Transports hang during background steps

When you export a transport request in the Workbench or the Customizing organizer (Transaction SE01, SE09, SE10):

A dialog box displays a message that the objects are exported. However, the export does not close even after a longer waiting period. The request has the status "open" when you go to the transport log display, and you receive the message that no logs were found or that the ADO (application-defined object) export has not yet been executed.

When you import one or more transport requests on the operating system level with tp:

tp does not close even after a long waiting period.

In the section Solution, you find a description on how the symptoms vary in detail for the different error scenarios, and the suitable solution for each case.
Examine the SLOG file in the transport directory first and compare your error scenario with the situations described here before you consider one of the solutions.

1. Symptom:

a) The last line in the SLOG file that starts with "START" or "STOP" has the form
START tp_getprots ......

b) Transports which were started with the transport control program tp do not exit. In the tp log file SLOG, the following messages are periodically written:
Background job not running properly. Function: ... Jobcount: ... Status: S
Please check the system. Use Transactions SM21, SM37, SM50.


Solution

The solution to this depends on whether the background processes are just temporarily over-used, or whether a long-term bottleneck exists.
If the capacity overload is only caused by one or two very lengthy background jobs that are not regularly scheduled, a little patience is the best remedy. After these jobs terminate, the transport programs will also exit correctly.
The number of background processes or application servers which are used to process background jobs should be increased if the capacity overload for background processing is long-term. Details for this can be found in the "BC System Administration" manual, in chapter 4 (Configure Background Processing).
The Transactions SM50 (process overview of an application server), SM51 (overview of the application servers) and SM37 (overview of background jobs) can be used for analysis. Details for this can also be found in the "BC System Administration" manual in chapter 4.

    If the batch jobs do not start despite of free BTC processes, you can work around the problem by scheduling those "hanging" jobs again using Transaction SM37 (Job -> Repeat scheduling -> Immediate). It is important that you repeat the job scheduling as user DDIC (the user under which the original job had been scheduled).
    According to our experience, the batch system will work without problems afterwards.
2. Symptom:

a) The last line in the SLOG file that starts with "START" or "STOP" has the form
START tp_getprot.......

b) If you log on as the DDIC user in the client 000 of the SAP System and start the RDDIMPDP report, the system generates error message PU029:

Header ...: job ... is running

Solution:

 Using transaction SM37 (job overview), check whether all jobs displayed as "Active" are actually active.

        a) Log on as the DDIC user to client 000.

        b) Call transaction SM37.

        c) Choose the selections:

                    Job name: RDD*

                    User: DDIC

                    Selection date: leave these fields empty

                    Only jobs with the status 'Active'.

        d) For the resulting list, check the job status for each entry. You will find this function under the option "Job".

        e) If you find a job that does not run even though it is displayed as "Active" in the status, reset this job to "Terminated" as suggested.

        f) If the transport control program (tp) continued to run during these examinations, the transport control program will continue its work after this correction. Otherwise, start the transport control program with the same parameters as during the last call for which you noticed hanging transports. If you do not know the parameters or are not sure, start the following call:

        tp getprots <SID>

3. Symptom:

a) The last line in the SLOG file that starts with "START" or "STOP" has the form
START tp_getprot.......

b) After the above line, you find in the SLOG file, and in addition to further messages, a line of the form:
        Background job not running properly. Function: ... Jobcount: ... Status: Y
        This line can occur repeatedly.


Solution:

Log on to the SAP system as the DDIC user. Call transaction SM37. Enter the following search criteria:

                    Job name: RDD*

                    User: DDIC

                    Selection date: leave these fields empty

                    Only jobs with status "Ready".

              If an entry is found, position the cursor on the job name and use the menu item "Job -> Display" and on the following screen the menu item "Process -> Job details". On the following screen, you find the ID number of the job. Compare this number to the number which is referred to as "Jobcount" in the above SLOG message. (If several jobs were selected, examine all jobs this way). If the ID number should match the Jobcount entered, an unexpected status is contained in the batch system.

