Kernel can be defined as a set of executable to run the SAP system.

The procedure to upgrade the kernel is as follows:

• First of all we need to make sure that the desired SAP kernel version is compatible with the existing OS Kernel version and SAP product versions with the help of product availability matrix (PAM).

• After deciding the target kernel version, download the DB independent, DB ependent files (SAPEXE_..SAR and SAPEXEDB_..SAR) and place them in the server.

• [ ] Create Folder:

  • [ ] /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]
  • [ ] /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_pack_EXE
  • [ ] /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_pack_nonEXE
  • [ ] /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_unpack_ALL

• [ ] Upload Resource:

  • [ ] SAPEXE*.SAR & SAPEXEDB*.SAR --> /<upload folder>/newSAPKL_pack_EXE
  • [ ] the others --> /<upload folder>/newSAPKL_pack_nonEXE

• [ ] Unpack kernel (in order):

  • [ ] unpack kernel from newSAPKL_pack_EXE to newSAPKL_unpack_ALL

    • [ ] cp -rp SAPCAR /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_pack_EXE

    • [ ] cd /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_pack_EXE

      ./SAPCAR -xvf "SAPEXE*.SAR" -R /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_unpack_ALL

  • [ ] unpack kernel from newSAPKL_pack_nonEXE to newSAPKL_unpack_ALL

    • [ ] cp -rp SAPCAR /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_pack_nonEXE

    • [ ] cd /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_pack_nonEXE

      ./SAPCAR -xvf "*.sar" -R /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_unpack_ALL

      ./SAPCAR -xvf "*.SAR" -R /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_unpack_ALL

• [ ] Permission:

  • [ ] cd /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_unpack_ALL
  • [ ] chown –R <sid>adm:sapsys *

• [ ] Pre-kernel folder:

  • [ ] cp -rp /sapmnt/<SID>/exe/uc/linuxx86_64 /sapmnt/<SID>/exe/uc/linuxx86_64.wait4mix
  • [ ] cp -rp /<upload folder>_[yy:mm:dd]/newSAPKL_unpack_ALL/* /sapmnt/<SID>/exe/uc/linuxx86_64.wait4mix/
  • [ ] mv /sapmnt/<SID>/exe/uc/linuxx86_64.wait4mix /sapmnt/<SID>/exe/uc/linuxx86_64.mixed
  • [ ] cd /sapmnt/<SID>/exe/uc/linuxx86_64.mixed
  • [ ] ./saproot.sh <SID>

• [ ] kernel switch

  cd /sapmnt/<SID>/exe/uc/

  mv linuxx86_64 linuxx86_64.bak.[yy:mm:dd]

  mv **linuxx86_64.mixed** linuxx86_64

<aside> 💡 Note:

1. Only the SAPEXE_***.***.SAR file is required when doing kernel upgrade for a web-dispatcher or diagnostic agent.

2. The kernel is copied from the global directory to the local directories and application specific directories which are as below.

   Global: /sapmnt/<SID>/exe/uc/linuxx86_64

   Local: /usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/exe/uc/linuxx86_64

   Application: /usr/sap/<SID>/D*/exe*

3. There may be situations when the kernel version is not reflecting at the application layer, we may have to copy the executable manually to the local directories and application specific directories.

4. If the applied Kernel has compatibility issues with the OS kernel version or SAP products installed, it can be traced out in the work directory logs. (This happens only in cases when the compatibility is not checked in the product availability matrix prior to doing the kernel upgrade).

5. There are other upgrades such as tp, igs.. and other executable which can be explicitly upgraded in the same fashion as per the requirement or as a workaround to the current problem being faced. </aside>