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name: sap-log-reference description: >- Find and read the right log or trace for any SAP component or database — instance work-directory traces (dev_disp, dev_w*, dev_ms, dev_rd, dev_icm), ABAP logs (SM21, ST22, SM50, SLG1), standalone components (Web Dispatcher, SAProuter, Cloud Connector, Host Agent, IGS) and each database's own logs (HANA trace dir, Oracle alert log, db2diag, ASE errorlog, MaxDB KnlMsg, SQL Server ERRORLOG) — from the OS shell or remotely via SAPControl. Use for "where is the log for X", "read the trace", "which log shows ".

SAP Log & Trace Reference (hunting + reading)

Different layer → different location. This is the locator: symptom → which log → where it lives → how to read it. It complements sap-health-triage (which extracts logs via SAPControl) and sap-housekeeping (which cleans them up).

Guardrail note: reading is non-destructive — but confirm the SID/host before reading another system's logs, and remember many SAPControl read methods are protected (service/protectedwebmethods — see health-triage §7). Raising trace levels (§ references) does change system behaviour/space — lower them again after diagnosis.

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1. How to read a log

OS shell (UNIX — Linux/AIX):

tail -f <file>                 # follow live
less +G <file>                 # open at the end
grep -niE "ERROR|ORA-|\*\*\* ERROR|abort" <file>   # hunt for errors

OS shell (Windows):

Get-Content <file> -Tail 100 -Wait          # follow live
Select-String -Path <file> -Pattern "ERROR|abort"

Remotely / no shell — via SAPControl (cross-ref health-triage §2):

sapcontrol -nr <nr> -function ListDeveloperTraces          # list the instance's dev_* files
sapcontrol -nr <nr> -function ReadDeveloperTrace dev_w0 0  # read one (size 0 = whole file)
sapcontrol -nr <nr> -function ReadLogFile <path> ''        # any instance log file
sapcontrol -nr <nr> -function ABAPReadSyslog               # SM21 system log

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2. The SAP instance / application log map

Work directory — /usr/sap/<SID>/<INST><nr>/work/ (Windows …\work\). The per-process traces:

File	Component	Read when
dev_disp	Dispatcher	instance won't start; overall instance issues
dev_w0…dev_w<n>	Work processes	short dumps, DB connect errors, WP hangs
dev_ms	Message Server (ASCS/SCS)	logon/load-balancing, instance registration
dev_rd	Gateway	RFC/registered-program failures
dev_icm	ICM (Internet Communication Manager)	HTTP/HTTPS, Fiori, web errors
dev_rfc*, dev_rfc.trc	RFC client/server calls	RFC connection failures
dev_enq*, enserver/enq* logs	Enqueue Server	lock / enqueue problems
dev_sapstartsrv, sapstartsrv.log	sapstartsrv control service	SAPControl can't reach the instance
stderr0/1/2…, available.log, sapstart.log	start-service	startup failures

ABAP application logs (via SAP GUI / SAPControl):

Where	Content	Shell equivalent
SM21	system log (syslog)	sapcontrol … ABAPReadSyslog
ST22	ABAP short dumps (runtime errors)	(dump text)
SM50 / SM66	work-process overview + traces	sapcontrol … ABAPGetWPTable
SLG1	application log (BAL)	—
ST11	error-log files / developer traces	the dev_* files above
SM13	update-request errors	dev_w* (update WP)
SMGW	gateway monitor + logging	dev_rd
RSAU_CONFIG / RSAU_READ_LOG / RSAU_ADMIN	Security Audit Log (SAL) — config / read / admin. Current as of SAP_BASIS 7.50 SP03; SM19/SM20/SM18 are legacy (SM19 may be display-only)	files per DIR_AUDIT/FN_AUDIT (…/<INST>/log/*.AUD) or the database [G6]

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3. Symptom → which log (hunting)

Symptom	Look here first
Instance won't start	dev_disp → stderr* → sapstart.log; then sappfpar check (health-triage)
"Database not available" / connect fails	dev_w0 (WP that connects) + the DB's own log (§5)
RFC / registered program fails	dev_rd (gateway) + dev_rfc*; SMGW
HTTP / Fiori / web error	dev_icm; ICM trace (raise via icm/trace_level)
Logon load balancing / message server	dev_ms; SMMS
Enqueue / lock issues	dev_enq* / enserver; SM12
Random short dumps	ST22 + the referenced dev_w<n>
Slow / performance	ST03, ST04 (DB), the DB's expensive-statement log (§5)
Web Dispatcher / SAProuter / Cloud Connector	that component's own log (§4)