              This status could indicate a permanent error in the batch system. Refer to Note: 37104.

              If the unexpected status of the entire batch system was only temporary, then you can solve the problem for the transport as follows:

        a) To maintain the TRJOB table, use Transaction SM31.

        b) Select the entry which matches the above SLOG message concerning the value "Function" and "Jobcount". Delete this entry.

        c) If the transport control program continued running during these examinations and did not make any progress due to the temporary problem in the batch system, the transport control program (tp) will continue its work as soon as you have corrected the above error. Otherwise, start the transport control program with the same parameters as during the last call for which you noticed hanging transports. If you do not know the parameters or are not sure, start the following call:

        tp getprots <SID>

4. Symptom:

a) The last line in the SLOG file that starts with "START" or "STOP" has the form
START tp_getprot.......

b) After the above line, you find in the SLOG file, and in addition to further messages, a line of the form:
        Background job not running properly. Function: ... Jobcount: ... Status: P
        This line can occur repeatedly.

             
Solution:

a) Check the authorizations of the DDIC user in client 000 and in the client to which you want to import the transport. Logon to both clients as a DDIC user and execute the RDDNEWPP report (transaction SA38 or SE38). If the report does not end with the success message:

        PU006 Background job ... was successfully ... scheduled in the client.

        the authorizations of the DDIC user must then be enhanced in the respective client.

b) To do this, logon to the respective client under a user that is authorized for user maintenance. Change the authorizations of the DDIC user in user maintenance (Transaction SU01). Give the DDIC user the authorization for scheduling and starting background jobs. We deliver the authorization S_BTCH_ALL and S_BTCH_ADM (depending on the release) for this.

              Afterwards, apply the following correction steps in Release 3.0E or earlier:

 c) Log on to the SAP system as the DDIC user. Call transaction SM37. Enter the following search criteria:

                    Job name: RDD*

                    User: DDIC

                    Selection date: leave these fields empty

                    Only jobs with statuses "Scheduled".

d) If an entry is found, position the cursor on the job name, and use the menu item "Job -> Display" and on the following screen the menu item "Process -> Job details". On the following screen, you find the ID number of the job. Compare this number to the number which is referred to as "Jobcount" in the above SLOG message. (If several jobs were selected, examine all jobs this way). If the ID number matches the specified job count, delete this job.

e) Position the cursor in the list of the selected jobs on the job to be deleted, and choose "Job ->Delete".

 f) If the transport control program (tp) continued to run during these examinations, the transport control program will continue its work after this correction. Otherwise, start the transport control program with the same parameters as during the last call for which you noticed hanging transports. If you do not know the parameters or are not sure, start the following call:

        tp getprots <SID>

5. Symptom:

a) The last line in the SLOG file that starts with "START" or "STOP" has the form
START tp_getprot.......

b) If you log on as the DDIC user in client 000 of the SAP System and start the RDDIMPDP report, the system generates the following message (PU014):

                       Header ...: No actions currently required

Solution:

a) Log on as the DDIC user to client 000.

b) To maintain the TRBAT table, use Transaction SM31.

c) Check whether you can find the following entries in the table:

                    An entry, in the "Request" field that has the value "HEADER", and that the "Return code" field has the value "F".

                    At least one additional entry that has the same value as the first entry in the field "Fct." and that has the value "8888" or "9999" in the "Return code" field.

d) For the first entry ("HEADER"), change the value in the "Return code" field from "F" to "B", and save this change.

e) If the transport control program (tp) continued to run during these examinations, the transport control program will continue its work after this correction. Otherwise, start the transport control program with the same parameters as during the last call for which you noticed hanging transports. If you do not know the parameters or are not sure, start the following call:

        tp getprots <SID>

              Note: This error scenario can no longer occur as of Release 3.0F.