01. What is sap profile

01. What is profile

SAP profiles are operating system files that contain instance configuration information. SAP systems can consist of one or more instances. Individual configuration parameters can be customized to the requirements of each instance. You can use these parameters to configure the following:

1.    The runtime environment of the instance (resources such as main memory size, shared memory, roll size)

2.    Which services the instance itself provides (work processes)

3.    Where other services can be found (database host)

02. Profile Types

There are several types of profiles available on the SAP R/3 system for correct setup and configuration. These profiles are as follows:

A. Start Profile

The start profile is an operating system file that defines which R/3 services are started. The start profile is a parameter file which is read by the startsap program. Among the services which the start profile can initiate is the message server, the gateway, dialog, enqueue, system log collector and log sender programs, or any other locally defined program.

The start profile is located under the /usr/sap/<SID>/profile directory. These profiles are generated automatically by SAP when the system is first installed. Depending on the release version, the names assigned are either START_<instance_name> or START_<instance_name>_<hostname>; for example,

START_DVEBMGS00, START_D01_copi02, where DVEBMGS00 and D01 are instance names and copi02 is the hostname of instance D01.

In short the start profile, which defines the R/3 services to start. There might be as many start profiles as instances.

B. Default Profile

The SAP default profile is an operating system file which contains parameter values used by all application servers from the same SAP system.

The name for this profile cannot be changed. It is always called DEFAULT.PFL. The default profile, like all other profiles, is located in the common profile directory of the R/3 system: /usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/profile.

There is always one active default profile. Default profiles are also called system profiles and global profile.

In short the default profile, which acts as a common configuration of profile values for instances taking part of the SAP system. There is only one default profile in a SAP system. This is also called global profile.

C. Instance Profiles

The instance profiles are the third type of profiles and are very important for providing the SAP instances with lots of parameters which directly affect the configuration and resources for the application servers.

The instance parameters typically define how many and what type of work processes are to be started for an instance. They also define the amount of shared memory, the allocation of buffer space and related pools, the instance default login language, and so forth. Parameters set in the instance profiles have precedence over the same ones defined in the default profile.

Instance profiles are automatically generated by the R3setup utility when an instance (dialog or central) is installed. By default, the name assigned to them has the format: <SID>_<instancename> or <SID>_<instancename>_<hostname>, but you can choose any name for them. If you choose a different name

than the standard, you should modify accordingly the start profiles to reflect the new names.

In short the instance profile, which contains specific instance parameter values. There might be as many as the number of instances.

Note: Sap startup profile has been merged in sap instance profile on s ECC6 EHP7 onward there are only two sap profile Default and Instance Profiles.

03. Profiles Maintenance

To see a list of all profile parameters in a SAP instance, you can run the standard SAP report, RSPARAM or RSPFPAR.

To change profile parameter use tcode RZ10 (static) and RZ11 (dynamic).