Best Scenario-Based Questions for SAP Basis (Real Interview Q&A)

Approach: Prepared OS & HANA DB prerequisites, executedSAPinst, and aligned instance profiles for target sizing. Configured TMS routes and client strategy across DEV→QAS→PRD.

Challenge: Kernel patch mismatches caused slow system start.

Fix: Applied latest kernel via SUM 2.0, adjusted instance profiles (work processes, memory params), revalidated services.

Outcome: On-time go-live with stable performance and clean transport path.

Plan: Non-peak window, full backups, Maintenance Planner prechecks, stakeholder comms.

Execution: Applied kernel/SPs with SUM 2.0, smoke-tested interfaces and key transactions.

Validation: Monitored EWA KPIs, work processes, and app logs; no degradation observed.

Result: Seamless upgrade; improved stability and patch currency.

Scenario: QAS refresh from PRD before a major release.

Steps: Backup→Homogeneous System Copy (HANA Studio)→BDLS→Post-processing.

Risk control: Stakeholder-approved downtime, user lock plan, transport validation, health checks.

Outcome: Consistent QAS; testing unblocked with accurate PRD-like data.

Diagnosis: ST03N workload, ST02/ST04 memory/DB stats revealed bottlenecks after migration.

Actions: HANA parameter tuning, index reorg, cache sizing; added EarlyWatch & OS monitors (Linux scripts).

Impact: ~30% faster response; month-end close significantly quicker.

Issue: GRC conflicts and excessive auth in ECC/S4.

Remediation: SUIM analysis, composite role redesign, critical txn review, SOX-aligned access matrices; approvals via ChaRM.

Outcome: Unauthorized access eliminated; audit-ready compliance.

Action: STMS log analysis, re-sequenced queue, coordinated missing objects with devs, and enforced Transport Strategy Guidelines.

Result: ~20% fewer transport errors; consistent DEV→QAS→PRD flow.

Design: Export/import, HANA on EC2, secure VPCs, SAP BTP integration.

Key lesson: Network latency & firewall rules heavily impact performance—optimized routes and security groups.

Ops: CloudWatch/SIEM monitoring; autoscaling where feasible.

Setup: HANA log shipping, documented runbooks, scheduled DR drills.

Fix: Resolved lag/sync issues by tuning replication intervals and monitoring scripts.

SLA: Achieved RPO < 15 mins, RTO < 2 hrs.

HANA: Backup/restore, parameter tuning, replication; DBACOCKPIT health checks; lock/query optimization.

SQL Server: Legacy ECC refresh support—backup strategy and log management.

Outcome: ~40% reduction in DB incidents through proactive monitoring.

Usage: ChaRM for change control, EWA for health, RCA tools for incidents, ServiceNow integration for ticketing.

Benefit: Faster turnaround, traceable changes, better audit posture.

Example: CPI flows between S/4HANA and WMS/Finance; Salesforce/OpenText integration.

Controls: End-to-end mapping validation, retries, monitoring, and reconciliation dashboards.

Outcome: Eliminated manual reconciliations; accurate near real-time sync.

Scope: Linux/Windows/UNIX patching, FS management, log analysis, VMWare provisioning, kernel param tuning for HANA.

Effect: Faster RCA and fewer infra-rooted incidents.

Scripts: Python/Shell for health checks, log review, backup verification, and mailing EarlyWatch Alerts.

Result: ~35% less manual effort; earlier anomaly detection.

Design: HANA System Replication + Pacemaker on Linux; split-brain avoidance and quorum checks.

Testing: Regular failover drills with business users; documented recovery steps.

Uptime: ~99.9% availability; reduced unplanned outages.

Issue: Dispatcher login failures caused by external RFC loop; work processes stuck.

Fix: Analyzed dev_w0, terminated looped RFC, restarted WPs.

Outcome: Access restored in ~30 minutes; incident report shared with prevention steps.

Controls: SAP Router, Web Dispatcher, TLS, network segmentation; CPI for integrations; observability on both ends.

Outcome: SLA adherence for availability/performance; smoother digital transformation.

Framework: ITIL + ChaRM approvals, QA first, rollback plans, CAB reviews, transport logs and audit trails.

Result: Zero unauthorized changes; clean audits.

Action: Restored QA via HANA Studio backup catalog after failed import; adjusted log modes and re-synced jobs.

Validation: DB consistency checks, app smoke tests, stakeholder comms before handover.

Practice: Joint test scripts post-changes, go/no-go criteria, transport calendars, and clear incident/major-change comms.

Result: Fewer regressions; faster UAT sign-offs.

Roadmap: SAP BTP, HANA Cloud, cloud security patterns, IaC, and Python automation; pursuing SAP HANA Administration certification.

Why it matters: Basis is evolving toward cloud-first, automated, and secure operations.