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what is SAP kernel and SAP kernel upgrade

  • what is sap kernel

R/3 consists of 2 parts, the database and the kernel. The Kernel consists of the executable programs that reside under the path “/sapmnt/<SID>/exe”. These files are responsible to startup the R/3 system, initialize the memory, create buffers and start managing the requests from users and effectively utilizing the hardware resources to do so. The kernel is also responsible for starting and stopping all the application services like dispatcher, message server, collector etc. The kernel provides latest upgrade to driver files used for printing etc.,hence need to be upgraded constantly to better utilize the hardware resources and new functionality released by SAP.
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  • what is sap kernel upgrade

The Database part consists of the ABAP Repository which consists of programs, tables, structures, domains, data elements etc., they reside inside the database software under the instance name <SID>. They may also be accessed partly through standard database tools. However, it is not recommended to make any modifications to the database directly because, direct modifications to database are not reflected in the ABAP data dictionary.

The Database Release and the R/3 kernel release may differ. Always the kernel release should be equal to or greater than the database release. SAP releases the various kernel and their downward compatibility in R/3 notes. These notes are frequently updated and hence it is required that though you might have obtained a hard copy long time back, it is still mandatory for you to access the same note again to understand if there are any changes. The downward compatibility matrix shows what is the lowest release of R/3 database that the kernel can work with.

Before you can upgrade to a higher kernel version, it must be checked whether your existing Operating System release and Database release are compatible. Otherwise, you will definitely need to upgrade them before upgrading the kernel. How to upgrade the kernel is also available as a note on the R/3 Online Support System. However, before upgrade of the kernel, the old kernel should be backup so that it can be used to revert back to old status in case of any problem.

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  • How to Find out current kernel version sap

1. Start transaction SM51. Position the cursor on the server from which you want the current kernel version and patch level, then choose function ‘Release notes’. You will get a list containing information about the current R/3 kernel as well as the supported environment and a listing of all the patch texts with their corresponding note numbers.

2. From the operating system level - change to the directory that contains the SAP executables, i.e., /sapmnt/<SAPSID>/exe, and execute ‘disp+work –V’.


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