SAP BASIS Interview Cheatsheet (Quick Revision Guide)

✅ 1. SAP BASIS Basics

  • BASIS = System Administration of SAP Landscape.
  • Responsibilities include:
    ✔ Installation & configuration
    ✔ System monitoring
    ✔ Database administration
    ✔ Transport management
    ✔ User/security management
    ✔ Performance tuning
    ✔ Backup & recovery
    ✔ System refresh & migrations

✅ 2. SAP Landscape Architecture

  • Three-tier architecture:
    • Presentation (GUI/Fiori)
    • Application server
    • Database server
  • System types:
    • DEV → QAS → PRD
  • Clients used for configuration/testing/data segregation.

✅ 3. SAP Installation

  • SWPM (Software Provisioning Manager)
  • SUM for upgrades
  • Kernel installation & patching
  • SAP profiles (DEFAULT.PFL, instance profiles)
  • SAP Solution Manager (mandatory earlier, optional now)

✅ 4. SAP Start Service

  • Daemons: sapstartsrv, disp+work, gateway (gwrd)
  • Commands:
    • sapcontrol -nr <inst> -function GetProcessList
    • startsap, stopsap

✅ 5. Work Processes

A VERY frequently asked area.

Types of work processes:

  • Dialog
  • Background
  • Update (V1/V2)
  • Enqueue
  • Spool
  • Message Server
  • Gateway

Troubleshooting WP issues: SM50, SM66, SM21, ST22.

✅ 6. Transport Management System (TMS)

  • Config tCodes: STMS, SE09/SE10
  • Transport Directory: /usr/sap/trans
  • Types of transports:
    • Workbench
    • Customizing
    • Client transports
    • Permission roles

Import Errors: RC8, RC12, RC16 — analyze logs.

✅ 7. SAP Patching / Kernel Upgrade

  • SPAM/SAINT – Component upgrade
  • SUM – Technical upgrade
  • Kernel patching via /usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/exe
  • Apply SAP Notes using SNOTE

✅ 8. SAP Client Administration

  • tCodes: SCC4, SCCL, SCC9, SCC7
  • Client copy types:
    • Local client copy
    • Remote client copy
    • Client import
  • Client roles:
    • Customizing
    • Test
    • Production
  • Client deletion (SCC5)

✅ 9. User & Authorization Management

  • tCodes: SU01, SU10, SU21, PFCG
  • Authorization objects & profiles
  • Role transport
  • Composite roles
  • SOD (Segregation of Duties) checks
  • SU53 for troubleshooting

✅ 10. SAP Background Jobs

  • SM36/SM37
  • Job status: Scheduled, Released, Ready, Active, Finished
  • Job chain concept
  • Log monitoring
  • Root cause: Work process shortage, authorization error, spool issues.

✅ 11. SAP System Monitoring Tools

Key tCodes:

  • SM50 – WP overview
  • SM51 – App servers
  • SM21 – System logs
  • ST22 – Dump analysis
  • ST06 – OS monitoring
  • ST03N – Workload analysis
  • ST04 – DB performance
  • SM12 – Lock entries
  • SM13 – Update failures
  • SCC3 – Client copy logs
  • ST02 – Memory analysis

✅ 12. SAP Memory Management

  • Types:
    • Roll memory
    • Extended memory
    • Heap memory
    • Paging memory
  • Parameters (in profile):
    • em/initial_size_MB
    • abap/heap_area_total
    • ztta/roll_area

Memory Issues: Look at ST02 + SM50.

✅ 13. SAP Enqueue & Locking

  • Manages logical locks
  • tCode: SM12
  • Lock table in shared memory
  • If lock overflow → system slowdown
  • Enqueue replication: ENQREP (for HA)

✅ 14. SAP Spool Administration

  • SPAD: Output devices
  • SP01: Spool requests
  • SP02: Output requests
  • Troubleshoot printer issues (device type mismatch)

✅ 15. SAP Monitoring Using Solution Manager

  • EWA reports
  • ChaRM (Change Request Management)
  • System Monitoring
  • Root Cause Analysis
  • System Recommendations

✅ 16. SAP Upgrades & Patches

  • SUM (Software Update Manager)
  • SPAM/SAINT for Support Packs
  • Online/Offline SPAM
  • Checking component levels via SPAM > Package Levels
  • Maintenance Planner (cloud)

✅ 17. Database Administration Basics

Varies by DB type.

HANA DB

  • HANA Studio / HANA Cockpit
  • SQL statements (M_TABLES, M_BLOCKED_TRANSACTIONS)
  • Column store vs row store
  • Backup/recovery
  • Log switches
  • Memory allocation

Oracle DB

  • Tablespace
  • Datafiles
  • Redo logs
  • Archive logs
  • DBVERIFY
  • BRTOOLS

✅ 18. SAP System Refresh

Steps:

  1. Pre-checks
  2. Backup/restore (DB level)
  3. BDLS (logical system name conversion)
  4. RFC corrections
  5. Background jobs correction
  6. Post-processing (SCC7, SM59, WE20, RFCs, BD87)

✅ 19. SAP SSO / Authentication

  • SAP Logon Ticket
  • SAML
  • X.509 certificates
  • OAuth (for cloud)
  • SNC (Secure Network Communication)

✅ 20. SAP Fiori / Gateway Basis

  • System alias
  • OData services activation (IW_BEP)
  • Cache cleanup (/IWFND/CACHE_CLEANUP)
  • /UI2/FLP, /UI2/CACHE

🔥 Most Asked Scenario-Based Questions

Be ready with quick answers.

1. System is slow — how do you troubleshoot?

Use → ST06, ST03N, SM50, ST04, ST22, SM21, SM12, SM13.

2. Transport imported with RC=8 error — what do you do?

Check logs → STMS_IMPORT → SLOG.

3. Work process is hanging — fix?

Cancel in SM50 → analyze dump in ST22.

4. User authorization error?

Use SU53 → adjust PFCG role.

5. Database log segment is full?

Increase log space / perform log backup (HANA/Oracle).

6. Memory overflow?

Tune parameters in profile & restart system.

7. Lock entries stuck in SM12?

Delete only after coordinated approval.

8. Printer not working?

Check SPAD → Spool server → Device Type.

9. Background job canceled?

Check SM37 logs → ST22 → SM21.

10. Enqueue Server down?

Restart Enqueue Replication Server → Check MS logs.

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