SAP BASIS Tutorial | Support Package and Stack Upgrade: SAP SPS

What is a support package?

• When an end user of SAP finds a bug in the SAP product, he reports the same to SAP support. SAP programmers inspect the bug and develop a correction for the bug. This correction is known as SNOTE (SAP Note).
• With time, multiple end users, report bugs for which SAP releases SNOTE. SAP collects all these corrections in one place and this collection is called SUPPORT PACKAGE. This support package also includes enhancements to earlier versions of SAP.
• Support Packages are implemented in SAP system using Transaction SPAM (Support Package Manager)

Learn more about support packages from SAP BASIS training by industry leading experts by SAP Trainings Online.

What is support package stack (SPS)?

The support package stack is a list of ABAP and Java support packages for all software components (SC) included in SAP Netweaver (See SAP Netweaver training for more details). It is used to bring each Software Component of SAP NetWeaver to a defined Support Pack (SP) level.

Support Package Stack, commonly known as STACK bundles all required components or individual patches that are already tested together and recommended applying as SPS instead of individual patch (until and unless you face some problem which requires certain components to be patched).

What are support pack stack version numbers?

Support Package Stacks have a release number, and a Stack number, Example, SAP NetWeaver '04 Support Package Stack 11.

Each software component has a separate sequence of support packages:

The following list contains the technical names of a number of components and the notation for their support packages:

COP (Component Package)

SAP_APPL (SAP APPL Support Package): SAPKH<rel><no>

SAP_BASIS (Basis Support Package): SAPKB<rel><no>

SAP_ABA (Application Basis SP): SAPKA<rel><no>

SAP_HR (SAP HR Support Package): SAPKE<rel><no>

SAP_SCM (SCM Support Package): SAPKY<rel><no>

SAP_BW (BW Support Package): SAPKW<rel><no>

SAP_CRM (CRM Support Package): SAPKU<rel><no>

Pre-requisites for Support Package implementation

• Support packages should be always applied in client 000.
• The user to be used for the support package implementation must have authorizations equivalent to DDIC or SAP*
• Call the transaction SPAM and see if any previous Support Package import is incomplete. You can proceed ahead unless the previous support package import is successful.
• Ensure that there is enough space in the transport directory. The transport directory is located at /usr/sap/trans

Steps to upgrade the support package

Step1: Download support packs

Support packages are available in SAP support portal

Step2: Loading support packages

To load support packages we have two options:

From application server

From front end

From Application server

Download the support packages from service marketplace and save then at OS level in directory/usr/sap/trans

Uncompress these files using sapcar executable

Step 3: SPAM/SAINT Update:

• A SPAM or SAINT update contains updates and improvements to support package manager (SPAM) and addon installation tool (SAINT). There is always one spam update for each release. SPAM/SAINT update is mandatory before any support package upgrade.
• On the initial screen in Support Package Manager, choose Display/Define.
• A list of installed software components (for example, SAP_BASIS, SAP_HR, SAP BW training) is displayed.

Once you select the required component, the current queue appears. This queue contains the Support Packages available for the selected component in your system. If you want to define the queue for another software component, choose Other Component. If the displayed queue meets your requirements, you can confirm it by choosing Confirm Queue

Importing Queue

Once you a define a Queue (Step 4) while selecting a particular component (for which we want to upgrade support pack), we need to do 'Import queue' to start importing/applying that particular selected support pack (as per the standard SAP process).

Choose Support Package --> Import Queue

Conforming Queue

Confirm that the queue has been imported successfully into your system. This allows you to import Support Packages in the future. You will not be able to import Support Packages further, if you do not confirm the queue.

Once Queue has been imported, SPAM status becomes YELLOW

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