HOW TO RUN SAP CODE INSPECTOR

TO DO STATIC ABAP PERFORMANCE

CHECK?
FEBRUARY 3, 2016 ERIC 1 COMMENT

In my post SAP project Application Development Performance Control, I

mentioned we can validate SAP ABAP program performance via static
performance check and dynamic performance testing. Static
performance check and Dynamic Performance testing complements each
other to make sure that program developed has good performance. It is
mentioned that we can use SAP code inspector (SAP transaction SCI) to
do static performance check on SAP ABAP program. SAP code inspector can
scan through an ABAP program source code line by line to identify common
performance pitfalls. In this post, I would share how to run SAP code
inspector to do this. This post would cover.

. Quick start on how to run SAP code inspector to do static code view,

Details of steps of running SAP code inspector,

Advanced way of running SAP SCI and

Further info on SAP SCI, SQLM and SWLT tools.

1. Quick start on how to run SAP code

inspector to do static code view on Single
Object
1. Run SAP code inspector transaction SCI in any SAP window,
2. Go to Create inspection function by clicking create inspection
button on the initial screen of code inspector,
3. Specify Single ABAP object or Single transport and a list of
performance check attributes on the 2nd screen of code inspector,
4. Execute the inspection by clicking execution button on the
2nd screen,
5. Review the inspection results.

2. Details of steps of running SAP code

inspector

2.1 Run SAP code inspector transaction SCI.

To start SAP code inspector, I typed in SAP transaction code /nSCI in the
command window of my SAP screen (as showed in following screen) and hit
return key to start the SCI transaction.

Figure 1 Start SAP inspector

2.2 Go to Create inspection function

Following the hitting return key in 2.1 step, initial screen of SAP SCI
appeared.

Figure 2 SAP Code Inspector Initial screen

I clicked create button in Figure 2, then following screen appeared.

Figure 3 SAP code inspector specification screen

Assuming that this was the very first time I run SCI in the system, I do not
have any check variant created so I need to specify my check options
manually by checking related boxes in Figure 3.

2.3 Specify Single ABAP object or Single

transport and a list of performance check
attributes
I need to do static performance check on an ABAP program. So I entered
following data and unchecked security check options except Performance
check in Figure 3 and I expanded Performance checks to show a list of
performance items checked as Figure 4.

Figure 4 SAP code inspector check on single ABAP object

2.4 Execute the check

I was glad with my input, then I clicked execution button( red circled in
Figure 4) to let the code inspector to do static performance check.

2.5 Review result of SAP code inspection

Upon completion of SCI execution in above step, SAP Code inspector
displayed a result screen showed as in Figure 5.

Figure 5 SAP code inspector checking result

SAP classifies the checking result into 3 classes error, warning and
information. SAP provides several features to help you navigate through the
result screen this is helpful many objects are collectively checked with
many errors and warning.
In figure 5, static performance check on the code find no error but 4
warning. To see details, I clicked result list button and I got following
screen (Figure 6).

F
igure 6 SAP code inspector result list
I double clicked the program line in Figure 6 to see the corresponding ABAP
source line related to Nested loops

Figure 7 SAP code inspector Detection of Nested Loop

With above information, I can discuss with ABAP developer on the concern
and reach the decision on whether this should be fixed or exempted before
the change can be moved to production.
So far, what I showed is a quick start to use SAP code inspector to do static
performance check on a single ABAP object and review the result. This is
good enough for one time check on single object (ABAP or transport request).
But there are several limitations/disadvantages to run SCI this way:

SCI result would not be saved by SAP. You have to download the SCI
result manually before you quite from SAP SCI transaction if you would like
to keep the result.
You can check only single transport or single ABAP object during each
execution,
You have to enter object name each time you need to check the ABAP
object and

You have to specify the list of checks every time manually when you
execute the SCI. You can use existing check variant but you have no
control on the check variant which you are not responsible for.
If I would like to refer to the static performance check result in the SAP SCI in
the future, or I need another person to review the check result via SAP SCI,
or I need to check a lot of objects, or if I always do the same set of checks
and hate to click those options one by one every time, or is there any option
to execute the check in background to avoid timeout or make execution
faster when I have a lots of objects to check? Can SAP SCI allow me to do so?
Yes, I called it advanced way of running SAP SCI.

3. Advanced way of running SAP SCI

SAP SCI provides several ways for you to define an object set which contains
the ABAP objects to be checked. SAP SCI allows you to define a check variant
to contain a list of check attribute you like to have so you can use it for
similar check again and again. SAP SCI can save the inspection result if you
give it a name during execution. SAP SCI provides background options to
avoid timeout and parallel execution option to speed up the execution.

3.1 Define a check variant for regular checks

you do normally
Most of time, I use SCI to do performance check and I normally focus on
reading table without index, nested-loop, by-passing SAP buffer etc. I would
like to create a SAP SCI check variant to contain the list of performance
checks I need so I do not enter them every time in the future. 3 steps:
1.
Name your check variant,
2.
Select a list of checks you need and
3.
Save your variant
I named my variant ERIC_PERF_DB (free text for all names in SAP SCI), then
I clicked create button highlighted in Figure 8.

Figure 8 SAP SCI name check variant

Following clicking on the create button, following screen showed up with a
list of checks which I can choose from.

Figure 9 SAP SCI a list of available check

If you would like to understand more about each checking category, you can
click the Info button, SAP would pop up a screen to tell you what the check
category is for.
Since I am interested in performance only, I checked following choices by
clicking the white square boxes.

