What is SAP Solution Manager?

The SAP Solution Manager is a centralized robust application management and adminitration solution used to implement, support, operate and monitor your SAP enterprise solutions, SAP Solution Manager is a platform providing integrated content, tools, methodologies and access to SAP systems.

the Solution Manager toolset addresses your entire IT environment,
- technical and business aspects of the solutions
- supporting SAP and non-SAP software
- covering current and forthcoming SAP solutions.

How much does SAP Solution Manager costs ?

SAP customer have full access to core SAP Solution Manager for no extra charge.

What are the benefits of SAP Solution Manager?

1. lower total cost of ownership (TCO) throughout the solution lifecycle.
2. minimize risk and increase reliabiilty of solutions.
3. it ensures SAP solution environment is performing at its maximum potential.
4. it ensures maximum benefits from your IT investment

What is the Current release of the SAP Solution Manager?

SAP Enhancement Package 1 for SAP Solution Manager 7.0. 

What Functionality does SAP Solution Manager provides ?

WorkCenters in SAP Solution Manager
SAP Solution Manager features and functions include:

Implementation and Upgrades

SAP Solution Manager provides content that accelerates implementations and upgrades of SAP Business Suite
this content includes:
1. Configuration information
2. a process-driven approach to implementation covering blueprinting, configuration, and final preparation phases.

SAP Solution Manager also enables efficient project administration and centralized control of cross-component implementations. Click for more details on How SAP Solution Manager can smooth your next upgrade project.
 

Change control management

SAP Solution Manager ensuring quality of the solution by enabling traceability of all changes. SAP Solution Manager controls all software and configuration changes of the IT solution.
It provides change management processes which includes
- the approval process for change requests,
- the deployment of changes,
- and analysis of changes.

For more details on Change Management read the weblog below:
First steps to work with Change Request Management scenario

Testing

SAP Solution Manager speeds test preparation and execution. It provides a single point of access to the complete system landscape and
enables centralized storage of testing materials and test results to support cross-component testing.

The following weblog gives an introduction to eCATT testing tool
An Introduction to eCATT 

IT and application support

SAP Solution Manager includes a service desk which helps you in managing incidents more efficiently and eases the settlement of support costs. And centralized handling of support messages makes the support organization more efficient.

Solution Manager facilitates all phases of technical support which includes 
1. planning
2. deployment,
3. operations, and
4. optimization (continuous improvement).

For further information read the weblog on Service Desk configuration for Dummies (https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/3490)

Root cause analysis

SAP Solution Manager providse diagnostics functions which allow

1. identification,
2. analysis, and
3. resolution of problems,
in heterogeneous environments.

SAP Solution Manager accelerates problem resolution and increases business availability by
isolating general performance bottlenecks,
isolating exceptional situations,
recording the activities of users and processes,
and by identifing changes to the productive landscape.

For Installing a Solution Manager Diagnostics (the easy way) read the weblog below:
(https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/3130)

Solution monitoring

SAP Solution Manager performs centralized, real-time monitoring of systems, intersystem dependencies, interfaces, and business processesreducing administration effort.

SAP Solution Manager avoids critical situations by proactive monitoring and automatic notification enables fast responses to issues.

Read the following Weblogs for more details:1

Solution Manager CEN and Alerting configuration guide for Dummies
(https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/3570)

CCMS Rule Based Monitors configuration guide for Dummies
(https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/3553)
 

Service-level management and reporting

SAP Solution Manager allows easy definition of service levels and provides automated reporting.
Service reporting provides a consolidated report containing the information covering all systems in the solution landscape, helping CTO or CIOs to make strategic IT decisions.

SDCC - Service Data Control Center configuration guide for Dummies. (https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/3538)

Service processing 

SAP Solution Manager makes appropriate service recommendations and delivers SAP support services which includes:
1. SAP Safeguarding, to manage technical risk;
2. SAP Solution Management Optimization, to get the most from SAP solutions; and
3. SAP Empowering, to manage your solutions.

To know more about this area click here to view Webinar on Maintenance Optimizer
(https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/event/webinars?rid=/library/uuid/f04ee06e-70aa-2910-f9b7-dd456c3b3a6a)

Administration

The administration work center in SAP Solution Manager offers a central entry point and unified access to all SAP technology.
Administration tasks are mainly executed locally on the involved systems, but can be accessed and triggered from a central administration console.

System Monitoring configuration guide for Dummies.
(https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/3544)

and many more....