General Description of the Import Process
All activities executed by the import tool run in phases. These phases are combined into modules.
Modules have the following properties:
- They can be executed individually
- You can start them as a background process
- You can control the start time of the module
The import process is divided into the following modules:
Preparation Module
All the preparatory and test steps (including the test import and add-on conflict check) are performed in this module. This module can run during production operation.
After performing the Preparation module, you can still reset or delete the queue. If you continue with module Import 1, data in the database is changed, and you can no longer reset or delete the queue.
Module Import 1
This module executes the import of dictionary objects and, if required, modification adjustments. When using the Downtime-Minimized import mode, the inactive import of program coding and program texts also takes place.
The changes that result from dictionary imports and inactive imports are still in an inactive state in the system; the runtime system cannot “see” these changes yet. If you are sure that no manual changes are being made, and that no transports are being imported into the system, this module can also run during production operation. This is normally the case in production systems.
Module Import 2
The remaining import steps (dictionary activation, main import, after-import method execution, and so on) are executed in this module. Since the changes are imported in different transport objects and the
system is temporarily inconsistent, no productive operation should take place while this module is in process.
Note: There are software components whose installation or update does not affect the productive operation of a system, e.g. the Solution Manager Plugin components ST-PI and ST-A/PI. If the queue contains only OCS Packages of components whose vendors have confirmed, that they do not affect the productive operation, the module Import 2 can be execute during productive operation.
If you want to import a CRM system and CRM-relevant packages, you need to perform manual steps in module Import 2.
Clean Up Module
All cleanup steps are performed in this module. The most important of these is the adjustment of modifications in the repository objects. When all modifications have been adjusted, production operation may resume.
Since the package import process can be stopped after each module, modules Preparation and Import 1 can run during productive operation. After the system has switched to non-productive operation, as scheduled, module Import 2 and, if required, the modification adjustment can be performed. Productive operation can then resume.
Note: In the time between Preparation and Import 2 no transports can take place (apart from the modification adjustment, if required) and no manual changes can be made to repository objects (ABAP programs, Dictionary objects).
