To have an idea about the background scheduling let us take an example of a long report. Suppose we execute this report in interactive mode, it takes several minutes and during time the SAP System is blocked for any further input. As a result, you will not be able to interact with SAP sessions anymore.

However, when you run the report non-interactively, you can interact with the SAP sessions while processing the report in the background. For executing jobs in non-interactive mode, schedule the job for background processing. To create a background processing job you should specify:

·         The name of the report

·         The name of any variant it needs

·         What to do with output

·         When to start it

After this, the SAP system does not require user’s intervention and can proceed with the job even without you. It executes the report and prints the output using printer or output controller. While scheduling a job in background process, three parameters should be specified. These parameters are:

·         Definition of programs

·         Its start time

·         The printing specification for getting the prints as required

After this, you can check whether your job was executed successfully and display a log of any system messages.

For scheduling background processing, you have to direct the system to process an ABAP/4 or external program in the background. This is a two-step process:

·         Scheduling the program

·         Releasing the job

This needs to have a special authorization for releasing and scheduling the job. Generally, the system administrator, who organizes and monitors background processing, supervises the release of these jobs. Many users are also authorized to schedule background processing of reports. You cannot schedule a job unless and until you have a release authorization. If a user is authorized and has specified a start date or selected "start immediately," he or she can release the job.

Authorized users can change start time. A program can be scheduled as a separate job or you can append it to an existing job, which has not yet been processed. Background process can be run while doing some other online work. However, this can adversely affect online operation and should be avoided. For example, if you run a program that locks the database, the work of online users will be hampered or stopped. Often, long-running reports are scheduled automatically or semi-automatically for background processing.

First Step

Initiate the job scheduling function. Standard job scheduling must be used in case of scheduling of an external command or external program as a background job and ABAP job­ scheduling function can be used to schedule ABAP programs. For starting a standard job scheduling function choose the following:

Administration menu bar option à CCMS option à Jobs option à Definition option.

For starting ABAP job scheduling function, navigate to ABAP Editor and choose Program menu bar option àExecute option à Background option.

Second Step

Now define a job. Using the Job Wizard you can define your job. From the Application toolbar, choose the wizard button. After this, the initial screen of the SAP Job Wizard appears. The Job Wizard is available only from the standard job scheduling function.

Third Step

Now, you have to save the job. When it displays the message "Job saved" it means the job has been successfully scheduled. We know that a job must be released before it is scheduled. Only authorized users can release the job, otherwise your system administrator will release your job.

Fourth Step

This is the last step of scheduling. In this step you have to check the status of your job. For this you need to choose System menu bar option à Own jobs option.

In SAP System, the background processing runs according to your instructions. In case a list is generated by the report, the report either prints directly or waits for you in the SAP output controller. The status of background processing can be checked for its correctness.