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4. Standalone components

Each ships its own trace, separate from any SAP instance — full map in references/app-and-component-logs.md:

Component	Primary log	Notes
SAP Web Dispatcher	dev_webdisp, dev_webdisp_log in the Web Disp dir	ICM-based; raise via icm/trace_level [G3]
SAProuter	-T <tracefile> (level-2 trace) / -L <logfile>	enable per SAP KBA 3570238 [G5]
SAP Cloud Connector	ljs_trace.log (+ scc_*), rotates 20×50 MB	in the SCC install log/ dir [G4]
SAP Host Agent	dev_saphostexec, host-agent logs under /usr/sap/hostctrl/work	control-layer issues
IGS (graphics)	dev_igs*	chart/graphics rendering

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5. Database logs (different per DB)

DB engines log outside the SAP work directory, each in its own place and format. Full per-DB map + readers in references/db-logs.md:

DB (dbms_type)	Primary log	Read with
HANA (hdb)	/usr/sap/<SID>/HDB<nr>/<host>/trace/ — indexserver_*.trc, nameserver_*.trc, *_alert_*.trc	pager / HANA cockpit / M_MERGED_TRACES [G2]
Oracle (ora)	ADR …/diag/rdbms/<db>/<SID>/trace/alert_<SID>.log; listener.log	adrci / pager
ASE (syb)	$SYBASE/$SYBASE_ASE/install/<SERVER>.log (errorlog); <SERVER>_BS.log (Backup Server)	pager
Db2 (db6)	db2diag.log in DIAGPATH (db2 get dbm cfg)	db2diag -H 1d
MaxDB (ada)	KnlMsg / knldiag, dbm.prt in the run directory	Database Studio / pager
SQL Server (mss)	…\MSSQL\Log\ERRORLOG; SQL Agent SQLAGENT.OUT; Windows Event Log	SSMS Log Viewer / xp_readerrorlog

Cross-ref sap-db-command-reference for how to start/stop/connect each of these.

Cross-references

• Extract logs via SAPControl (protected methods, dev-trace file map): sap-health-triage.
• Clean up / rotate these logs: sap-housekeeping.
• DB start/stop/connect: sap-db-command-reference.
• sap-nw-java-pi — AS Java traces in context: defaultTrace.trc, std_server<n>.out, dev_jcontrol, and the NWA Log Viewer/Configuration route.

Execution discipline (non-negotiable)

The holy rule — nothing runs unbacked

Every command executed must be traceable to one of exactly three things:

1. an official SAP source — help.sap.com page / Operations or Administration Guide, or
2. an SAP Note / KBA, or
3. an explicit instruction from the user.

If a command is backed by none of those, do not run it — say what backing is missing and stop. "It's probably fine", "this is standard", and "I recall the syntax" are not backing. When the backing is a source, name it (page or Note number) alongside the command; when it is the user, quote the instruction.

Ambiguity ⇒ stop and confirm, before any execution

If executing would require assuming anything the user did not state, you are obliged to confirm first. Never fill a gap with a plausible default. Common gaps that force a stop:

• client number, SID, instance number, target host/node
• read-only vs state-changing — if it is not explicit which was wanted, ask
• scope — one instance vs the whole system, one tenant vs all, one client vs cross-client
• which database / dbms_type, which environment (PRD vs non-PRD)
• retention/age cut-offs, recovery points, target of a restore, transport target

A wrong assumption here is not a typo — it is the difference between reading a log and stopping production.

But verify programmatically FIRST — then ask

Asking the user for something the system can answer is a failure. Before you raise a question, ask the user to go and look, or request Computer Use / GUI access, you must first try to determine it programmatically. Only what genuinely cannot be derived — intent, authorization, a business decision, a value that exists only in the user's head — is a legitimate question.

Determine programmatically (do NOT ask)	Ask the user (cannot be derived)
Which DB — echo $dbms_type, profile dbms/type	Which client to act on
SIDs / instances / hosts / ports — sapcontrol … GetSystemInstanceList, ls /usr/sap	Whether this system is in scope / approved
Is it up, is the DB up — GetProcessList, R3trans -d	PRD change approval, downtime window
Kernel / release / patch — disp+work -version, saphostexec -version	The intended recovery point or retention policy
Which clients exist — table T000	Which of those clients is meant
Free space, log locations, parameter values — df -h, sappfpar, profile	Business impact / urgency

Order, always: verify programmatically → ask only what remains → never assume.

Prefer programmatic over manual or GUI

Work down this ladder. Take the highest rung that does the job — and within that rung, the lowest privilege that suffices. Never skip a rung because you assume it is unavailable (see the burden of proof below).

