Defination

In a distributed environment with systems and dependencies of business processes beyond single system boundaries, there is a need for a new and efficient support infrastructure. Integrating technical as well as business (applications) environments are more crucial than ever and must be mastered perfectly.

The SAP Solution Manager, which runs centrally in a customer's solution landscape as an integrated platform, ensures that distributed systems can be supported technically.
The SAP Solution Manager introduces a new era of solution management covering all aspects relevant for technical implementation, operations, and continuous improvement.

SAP Solution Manager 4.0 offers functional areas to support the management of the entire customer solution:
° Implementation: Groups Tools, Content, and Methodologies to Efficiently Implement SAP Solutions
° Solution Monitoring: Ranges from System Monitoring to Business Process Monitoring
° Operations: Offers Services to Manage Your SAP Solution
° Support Area: To Support Every Step on the Way
° Upgrade: Supporting the Upgrade of SAP Components

As of April 2, 2007, SAP Solution Manager will be the only source from which customers receive maintenance updates for applications based on SAP NetWeaver 2004s, such as mySAP Business Suite 2005 applications and higher. It will also serve as the source of maintenance updates for earlier releases of SAP applications.

• Release 4.0 of SAP Solution Manager will offer significant enhancements for maintenance processes and activities, such as:
  - End-to-end and fully pre-configured maintenance management process
  - Planning and deployment dashboard for all maintenance-related activities
  - Source for all Support Packages provided by SAP as part of customers maintenance agreements

Solution Manager training courses offered by SAP:
° SMO010 - Solution Manager Concept & Strategy
° SMO100 - System Administration with SAP Solution Manager
° SMO610 - Business Process Management and Monitoring
° SMO150 - Service Desk
° SMO155 - Change Request Management
° SMI210 - Implementation Methodology Overview
° SMI310 - Implementation Tools in Detail

Creating installation key

First you have to create the system. This can be done using tcode. SMSY > Landscape component > Systems.
Scroll down to choose your system. In this case we will choose SAP ERP.
Right click and choose Create New System with Assistant. Follow the instruction and create the system

System :
Short Description :
SAP Product : SAP ERP
Product Version : SAP ERP 2005
Installation Number : Your Installation number

Choose Next and check Relevant in front of SAP ECC Server, then enter system number in the next screen and complete this following the instruction.

Now go back to the tcode SMSY and select system > other object...
Select radio button for system and put the SID you created above hit generate installation /Upgrade key (Ctrl+Shift+F10) and click generate key.

Short cut for creating installation key:
If you don't want to create system. You can still choose Solution Manager system from the drop down and hit generate key. Once you get to the screen 'Generate Installation / Upgrade Key. You can put any system you want. System ID will be the SID of new installation. It also requires system number and also message server. Click Generate key.