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What is SAP Kernel and How to Perform Kernel Upgrade

What is SAP Kernel and How to Perfrom Kernel Upgrade :

Kernel Upgrade is the process of updating SAP System existing executables with updated executables provided by SAP from SAP Marketplace.

SAP kernel files are required for running SAP systems,Kernel executables are called Heart/Core of the system.Once SAP maintenence is over for existing kernel then it's highly neccessary to upgrade kernel.

In this article,I explain the process of Kernel Upgrde.

What to Check before Kernel Upgrade:

Before proceeding with Kernel upgrade ,first check our existing Kernel Version,Please refer below article for same.

Next step is to check whether existing kernel is Unicode ot Non Unicdoe:

Once we know kernel Type then downlaod related files from SAP Service Market Place.

We need to download 2 SAR files.

For both files we have 2 version (Unicode or Non Unicode) Based upon our kernel type we need to download particular files either Non-Unicode or Unicode.

SAPEXE.SAP >>It contains Database Independent executables files 

SAPEXEDB.SAR >>It contains Database Dependent executables files

Kernel Upgrade For Non -Unicode Kernel

Below example is for (720 kernel upgrade on Unix Platform)

Login into OS Level  into Central instance:

Note : Take the backup of current  exe directory including local exe with root user.

1). Create new directory  with name Kernel-New.

     a). cd /sapmnt/<SID>

     b). mkdir Kernel-New

     c). chmod 777 Kernel-New

     d). cd Kernel-New

2). UNCAR the NONUNICODE kernel files from the source directory to newly created directory.

Below is the extraction commands:

/sapmnt/<SID>/exe/SAPCAR -xvf SAPEXE_402-20005206.SAR

/sapmnt/<SID>/exe/SAPCAR -xvf SAPEXEDB_402-20005205.SAR

For NON unicode Kernel SAPEXE.SAR,SAPEXEDB.SAR,these files are downloaded from service market place based upon the target kernel patch level ,after selecting your OS and DB flabour

Kernel Upgrade For Unicode Kernel

Below example is for (720 kernel upgrade on Unix Platform)

Login into OS Level  into Central instance:

1). Create new directory  with name Kernel-New.

     a). cd /sapmnt/<SID>

     b). mkdir Kernel-New

     c). chmod 777 Kernel-New

     d). cd Kernel-New

2). UNCAR the UNICODE kernel files from the source directory to newly created directory.

Below is the extraction commands:

/sapmnt/<SID>/exe/SAPCAR -xvf SAPEXE_402-20005246.SAR

/sapmnt/<SID>/exe/SAPCAR -xvf SAPEXEDB_402-20005247.SAR

SAPEXE.SAR,SAPEXEDB.SAR are downloaded from service market place based upon the target kernel patch level after selecting our OS and DB flabour

Commona

Comman Steps for Both Unicode or Non-Unicode Kernel:

Till now we have extraced kernel files in newly created directory,Now it's time to relace it with old kernel exe folder

1). stop <SID> SAP application.

     stopsap

Bring down All the apps/CI/DB, Kill all processes and clean shared memory.

2). Rename current exe to old and newly created directory Kernel-New to exe

     mv exe exe.Current_exe

     mv Kernel-New exe  

3). Run Script SAPROOT.SH and ORAROOT.SH

         a). go to /sapmnt/<SID>/exe

         b). run ./saproot.sh <SID>

         c)  run ./oraroot.sh <SID>

Please refer Read article What is SAPROOT.sh and ORAROOT.sh

5). Run sapcpe in work directory to copy local kernel from central kernel. 

Please Read first : What is SAPCPE and How to execute SAPCPE

    a). cd /usr/sap/<SID>/DVEBMGS00

    b). mv exe exe.old

    c). mkdir exe

    d). chmod 777 exe

    e). cd  /usr/sap/<SID>/DVEBMGS00/work

    f). sapcpe pf=/usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/profile/<InstanceProfile>

In work Directory check the logs of sapcpe if any error or conflict have occurred

  1. cd /usr/sap/<SID>/DVEBMGS00/workCheck the log file sapcpe.log
  2. more sapcpe.log

It copies Global Exe kernel files from /sapmnt/SID/exe to /usr/sap/SID/DVEBMGS00/exe

  

7). Add the following parameters to the profiles.

-----------------------------------------------------Insatance Profile Parameter------------------------------------------------

#parameter for disabling webservice API for CCMS

ccms/enable_agent = 0

#Parameter Added to Kernel Upgrade 7.2 SAP Note - 1636252

FN_JSTART = jcontrol$(FT_EXE)

rdisp/wp_no_restricted = 0

rdisp/configurable_wp_no = 0

rdisp/dynamic_wp_check = FALSE

-----------------------------------------------------Default Profile Parametr----------------------------------------------------

# Profile parameter added for Kernel upgrade to 7.2 as per Note number 1636252

system/type = DS

8). Go to /sapmnt/<SID>/exe

Rename sapccmsr to sapssmsr.old as we don’t want it to run at startup.

9). disp+work   // to find kernel version.

Now START SAP.

Addional Steps for For APPLICATION SERVERS 

Login in to <SID>adm

1).  Run SAPCPE For Application Server:

sapcpe pf=/usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/profile/<Application Server InstanceProfile>

for Application server also,SAPCPE will do same work but now it’ll copy Global Exe kernel files from /sapmnt/SID/exe to /usr/sap/SID/D00/exe/ (application server local exe folder

    a). cd /usr/sap/<SID>/D00

    b). mv exe exe.old   <rename existing local exe to backup>

    c). mkdir exe        <created new folder name exe where sapcpe will copy new kernel from central instance.

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    e). cd  /usr/sap/<SID>/D00/work

    f). sapcpe pf=/sapmnt/<SID>/profile/<SID>/APPLICATION SERVER INSTANCE PROFILE    <using application server instance profile>

2). In work Directory check the logs of sapcpe if any error or conflict have occurred

     a) ll *cpe*

3). Add the following parameters to the application server instance profile profiles.

-----------------------------------------------------Instance Profile Parameter------------------------------------------------- 

#parameter for disabling webservice API for CCMS

ccms/enable_agent = 0

#Parameter Added to Kernel Upgrade 7.2 SAP Note - 1636252

FN_JSTART = jcontrol$(FT_EXE)

rdisp/wp_no_restricted = 0

rdisp/configurable_wp_no = 0

rdisp/dynamic_wp_check = FALSE

Now Start SAP Application Servers.

 I hope ,you really got some useful information related to "Kernel Upgrade" .Can you please give 30 sec of your time now to have a look into main tutorials collection home page ,I guarantee you will get very useful tutorials over there.

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