#	Path	Privilege	Notes
1	REST / OData — GET first	Narrowest. Scoped service user	Read-only by construction when you stay on GET. $metadata gives you the contract
2	SOAP / web service	Scoped service user	Typed contract via ?wsdl. Client-cert auth where offered — no password in a script
3	RFC / BAPI (creds exec, JCo, pyrfc)	RFC user with S_RFC	For ABAP writes, prefer this over 1–2: BAPIs have real commit/rollback semantics and land in SM19/SM20
4	OS shell as the correct user → DB utility	⚠️ Escalates — see below	The chain matters more than the rung
5	Browser automation (headless or in-app)	Interactive user	Session-based UIs only. Fragile across releases
6	Computer Use / screen driving	Interactive user	Last resort. Not repeatable, not diffable, breaks on any UI change

⚠️ Rung 4 is a chain, and each link widens the blast radius

ssh <host>                    ← host access
  → su - <sid>adm             ← SAP admin: can stop/start the system
  → su - ora<sid> / syb<sid>  ← DB owner: can drop data
  → sudo / root               ← everything
       → hdbsql | isql | dbmcli | sqlplus | db2   ← the actual command

Stop at the least-privileged user that can run the command. Most read-only checks need only <sid>adm; DB utilities usually need the DB owner; root is almost never the right answer and saproot.sh is the rare legitimate exception. Say which user you used and why.

Two axes, and they do not agree

The ladder ranks by automation quality — repeatable, reviewable, loggable, diffable. Privilege runs on a different axis and is worst in the middle: rung 4 (OS/root) can destroy a system, while rung 6 (Computer Use) is merely an interactive user clicking. So Computer Use ranks last for reproducibility, not because it is the most dangerous.

The practical rule: prefer the highest rung, but never escalate privilege to climb it. A read-only OData call beats an RFC that needs a write-capable user; an <sid>adm shell beats a root shell. If climbing a rung requires more privilege than the task needs, stay where you are and say so.

🛑 You must demonstrate the absence of a programmatic path, not assume it

"There is no API for this" is a finding that requires evidence, not a default. Before dropping to rung 5 or 6, actually probe:

• HTTP status codes tell you the access mode. 401 → Basic auth works, scriptable. 302 regardless of credentials → session UI, browser needed. 404 → not deployed. 503 → deployed but stopped.
• Look for a contract: append ?wsdl, $metadata, /api, ?sap-client= and see what answers.
• Ask the platform what it exposes: sapcontrol -function J2EEGetApplicationAliasList, hdbcons help, btp --help, xs help, <tool> -h.
• A Swing or WebDynpro UI being un-automatable does not mean the objects are. The editor and the API are different doors — check for the second before declaring the first is the only one.

Programmatic execution is repeatable, reviewable, loggable and diffable; screen-driving is none of those. When you do drop to a lower rung, say which rung you are on and what you probed to rule out the higher ones — so the user can correct you if they know of a path you missed.

Ask how output should be handled

Work that produces evidence (logs, traces, command output, screenshots, reports) has two reasonable endings. Ask which the user wants rather than guessing:

• (a) persist it — write the output/logs/screenshots to a file, and say exactly where; or
• (b) execute and report — just run it and give a short final status summary.

Don't dump large output into the conversation unasked, and don't silently discard evidence either — for troubleshooting and any change with a rollback, (a) is usually the right default to offer.

Run as the correct OS user

Identify the right OS user before running anything, and switch with a login shell. Wrong-user execution is a top cause of SAP failures, and the damage outlives the command: files created by root under /usr/sap, /sapmnt or a DB directory break every later start by the real owner. A login shell also matters because each user carries the environment the tools need (SAPSYSTEMNAME, ORACLE_HOME/ ORACLE_SID, SYBASE, DB2INSTANCE, library paths) — without it, commands fail or act on the wrong system.

What you're operating	UNIX user	Windows
SAP instances — sapcontrol, startsap/stopsap, tp, R3trans, disp+work, sappfpar, cleanipc	<sid>adm (lower-case SAP SID)	<SID>adm; services run as SAPService<SID>
SAP HANA — HDB, hdbsql, hdbnsutil	<sid>adm of the HANA SID (e.g. h10adm — may differ from the SAP SID)	n/a (HANA server is Linux-only)
Oracle — sqlplus, lsnrctl, BR*Tools	ora<dbsid> (BR*Tools also runs as <sid>adm; generic installs may use oracle)	<SID>adm; DB runs as a service
SAP ASE — isql, startserver, Backup Server	syb<dbsid>	syb<dbsid> / SAPService<SID>
IBM Db2 — db2start/db2stop, db2 CLP	db2<dbsid> (the instance owner = DB2INSTANCE)	same; Db2 runs as a service
SAP MaxDB / liveCache — dbmcli, x_server	sdb (software owner, group sdba) + a DBM operator at DB level	install/service account
MS SQL Server — sqlcmd, service control	n/a (Windows-only for SAP)	<SID>adm / the SQL Server service account
SAP Host Agent — saphostexec, saphostctrl	root	Administrator / SAPHostExec service

