Processing Application: Cannot find the object ApShellExtra.dbo.Audit...

While testing a new installation of BPC, I encounter an error processing an Application:

Cannot find the object "ApShellExtra.dbo.AuditActivityHdrApShell" because it does not exist or you do not have permissions.

Sure enough SQL Server Management Studio shows the table is not there. On a whim I restart the Admin client and try processing the Application again; it works!?

Turns out, after the install I always modify security to allow the BPCSysAdmin account to have full control over ApShell. Apparently those security changes weren't completely applied until I restarted.

BPC 7.0 Management Console 'User does not exist'

After installing BPC 7.0 MS the Management Console wouldn't let me view logging. The 'User does not exist' error would appear. This was a Windows Server 2003 R2 dual server environment. Using Fiddler I was seeing a 500 error, with something like 'cannot resolve server name vmw2317'. Hmmm... vmw seems like VMWare, but I was dealing with physical servers.

Looking at the web.config file, I discovered several appSettings with vmw2317 and vmw2315; these were left over by SAP during development. Changed the names to our real server names, saved the file and everything works!

BPC 7.5 MS Prerequisites

Though the install guide for BPC provides the prereqs, I find I have to bounce around in the doc to find them. Here they are as of 8/3/2011:

Pre-Requisites:

App Server: OS (pick one preferably x64):

1. Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard or Enterprise Edition with or without Hyper-V
2. Windows Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition with or without Hyper-V
   
3. Windows Server 2008 Data Center with or without Hyper-V
4. Windows Server 2003 Standard or Enterprise Edition SP2
5. Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard or Enterprise Edition SP2

Database Server: OS (pick one preferably x64):

1. Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard or Enterprise Edition with or without Hyper-V
2. Windows Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition with or without Hyper-V
   
3. Windows Server 2008 Data Center with or without Hyper-V
4. Windows Server 2003 Standard or Enterprise Edition SP2
5. Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard or Enterprise Edition SP2

Service Accounts:

1. SQL Server
   
2. BPC SysAdmin
3. BPC Admin
4. BPC User

NOTE: These are domain accounts.


Have available, but do not install:

Database (pick one):

1. SQL Server 2008: SP2 with Cumulative Update 1 for SP2.
2. SQL Server 2008 R2: Cumulative Update 5.
3. SQL Server 2005: If you wish to use 2005 ask me for SP and CU
   

BPC:

1. BPC 7.5 MS setup

Misc:

1. SQL Server 2005 Backward Compatibility Components

From SAP Marketplace website (SAP Cryptographic Software) :

1. AmyuniPDF.exe
2. XceedZip.dll

Re-installing BPC 7.5 MS

Some notes from re-installing BPC 7.5 MS.

1. Backup AppSets
2. Thru Server Manager, document existing settings
   
3. Reboot the application server
4. Rename the AppServer, ApShell and ApShellExtra databases
5. Rename the AppServer, ApShell and ApShellExtra Data folders
   
6. Uninstall BPC either thru Add and Remove Programs (Win Server 2003) or the new Win Server 2008 method
7. Remove the BPC application folder (Not the data folder)
8. Remove any remaining BPC COM+ objects
9. Remove and remaining BPC, OutlookSoft and SAP registry entries
   

SAP Central Management Console and Windows AD Authentication

When changing Domain Controllers for a UMS/CMS server you need to modify the krb5.ini file. In our case that file was located in C:\WinNT. Simply adding another kdc line, saving the file and restarting TomCat updates the system.

AD.ourdomain.COM = {
kdc = NewDCName.AD.ourdomain.COM
kdc = OldDCName.AD.ourdomain.COM
default_domain = AD.ourdomain.COM
}

Prior to this update, I was receiving this error:

Account Information Not Recognized: Active Directory Authentication
failed to log you on. Please contact your system administrator to make
sure you are a member of a valid mapped group and try again. If you are
not a member of the default domain, enter your user name as
UserName@DNS_DomainName, and then try again. (FWM 00006)

FWM 01003 null When Logging Into Central Management Console

When logging into the SAP Central Management Console used for managing security in UMS, I received the following error:

Server not found or server may be down (FWM 01003) null

Thanks to this post, it turns out that the CMS.exe process was not running. I could tell by looking in Task Manager. To start the process:

1. Run Central Configuration Manager
2. (Re)start Server Intelligence Agent
   

Business Bargains

I found this article in the June 2011 issue of Inc magazine useful. A great way for business owners to save money.