Wondering what ANST is? Do not feel sad. You are not the only one who is hearing ANST for the first time. SAP is like a vast ocean and no one can claim to know every drop of that ocean. Just to make your heart lighter, even we did not know about ANST until few weeks ago. 
ANST is the abbreviation for Automated Note Search Tool.
This article is intended to share awareness on the new supportability tools available in SAP to improve productivity while addressing standard issues through OSS notes in SAP applications.
Note: This article will be updated frequently with relevant supportability tools to help application developers troubleshoot SAP application issues.
Also Read: SAP Fiori Tutorial. Part VI. How to Troubleshoot SAP Fiori Errors?
Introduction
At times, searching SAP notes for any bugs or errors in an SAP application can be a time-consuming activity, and more often developers spend most of their time on below activities to identify the root cause.
- Search for most appropriate and relevant SAP note to fix the issue
- Identify if any custom code has impacted the standard business functionality
- Identify if any of the configuration table entries are missing
- Identify possible objects from where you can start the debugging
With the introduction of new supportability tool like Automated Note Search Tool available from release SAP Basis release 700, efforts to identify OSS notes for any errors in standard or custom applications can be reduced drastically.
The tool not only helps you to identify the relevant OSS note, but also supports features to identify impact due to custom code, missing configuration entries and possible objects to start your debugging.
ANST Availability
Released for all support packages with release 740.
Software Component Release Package name
- SAP_BASIS 700 SAPKB70028
- SAP_BASIS 701 SAPKB70113
- SAP_BASIS 702 SAPKB70213
- SAP_BASIS 731 SAPKB73106
The transaction to start the tool is named ANST_SEARCH_TOOL
After support package with note 1915529 the transaction has been renamed to ANST
Software Component Release Package name
- SAP_BASIS 700 SAPKB70030
- SAP_BASIS 700 SAPKB70030
- SAP_BASIS 701 SAPKB70115
- SAP_BASIS 702 SAPKB70215
- SAP_BASIS 731 SAPKB73111
- SAP_BASIS 740 SAPKB74005
Pre-requisites before using the tool.
Authorizations required
- Auth object: S_TCODE: Transaction ANST
- Auth object: S_TCODE: Transaction SNOTE: For the note search
- Auth object: S_DATASET: Authorizations for file access
- Auth object: S_ALV_LAYO: for displaying/editing ALV lists
- Auth object: S_GUI GUI activities (for example, download / upload)
SAP notes to be implemented
- 2361155 – ANST: Change user on start & stop functionality
- 2469123 – ANST: Remove identification of irrelevant SAP Notes
- 2286869 – ANST: Trace On/Off error “Dynamic Start and Stop cancelled by user”
Also Check: Web Service in SAP – Part III – Testing & Investigation Tips
Overview on Automated Note Search Tool
The Automated Notes Search Tool (ANST) is an application that searches for SAP Notes in order to solve problems in SAP applications, specifically those SAP Notes that have correction instructions.
It helps SAP customers to find SAP Notes in order to solve a specific issue and works based on the issue replication at the customer system. When an issue is reproduced on the customer’s system, the list of application components that are involved is displayed and a note search is performed on the application component where the problem exists.
Key Features
- Search for SAP notes
- Customer code identification related to the bug
- Identify missing customizing tables entries
- Identify the possible objects from where debugging can be triggered.
How ANST works?
ANST works in 3 simple steps.
- Identify an issue
- Replicate the issue through ANST
- Execute the trace to identify and implement the note
Step 1 – For any error reported in SAP application, depending on the support pack, execute transaction ANST or ANST_SEARCH_TOOL and then choose the most appropriate option to replicate the issue.
Step 2 – Once, the issue is replicated navigate back to ANST. A trace will be generated and grouped based on application component as shown below.
From here, you can either search for a Note, Custom Code or missing Customizing table entries that may be the potential reason for this issue.
In Our case, we will select the appropriate component and click on note search to identify the relevant SAP note.
Step 3 – Based on the component selected, list of relevant SAP notes will be displayed. After this, you need to identify the most appropriate SAP Note and implement it. You can display the note directly from here and also download the note if required.
Also Watch – End to End Free Video Course on HANA, ABAP7.4, OData and Debugging
Additional Considerations while using ANST
- ANST search will be optimize if there are a smaller number of objects, the search is based on objects presents inside the generated trace, so replicate the issue with minimal steps involved.
- Maintain RFC destination SAPSNOTE in SM59 pointing to SAP OSS system, this is required by ANST and the search depends on the RFC connection. You maintain in the settings options available in ANST.
- Ensure you read SAP Note before implementation if it really matches to your problematic scenario.
- When using it for the first time and you get an error message: “Fatal Error. Customizing table is not filled.” Refer the SAP Note: 1909768.
- When you are using ANST for a web application and you get an error message: “Web trace cancelled by the user.” Refer SAP Note: 1885730. After following this if the error still occurs then raise a ticket.
- If you could not find any relevant SAP Note which can solve the issue, then report the case to SAP support by raising a ticket to BC-UPG-NA component.
And finally, I would like to end this blog by introducing the new exciting addition by ANST to Support of FIORI Apps:
- This feature is available as of note 2605555 – ANST: Enhancement to support Fiori applications
To summarize, certainly, a good addition by SAP to improve productivity and expedite issue resolution in standard or custom applications by identifying and implementing OSS notes, custom program implications and missing configuration entries.
Do you have any other tool which you believe can help others. If yes, please do share it with us. Your feedback would help us create even better future articles. So, please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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