How to find problem area in ABAP Programming?

Using transaction SAT to find problem areas

we will see the steps needed to investigate the execution of any report,

transaction, or operate module using the transaction SAT.

we will analyze the runtime of a standard program RIBELF00. We will execute the program on the order number (aufnr) and see the behavior.

For carrying out runtime analysis using transaction SAT, proceed as follows:

1. Call transaction SAT. The screen appears as shown:

2. Enter a suitable name for the variant (in our case, YPERF_VARIANT) and click the Create button below it. This will take you to the Variant creation screen.

3. On the Duration and Type tab, switch on Aggregation by choosing the Per Call

Position radio-button.

4. Then, click on the Statements tab. On the Statements tab, make sure Internal

Tables, the Read Operations checkbox and the Change Operations checkbox,

and the Open SQL checkbox under Database Access are checked.

5. Save your variant. Come back to the main screen of SAT.

6. Make sure that within Data Formatting on the initial screen of SAT, the checkbox for

Determine Names of Internal Tables is selected.

7. Next, enter the name of the program that is to be traced in the field provided (in our

case, it is RIBELF00). Then click the button.

8. The screen of the program appears as shown. We will enter an order number range

and execute the program.

9. Once the program output is generated, click on the Back key to come back to

program selection screen.

10. Click on the Back key once again to generate the evaluation results.

We carried out the execution of the program through the transaction SAT and the evaluation

results were generated. On the left are the Trace Results (in tree form) listing the statements/

events with the most runtime. These are like a summary report of the entire measurement

of the program. They are listed in descending order of the Net time in microseconds and the

percentage of the total time. For example, in our case, the OPEN CURSOR event takes 68

percent of the total runtime of the program.

Selecting the Hit List tab will show the top time consumer components of the program. In this

example, the access of database tables AFRU and VBAK takes most of the time.

Double-clicking any item in the Trace Results window on the left-hand side will display (in the

Hit List area on the right-hand pane) details of contained items along with execution time

of each item. From the Hit List window, double-clicking a particular item will take us to the

relevant line in the program code. For example, when we double-click the Open Cursor VBAK

line, it will take us to the corresponding program code.

We have carried out analysis with Aggregation switched on. The switching on of Aggregation

shows one single entry for a multiple calls of a particular line of code. Because of this, the

results are less detailed and easier to read, since the hit list and the call hierarchy in the

results are much more simplified.

Also within the results, by default, the names of the internal table used are not shown.

In order for the internal table names to appear in the evaluation result, the Determine

Names checkbox of Internal tables indicator is checked.

As a general recommendation, the runtime analysis should be carried out several times for

best results. The reason being that the DB-measurement time could be dependent on a

variety of factors, such as system load, network performance, and so on.