Introducing the New Dashboard Framework for SAP Solution Manager

Earlier this year, SAP announced the general availability of Focused Insights, an enhanced dashboard framework for SAP Solution Manager. The framework was previously only available to MaxAttention customers as part of MaxAttention Next Generation Add-On (MANGO) services but is now available for all SAP customers. The dashboards aggregate real-time and historical data collected by Solution Manager to analyze performance against over 800 best-practice KPIs. They are grouped into operational, tactical and strategic clusters.

Operational dashboards are used for business process monitoring and include jumps to alerts for issues related to service levels. See below.

SAP Solution Manager Focused Insights Operational Dashboards

Tactical dashboards monitor a range of system-related KPIs based on predefined performance thresholds for each metric. Views can be arranged by category or system.

SAP Solution Manager Focused Insights Tactical Dashboards

You can drill down from the aggregated level to view the details for each metric. In the example below, we can monitor the patch levels and support schedules for products, components, databases, operating systems and kernels by navigating from the Maintenance section in the display for each system. Click on the image to enlarge.

SAP Solution Manager Focused Insights Tactical Dashboard Detail

Strategic dashboards are targeted at senior managers and executives to monitor service levels against expected standards. The dashboards aggregate data over extended periods to measure performance over time. In the Scorecard below, measures for areas such as service quality, business continuity, efficiency and capacity can be customized to align with specific targets.

SAP Solution Manager Focused Insights Strategic Dashboards

For Security, tactical dashboards identify missing Hot News and High priority Notes for each system. They also monitor users with access to critical authorizations and transactions, as well as non-compliant security parameters, insecure RFC destinations, and clients open to direct changes.

SAP Solution Manager Focused Insights Security Dashboards

The dashboards require the add-on ST-OST and can be enabled and configured in Solution Manager 7.1 SPS 13 or higher and the newly released Solution Manager 7.2. They do not require any coding or customization. Although the framework provides a rich set of packaged dashboards, customers can adapt SAP-delivered templates to meet specific requirements. Dashboards are rendered using HTML5 and therefore can be displayed on any platform or device, including mobile.

For more information, contact Layer Seven Security.

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