SAP Solution Manager Interview Cheatsheet (Quick & Clear)

Covers SolMan architecture, key functionalities, ChaRM, Monitoring, ITSM, LMDB, TMW, and real-time scenario questions.

1. SAP Solution Manager Basics

  • What is SAP Solution Manager?
    Central ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) platform for implementing, operating, monitoring, supporting SAP landscapes.
  • Latest major version: Solution Manager 7.2
  • Built on: SAP NetWeaver
  • Used for: Implementation, Test management, Monitoring, ChaRM, Incident Mgmt, Business Process Ops.

2. Key Functional Modules

Core Functionalities You MUST Know

  • SPRO SOLMAN_SETUP – main configuration hub
  • Solution Documentation
  • ChaRM (Change Request Management)
  • ITSM (Incident & Problem Management)
  • BPCA (Business Process Change Analyzer)
  • CCBP (Custom Code Management)
  • Test Suite Management
  • EEM (End-User Experience Monitoring)
  • Technical Monitoring / System Monitoring
  • LMDB (Landscape Management Database)
  • Wily / Introscope Monitoring
  • EarlyWatch Alerts (EWA)
  • Maintenance Planner

3. Architecture & Landscape

Core Components

  • Solution Manager ABAP stack
  • Solution Manager Java stack (removed after SP12; now integrated)
  • SAP Host Agent + Diagnostics Agents
  • LMDB (Landscape Management Database)
  • SLD / SAP Backbone Integration

LMDB vs SLD

  • SLD = System information supplier
  • LMDB = SolMan’s internal landscape database, syncs with SLD

4. Technical Monitoring

  • System Monitoring
  • Database Monitoring
  • Host / OS Monitoring
  • Message Flow Monitoring
  • Interface Channel Monitoring

Key tools:

  • Unified Monitoring
  • SAP Focused Run (for large enterprises)
  • MAI (Monitoring & Alerting Infrastructure)

5. Diagnostics & Root Cause Analysis

  • Wily Introscope – Java monitoring
  • CCMS Alerts
  • SAP Host Agent
  • Trace analysis (HTTP, Java, SQL)

6. ChaRM (Change Request Management)

Most heavily asked section in interviews.

Key Concepts

  • Change Document Types:
    • Normal Change
    • Urgent Change
    • Defect Correction
    • Request for Change
    • General Change
  • Statuses: In Development → To Be Tested → To Be Approved → To Be Imported

Transport Management Workflow

  • Retrofit
  • Import buffer
  • Automated transport import
  • Downgrade protection
  • Transport of Copies (TOC)

ChaRM Key Transactions

  • /TMWFLOW/TRANSPORT_QUEUE
  • /TMWFLOW/RETROFIT
  • /SAP/CM* (various ChaRM objects)

7. ITSM (IT Service Management)

  • Based on SAP CRM Web UI Framework
  • Used for:
    • Incident management
    • Problem management
    • Service request management
  • Integration with ChaRM and SLAs

8. Test Management / Test Suite

  • Test Planning
  • Test Case Management
  • Test Automation (CBTA)
  • BPCA (for impact analysis)

9. Maintenance Planner / SUM

  • Used for:
    • Upgrade planning
    • Add-on installation
    • Support packs
  • Connected to SAP Backbone

10. Job & Interface Monitoring

  • Batch Job Analytics
  • Background job monitoring
  • Interface monitoring: IDoc, RFC, WebService, PI/PO channels
  • Exception handling

11. EarlyWatch Alerts (EWA)

  • Automated weekly health check reports
  • Covers performance, system stability, configuration checks

12. Real Project Scenarios (Very Common Interview Questions)

1. How do you configure ChaRM from scratch?

  • SOLMAN_SETUP → Process Management → Change Control Management
  • Create Projects → Logical Components → Change Cycles → Activate ChaRM → Configure transport routes
  • Assign roles → Testing → Go live

2. How to troubleshoot monitoring issues?

  • Check Host Agent → Diagnostics Agent → SLD sync → LMDB entries → Extractor Framework → MAI

3. EWA not generating?

  • Check:
    • Background jobs
    • RFC connections
    • Service content updated
    • ST03N data availability
    • SDCCN tasks

4. How do you configure ITSM?

  • Web UI framework setup
  • Define Transaction Types (SMIN, SMPR, etc.)
  • Create business roles
  • SLA setup
  • Assign org model

5. BPCA use-case?

  • Impact analysis before transporting changes
  • Identifies business processes impacted

13. Important T-Codes for SolMan

  • SOLMAN_SETUP – main configuration
  • SMSY / LMDB – landscape management
  • ST03N – workload analysis
  • SM_WORKCENTER – SolMan Work Center
  • SM12/SM21/SM37 – locks/logs/jobs
  • SOLAR01 / SOLAR02 – legacy solution documentation
  • SMICM – ICM monitor
  • SMGW – gateway monitor
  • SDCCN – EWA data collection
  • RZ20 – CCMS alerts

14. High-Value Interview Questions

  1. What are the key features of SAP SolMan 7.2?
  2. Difference between LMDB and SLD.
  3. Explain ChaRM workflow.
  4. What is Retrofit?
  5. What is BPCA and how is it used?
  6. What is the role of Diagnostics Agent?
  7. How to configure Technical Monitoring?
  8. What is ITSM and how does it integrate with ChaRM?
  9. What is Solution Documentation?
  10. How does Maintenance Planner work?
  11. Steps to configure EarlyWatch Alert.
  12. What are work modes in SolMan?
  13. Key differences: ChaRM Normal vs Urgent Change.
  14. Explain the end-to-end change cycle.
  15. What is the difference between SUM and SPAM/SAINT?

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