FAQ on SAP HANA Technical Performance Optimization Service (TPO)
What is the SAP HANA Technical Performance Service (TPO)?
The SAP HANA Technical Performance Optimization (TPO) is an expert service which is efficient in providing an analysis of the technical configuration, performance, health and overall state of the database of SAP HANA. Upon request, it is even possible for the system analysis to be performed as joint workshop.
The SAP HANA TPO service is available for customers who hold premium engagement contracts like MaxAttention or ActiveEmbedded.
What are the situations in which a TPO service is of help?
The TPO service can be put to use in the following situations:
- If you are seeking to proactively optimize performance while simultaneously reducing technical risks that are involved (e.g. on a 6 to 12 months basis for critical production systems)
- When you wish to address upcoming changes. For instance, go-live of performance critical projects, functionality of new database, increase in the volume or any kind of hardware changes.
- When you need a safeguard for your solution from potential technical problems, such as bottlenecks in performance or issues with stability.
- When there is a need for you to identify and address all of the existing technical issues which are already creating any kind of disturbance in your system operation.
- When the database response times in the system are unreasonably high and must be brought down.
- When your SAP HANA memory consumption is higher than it should be and/or out-of-memory situations keep occurring on a frequent basis.
- When your programs do not meet your runtime requirements or are leading to tremendously high levels of database load.
What are the topics typically covered in a TPO service?
Following are the main topics which are typically covered as the part of a TPO service:
- General information collection
- Checking of parameters
- The analysis of space and fragmentation
- Optimization of SQL statement
- Database administration checks (backups, cleanup, and consistency checks)
- Special SAP HANA features check (e.g. system replication and integrated liveCache)
- Analysis of resources (memory, swapping, CPU, I/O, etc)
- Suggestions for the reduction of memory foot print
How to order a TPO service?
The TPO service is available for SAP customers with special support contracts like MaxAttention or ActiveEmbedded on a chargeable basis. You can place an order for this service via your SAP Technical Quality Manager (TQM).
What are the technical preparations required for a TPO service?
For the smooth and efficient delivery of a TPO service, the following prerequisites need to be carefully met:
- Access for SAP GUI database via transaction DBACOCKPIT (SAP doc2222220, either directly in case of ABAP stack system or indirectly via DBACOCKPIT remote connection to SAP HANA database)
- Access for SAP HANA Studio
- Access for Solution Manager (including related service session)
- Inform TQM or service consultant about special focus or any topic you want to have discussed in particular
Following are the SAP HANA roles and privileges that should be taken into consideration for the analysis user:
| Role / privilege | Importance | Details |
| MONITORING | mandatory | The MONITORING role allows for the basic SAP HANA monitoring tasks. |
| DBA_COCKPIT | optional | The MONITORING role and several other useful privileges and roles are contained within the DBA_COCKPIT role. |
| RESOURCE ADMIN | optional | RESOURCE ADMIN is necessary for certain specific tasks such as resetting the SAP HANA monitoring views. |
| DATA ADMIN | optional, on demand | The DATA ADMIN privilege will enable access to data in other schemas. This can be of a lot of use if you need to perform data selectivity and distribution analysis - for example, in the context of an index decision. For reasons of safety and security, it would be wise for you to avoid assigning this privilege to users on a permanent basis. |
| SAP_INTERNAL_HANA_SUPPORT | optional, on demand | The SAP_INTERNAL_HANA_SUPPORT role allows access to internal developer views which could be used for the containment of helpful detail information. Once again, for matters of security, it is best if you were to avoid assigning this role to users on a permanent basis. |
| MODELER | optional, on demand | Whenever modelling views need to be analyzed for reasons of performance, the MODELER role is of help. |
For the system analysis to run efficiently, you must also make sure that all of the preconditions that are described in SAP doc2000000 ("Which prerequisites should be fulfilled in order to be able to perform a detailed performance analysis?") are met in the right capacity. This includes proper SAP HANA parameter settings and adequate retention time of histories such as HOST_SERVICE_THREAD_SAMPLES. From the perspective of parameter, the following settings are considered to be the most important for performance analysis:
global.ini -> [expensive_statement] -> enable
global.ini -> [resource_tracking] -> service_thread_sampling_monitor_thread_detail_enabled
If an analysis of the ABAP stack system is made, access to the following transaction should be made available:
- DBACOCKPIT: Main database analysis tasks, SQL editor needs to be available
- AL11: Directory access
- RSPFPAR: SAP profile parameters
- SE11: ABAP dictionary
- SE37: Execution of function modules (DB_EXECUTE_SQL, …)
- SE38 / SA38: Execution of reports
- SM21: SAP syslog
- SM49: Execution of logical commands
- SM50: Instance specific SAP work process overview
- SM51: SAP instance overview
- SM66: Global SAP work process overview
- SNRO: Number range information
- ST02: SAP buffers and memory
- ST03 / ST03N: SAP workload analysis
- ST05: Execution plans, SQL trace
- ST06: Operating system analysis
- ST10: SAP table buffer analysis
- ST22: SAP short dumps
- STAD: SAP statistical records
What exactly is a usual duration of the TPO service?
A full-blown TPO service typically takes somewhere around 5 days. Depending on factors such as the depth and the focus of the analysis, the negotiation of a variety of durations between 1 and 7 days can be done.
Does the service take place onsite or is it a remote service?
In most cases, remote delivery of standard analysis TPO services is done. If the request for a workshop or an empowering is made, it will be performed on customer site in a partial capacity at least. If, for any given reason, remote connection cannot be provided, the complete service will then be delivered onsite.