SAP ECC Support Package Stack (SPS) Update Checklist
This checklist covers applying a support package stack (SPS) to SAP ECC 6.0, from choosing the stack to validating production. It separates the decision (note, SPS or EHP), preparation, the import with SUM or SPAM, modification adjustment and testing.
0 of 29 items complete
7 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.
Decide
Prepare
Apply
Post-processing
Validate
Critical items cover the mistakes that cause failed imports or a landscape out of sync: no SPAM update, different stacks per system and manual adjustment in production.
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Types of update in SAP ECC
There are three levels of change. A single SAP Note, applied with SNOTE, fixes one issue. A support package or support package stack brings the components to a newer patch level without new functionality; this is the routine SP upgrade in SAP and also the main channel for security fixes. An enhancement package upgrade (for example EHP6 to EHP8) brings new software versions and new business functions you may activate. A component upgrade, such as moving one add-on to a new release, sits between these. The checklist is for SPS updates; for EHP upgrades use the EHP8 readiness checklist.
- SNOTE: one correction, quick, but many notes become hard to manage
- SPS: tested combination of support packages for all components
- EHP: new versions, done with SUM
SUM or SPAM
SPAM (transaction SPAM, Support Package Manager) imports support packages for ABAP components in queues. SUM (Software Update Manager) handles full stacks, kernel switches and EHP upgrades, and offers downtime-minimised options. SAP recommends SUM for applying complete stacks; SPAM remains common for smaller updates to individual components. In both cases, first import the latest SPAM/SAINT update, because older versions of the tool may not handle newer packages correctly.
Worked example: security-driven SPS
A plant's ECC 6.0 EHP7 system has 40 security notes applied with SNOTE over two years. The team chooses a recent SPS for EHP7, checks that it contains most of those notes, and calculates the stack in Maintenance Planner. In DEV the SPAM update goes first, then the queue. SPDD shows four dictionary objects and SPAU 60 objects, most of them notes that SPAU resets because the SPS now contains them. The adjustments go into two transports. QAS and PRD use the same queue, and the registered transports apply the adjustments automatically, so PRD downtime is close to the measured import time.
Common mistakes
Skipping the SPAM update. Importing different stacks into DEV and PRD because a new SPS appeared in between. Re-doing SPAU manually in production instead of reusing the adjustment transports. Forgetting that some stacks require a newer kernel. Treating Patch Day notes as optional because an SPS is planned in six months. Not testing interfaces, which are where side effects of support packages usually appear first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an SP upgrade in SAP?
It is applying support packages, usually as a support package stack, to bring SAP components to a newer patch level. It fixes errors and security issues and adds legal changes, but does not add new business functions the way an enhancement package upgrade does.
Why must I update SPAM/SAINT first?
Newer support packages can rely on features of the latest Support Package Manager version. Importing them with an older SPAM can fail or behave unpredictably, so SPAM shows a warning if a newer SPAM/SAINT update exists. Import it first in each system, then load your queue.
How do security notes relate to support packages?
SAP publishes security notes on Patch Day, the second Tuesday of each month. Each note lists the support packages that contain the fix. You can apply urgent notes with SNOTE now and pick them up permanently with the next SPS, when SPAU will let you reset the note corrections.
Do I adjust SPAU again in QAS and PRD?
Not if you set it up properly. Collect the SPDD and SPAU adjustments in transport requests in DEV and mark them for reuse. When the same queue is imported in QAS and PRD, SPAM or SUM offers the adjustment transports and applies them, which keeps systems consistent and downtime shorter.
If you want your Basis team to ask ECC about component levels, open notes and job health in plain English on your own servers, we can set that up.
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