical state (combination with number)(1)

Evaluates the age of the oldest specific tRFC entry in a critical state. Shares a common event with metric “Number of tRFC entries in critical state (combination with age)”.

Exceptions

 7.1 SP12

Number of tRFC entries in interim state

Evaluates the number of specific tRFC entries in an interim state.

Performance

 7.1 SP10

Age of oldest entry in interim state

Evaluates the age of the oldest of specific tRFC entries that are in an interim state.

Performance

 7.1 SP10

Number of tRFC entries in interim state (combination with age)(1)

Evaluates the number of specific tRFC entries in an interim state. Shares a common event with metric “Age of oldest entry in interim state (combination with number)”

Performance

 7.1 SP12

Age of oldest entry in interim state (combination with number)(1)

Evaluates the age of the oldest of specific tRFC entries that are in an interim state. Shares a common event with metric “Number of tRFC entries in interim state (combination with age)”

Performance

 7.1 SP12

Note: Key figures with combined rating strategy (number & age)

(1) In classic BPMon you had the possibility to use key figures that had a combined rating for number of entries and age of entries for critical and interim state. For example you could create an alert only when you had a certain number of tRFC entries in critical state AND when these entries where older than a defined age.

To model this behavior in ICMon these key figures are presented by two metrics that are correlated on alert level.

It is important that you select BOTH of the metrics in the metric configuration, otherwise they will not be correlated correctly. If you do not configure one of the metrics the system behaves as if only the single metric has been configured. E.g. not configuring the “Age of oldest entry in critical state (combination with number)” metric means that alerts are created based on the output of metric “Number of tRFC entries in critical state (combination with age)” solely.

The metrics are correlated by a best case rule. this means only if both metrics get a red rating the overall event rating will be red.

Use these metrics if you are not interested in just the pure number or the oldest individual entry, but in the age of the oldest entry in a critical/interim state if a certain number of entries in critical/interim state has been reached. This way, you can avoid being alerted about a single old entry and instead be only alerted if a more severe problem with tRFCs exists on the managed system. Similarly, you can also use these metrics to be alerted about the number of tRFC entries in critical/interim state only if the oldest of these entries has reached a certain age.

 

Please refer to SAP note 2010999 for more details on the migration from classical BPMon to MAI.

Key Figure Alert Metric
Combi of Entries & Age in critical state Critical combination of high number & age of tRFC entries in critical state
  • Age of oldest entry in critical state (combination with number)
  •  Number of tRFC entries in critical state (combination with age)
Combi of Entries & Age in interim state Critical combination of high number & age of tRFC entries in interim state
  • Age of oldest entry in interim state (combination with number)
  • Number of tRFC entries in interim state (combination with age)
Severity tRFC Status Code
Critical ANORETRY, ARETRY, CPICERR, RETRY, SYSFAIL, VBERROR
Interim AFINISH, CONFAIL, DEBUG, EXECUTED, MAILED, READ, RECORDED, SENDED, SYSLOAD, VBRECORD, VXRECORD

Note that the term “Critical” as used above indicates an immediate error state, with no automatic reprocessing, manual action is required. The term “Interim” indicates a temporary error or backlog situation only. Usually automatic reprocessing is in place.

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, please follow the Interface and Connection Monitoring Setup with SAP Solution Manager 7.2.

Monitoring Template: tRFC

Navigate to the step 'Define Scope'. 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 step 'Preparation' perform all relevant manual activities and run all automatic activities.
  3. In step 'Configuration' click the 'Add' button.
    • Channel Name: Enter a meaning full name (max. 30 characters)
    • Type: Select 'tRFC'
    • Monitoring Template: Select 'tRFC'
    • 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 (mandatory): 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.
    • User name: The user in the RFC destination (see SM58)
    • Minim. Age (critical): The time the tRFC has to be in critical state to be considered in the monitoring (to avoid too early alerting)
    • Minim. Age (interim): The time the tRFC has to be in interim state to be considered in the monitoring (to avoid too early alerting)
    • Maximum Age [days]: After X days the tRFC is not considered in the data collection anymore. Avoids alerting on very old tRFC that are not relevant anymore.
    • Status for Critical: Allows you to overwrite the standard selection of statuses to be considered as critical status
    • Status for Interim: Allows you to overwrite the standard selection of statuses to be considered interim status

Select Metrics:

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

For status monitoring, you might not be interested in the number of entries in a critical or interim state, as you have to react anyway, no matter whether it is just one failed tRFC or several of them. So instead of monitoring “Number of entries” you can just monitor “Age of oldest entry in critical/interim state” with a very small threshold value.

Note: Please note that the interim states are not included in the monitoring of critical states. So you are advised to set up at least one metric for both critical and interim states, typically with different thresholds.

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

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 step 'Activation'.

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. If you entered more than one tRFC destination you can set different thresholds for each one or the same threshold for all. The "Inherited" flag indicates if you inherit the thresholds set for the entire IF channel or if the tRFC destination has custom thresholds.
    • Do not change the data collector type or data collector name on the tab 'Data Collection' 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

Further Information

Status Categories

The status monitoring distinguishes between two severities. Several status codes are grouped in either critical or interim states. A critical state indicates an immediate error situation. An interim state means a temporary error or backlog situation, typically subject to automatic (re-)processing.

This grouping of severities has two advantages: You do not have to take care of monitoring individual status codes, and you can define individual sets of thresholds. Usually you should use smaller thresholds for critical states to get a timely alerting, and larger thresholds for interim states, to get alerted only when they persist for a longer time period.

List of status codes per severity:

Severity tRFC Status Code

Critical

ANORETRY

Critical

ARETRY

Critical

CPICERR

Critical

RETRY

Critical

SYSFAIL

Critical

VBERROR

Interim

AFINISH

Interim

CONFAIL

Interim

DEBUG

Interim

EXECUTED

Interim

MAILED

Interim

READ

Interim

RECORDED

Interim

SENDED

Interim

SYSLOAD

Interim

VBRECORD

Interim

VXRECORD