Database Reference
In-Depth Information
• When was this problem first noticed?
• What changed recently before the problem started appearing?
• Do you notice the problem for every user in the system?
• Does the problem affect all systems or is it limited to only one system?
• Is the problem reproducible or does it occur sporadically?
• Do you get any specific error message when this issue is noticed?
Detective Work
To become successful in troubleshooting, you should develop the mind set of a detective.
You should gather evidence in the system after asking relevant questions, and sometimes
need to piece together information from different sources before you can get to the root
cause of the problem.
Know What Is Normal So You Can Diagnose What Is Not Normal
Studying and understanding the concepts will help you understand what the normal behavi-
or is in the system. If you know this, then it will become easy to spot an abnormal system
behavior, aiding in quick resolution of the issue at hand.
Tool Choice
Spend a lot of time getting to know your tools and the location of the log and trace files.
This will come in handy in enabling you to troubleshoot the issue quickly.
Search
It is truly amazing how much technical information is available on the Internet that is freely
available to everyone. In the last few years the ability to search and qualify and use informa-
tion, or piece together several sources of information, has become a vital skill in every SAP
Basis administrator's tool kit. Searches can be performed using a variety of generic search
engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, as well as SAP-hosted specific site searches,
such as SAP Developer Network (SDN) and SAP Service Marketplace. Online knowledge
repositories such as Wikipedia and blogs also help significantly in troubleshooting the prob-
lem. Somewhere, someone likely has faced a similar issue, and there is a resolution posted
in the online forums and discussion boards. With the exponential growth of software and
hardware technologies, the ability to learn and apply knowledge dynamically is becoming
an extremely important skill not only for a SAP Basis administrator but for every informa-
tion technology professional.
