The SAS
RFC Server can perform batch mode processing of RFC calls to the SAP
system. Users who submit interactive RFC calls to the SAP system might
encounter time-out limitations. This occurs when interactive SAP jobs
exceed the default processing time-out limit of 10 minutes.
By allowing batch mode
processing of RFC calls to the SAP system, time-out limitations for
interactive SAP dialog processes are resolved. Batch mode processing
is often used to reduce the use of dialog processes and to reduce
the impact of extractions—a SAS program reading the tables
and views of the SAP system by means of the SAP LIBNAME engine—on
the SAP system. Batch processes usually run at a lower priority. Batch
mode processes of RFC calls can also help control the number of simultaneous
extractions.
The ABAP program that
is normally generated (by another ABAP program) executes a requested
read and join operation on one or more database tables. When operating
in batch mode, the SAS RFC Server creates and releases an SAP job
to execute this ABAP program. The SAS RFC Server then waits for the
job that is running the ABAP program to start and to recall the SAS
RFC Server. Finally, the resulting data stream (that the SAS RFC
Server receives from the SAP system) is passed on to the SAP LIBNAME
engine.
LIBNAME or data set option: BATCH | BATCH_MODE | BATCHMODE=
0|1|Y|N
Indicates whether the
SAS RFC Server should use SAP batch jobs for the data extracts.
RFC uses batch jobs
to extract R/3 data
RFC uses dialog processes
to extract R/3 data
The default value
for this option is N.
To submit batch requests
to the SAS RFC Server, you must set up an RFC destination and a variant
for the /
SAS/Z_SAS_READ ABAP program for each SAS RFC Server instance.
Before the SAS RFC Server can execute requests as a batch job, follow
these steps.
-
Create a SAS RFC Server
destination. For each SAS RFC Server that accesses an SAP system,
a destination must be set up on that SAP system. The program ID and
the gateway information defined in the destination are used to register
the SAS RFC Server on an SAP gateway. If you use two SAS RFC Servers
to read data from one SAP application server, you must set up two
RFC destinations on that SAP application server. If you omit gateway
information from the SM59 destination, the batch job can run only
on the R/3 server that is defined in the SAS LIBNAME statement for
the request. If you enter explicit gateway information in the SM59
destination information, the batch job runs on any eligible R/3 server
as determined by the SAP site batch configuration. Omitting gateway
information is typically used in small SAP configurations such as
test, QA, and single-server systems. In production environments, it
is preferable to have the jobs run on a server that the SAP batch
system allocates.
-
Create a variant of
ABAP program /
SAS/Z_SAS_READ. After defining the destination for the
SAS RFC Server, you need to make the RFC destination known to the
ABAP program by creating a variant for the ABAP program. The concept
of variants provides a way of parameterizing ABAP programs. For each
defined destination, you must create a variant that references the
destination. Variants are client-dependent.
-
For more information
about the setup of SAS RFC Server destinations and variants, see
Installation Instructions—SAS/ACCESS Interface to R3.