Figure 10 SAP SCI choose check category and associated check attribute
I saved the ERIC_PERF_DB variant by clicking the Save button. You can
see that my variant is to focus on SQL statements and targeted for programs
which mainly spends runtime on database access. For such programs, it
makes no sense for SAP SCI to check low performance operations on
internal tables etc
You can display, change, copy and delete an existing variant by clicking
correspond buttons in the check variant section of SAP SCI initial screen.

3.2 Define a object set for SAP SCI check

If you would like to check a lot of objects repeatedly, it is tedious to enter
each object every time you run SAP SCI transaction. If there are many
objects in a package or in a function group etc. it is tedious to list each object
in a package or a function group etc. SAP SCI provides several ways to allow
you to specify a set of objects to be checked together by SAP SCI transaction.
Following are steps to define the object set.
1.
2.

1. Name your object set,

Enter your object sets directly or adopt objects from existing object
sets created by you or other people earlier you and
3.
Save your object set.
I named my variant ERIC _DB_EXTENSIVE_REPORTS, then I clicked create
button highlighted in Figure 11.

Figure 11 SAP SCI name Object set

Following clicking on the create button, following screen (Figure 12)
showed up with several tabs to give you a lot of options to allow you
efficiently to specify objects.

Figure 12 SAP SCI options for specifying check objects

Here, I am only going to check several programs. So I uncheck all options
first, then I checked Program Options and click arrow button highlighted
in Figure 12 to enter a list of objects.

Figure 13 SAP SCI Sample ABAP objects

Figure 13 is a list of sample objects I specified, then click continue button,
and SAP returned me to the Object set screen below.

Figure 14 SAP SCI Objects specified

At last, I clicked Save button circled in red color in above Figure 14 to save
my object set ERIC _DB_EXTENSIVE_REPORTS.
So far, I have defined check variant ERIC_PERF_DB and Object set ERIC
_DB_EXTENSIVE_REPORTS using SAP code inspector. It is time to run SAP
SCI to do the needed checks specified in check variant against those objects
through the defined object set.

3.3 Create SAP SCI inspection with a name

for future reference

If you enter a name for SCI inspection, the SCI static checking result would
be saved in SAP database upon completion so this can be reviewed using the
name via SCI in the future. When you have a big object set and SAP SCI
returns a long list of result. You might need more than one person to review
the SCI result as well. So naming an inspection has at least following benefits
1.
Save the result for the future reference,
2.
Separate SCI execution and result reviewing,
3.
Allow several people to work on the long list of SAP inspection result.
I named my SCI static check or Inspection as
ERIC_CHECK_DB_EXPENSIVE_REP, then I click create button highlighted in
Figure 15

Figure 15 SAP SCI advanced usage name the inspection

Following the click, I got following Inspection screen where I used option
object set and entered the set I created earlier
ERIC_DB_EXTENSIVE_REPORTS and Selected ERIC_PERF_DB check variant
as showed in Figure 16. You can use pull-down button to choose your options
from a list.

Figure 16 SAP SCI using object set and check variant

With specified object set and designated check variant, I click
execution button circled in red in Figure 16 to kick off the inspection. After
SAP code inspector finished checking/inspection, I got following result screen.

Figure 17 SAP SCI result screen for named inspection

In Figure 17, you can click button circled in red color to review the
inspection result. You can filter the result and sort result as well via buttons
showed in Figure 17. The green button before the name of inspection
indicates that SCI is executed successfully for the inspection.

3.4 Execute SAP SCI in background or using

parallel solution
When there is a lot of objects to be inspected, the execution can be long. SAP
SCI provides execution options to allow you to execute it online or execute
it in background using parallel processing.

Figure 18 SAP SCI execution options

I clicked the button circled in red in Figure 18. I need to run the inspection in
background job and via parallel solution controlled by the server group
defined by RZ12, so I specified input based on my environment as showed in
Figure 19.

Figure 19 SAP SCI selected execution option

Number in red in Figure 19 indicates sequence of operations in executing the
inspection via options. Figure 20 shows the job name SAP SCI created in this
case. The job name convention = CODEINSP_ + Inspection name + _Version.

Figure 20 SAP SCI background job for inspection

Here, Server group and parallel processing is provided as an option to do
static performance check. If you are interested, you can refer to my post
on how to create SAP server group via RZ12 and refer to my post on
general introduction on SAP parallel processing.

4. Further info on SCI, SQLM and SWLT

You properly noticed that static performance check on ABAP code is just one
of checks offered by SAP code inspector. You can do other checks in the
same fashion I mentioned here for performance check. SAP code inspector is
focusing coding technique not logic. So it would not tell you logic/design

issue like you execute a operation at sale order line item level while the
operation only need to execute once for one sale order.
ABAP code review for static check can be done manually but manual check
has many disadvantages like cost, inconsistent result and painful.
SAP code inspector is integrated with SAP object creation and editor tool like
SE11 data dictionary, SE38 (ABAP program editor), SE37, SE24 (class
builder) and etc. As a developer, you can call SAP code inspector in the tool
to do static check directly. Such check is done via Default check variant
defined by the developer. For example, SAP developer can invoke the code
inspector to do static check from the same SE38 screen where code changes
are made.
SAP code inspector is doing a static check based on a predefined set of
criteria. It has no information on actual usage of ABAP code in production
environment or how big a table is Due to business changes, a code
which is executed frequently might be obsoleted over time. You do not
spend effort on an obsoleted codes due to code inspector complaining for
that purpose, SAP has introduced another tool SWLT to integrated code
inspector result with SQL usage information from SQL monitor which might
help drive priority of fixes some times. In my understanding, SAP SWLT and
SAP SQLM is targeted for Hana migration and Hana environment. I would
cover SAP tool SWLT and SQL monitor in the future.