Rules

• Switch with a login shell: su - <user> (the - is what loads the environment) or sudo -iu <user>. Windows: use the correct account, or an elevated shell only where documented.
• root only where the procedure explicitly says so — e.g. saproot.sh after a kernel extract, SAP Host Agent install/upgrade. Never as a shortcut around a permission error; that is how root-owned files get created and break the system later.
• Verify before acting: whoami / id, plus the env actually being set (echo $SAPSYSTEMNAME, echo $ORACLE_SID, echo $DB2INSTANCE, echo $SYBASE).
• State the user in every command you hand over (e.g. "as <sid>adm:"), and if the required user is not available, say so and stop — do not substitute another user.

Staying current — check SAP Notes first

SAP Notes supersede this file. Landscapes differ by release, patch level, DB and OS, and SAP changes procedures via Notes/KBAs between doc revisions.

If the SAP Notes MCP is configured, use it before acting on anything version-specific — especially any destructive step, or when a command here doesn't behave as documented:

1. search the topic (e.g. the component + symptom, or a Note number cited below).
2. fetch the promising Note IDs for the current text, validity (affected releases/components), prerequisites and side effects.
3. Check the attachments array. SAP routinely puts the actual deliverable in an attachment rather than the Note body — sizing guides, SQL script collections, configuration PDFs, spreadsheets. A Note whose text says "see the attached document" is not fully read until you have it.
4. Prefer the Note over this file where they disagree, and say which Note you followed.

Downloading an attachment: fetch returns attachments[].url and attachments[].filename; fetch_attachment retrieves the bytes. Pass the URL verbatim — the URLs are opaque and cannot be constructed. If your MCP build predates that tool, open the URL in a signed-in browser instead and say the file was fetched manually.

⚠️ Two ways a hand-rolled fetch goes wrong — both verified. 1. Trusting the status code. An unauthenticated request returns HTTP 200 with a small HTML login stub, not an error. Check the content type and magic bytes, or you save a JavaScript redirect page under a .pdf name. 2. Naming the file from the URL. SAP serves many attachments from a generic endpoint — …/services/attachment.htm?iv_key=…&iv_guid=… — so the URL basename is attachment.htm even when the payload is a 24-page PDF. Take the name from attachments[].filename or the response's Content-Disposition header, never from the URL path.

No MCP available? Look the Note up on me.sap.com/notes/<id> and say the check was skipped rather than assuming this file is current.

Sources

• [G1] Log and Traces — Transactions — SAP Support Content (ABAP transaction → log map). https://help.sap.com/docs/SUPPORT_CONTENT/basis/3354611259.html
• [G2] SAP HANA trace/log directory /usr/sap/<SID>/HDB<nr>/<host>/trace/ (indexserver/nameserver/alert; MDC SYSTEMDB + tenant subdirs) — SAP HANA Administration Guide / Troubleshooting & Performance Analysis.
• [G3] Traces and Trace Configuration for (Internal) Web Dispatcher — SAP Help Portal. https://help.sap.com/docs/r/e8d0ddfb84094942a9f90288cd6c05d3/2.11.0.0/en-US/79ad6205a5a948dfa2e474cabdef53b6.html
• [G4] SAP Cloud Connector logging (ljs_trace.log, rotation) — SAP BTP Connectivity / Cloud Connector documentation (help.sap.com).
• [G5] SAP KBA 3570238 — How to collect SAPRouter level 2 trace and enable logging. https://me.sap.com/notes/3570238
• [G6] SAP Note 2191612 — FAQ | Use of Security Audit Log as of SAP NetWeaver 7.50. [V] RSAU_CONFIG/RSAU_READ_LOG/RSAU_ADMIN as of SAP_BASIS 7.50 SP03; DIR_AUDIT/FN_AUDIT; SAL can be stored in the database (Note 3667538). https://me.sap.com/notes/2191612

Complete inventory of every log/trace source, by layer: references/complete-log-inventory.md.

To confirm/deepen — check current SAP Notes with the SAP Notes MCP (search, then fetch the note ID): KBA 3570238 for the exact SAProuter trace flags, and each DB's admin/troubleshooting guide for the current log paths on your release.