ABAP Extensibility Governance: ATC Setup and Check Variants for Clean Core

ABAP Test Cockpit (ATC) recommendations for governance of clean core ABAP development include setting up a central ATC check system for ABAP custom code developments, adding recommended ATC checks to the global standard check variant, and utilizing ATC on SAP BTP or central ATC in private cloud/on-premise systems. The recommended ATC checks for clean core include allowed SAP enhancement technologies, usage of APIs, search for customer modifications, and critical statements.

In the realm of SAP S/4HANA, the evolution of ABAP development is marked by a shift towards the Clean Core Extensibility model, which emphasizes the use of standard SAP technologies and APIs. To ensure compliance with this model, SAP has introduced updates to the ABAP Test Cockpit (ATC) recommendations for governance of clean core ABAP development. These updates are set to be published in August 2025 and will be available in the SAP S/4HANA private cloud and on-premise landscapes.

The key recommendations for governance include setting up a central ATC check system for ABAP custom code developments. This system can be implemented either on SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) or within a private cloud or on-premise system. The central ATC check system helps in monitoring and governing the usage of SAP APIs and other enhancement technologies in custom code.

The recommended ATC checks for clean core development include:

- Allowed SAP Enhancement Technologies: Ensuring that only approved SAP enhancement technologies are used in custom code.
- Usage of APIs: Verifying the usage of SAP APIs in custom code developments. This check is based on the consumption of SAP APIs and helps in ensuring compliance with SAP's API usage guidelines.
- Search for Customer Modifications: Identifying and managing customer modifications in the codebase.
- Critical Statements: Detecting critical statements that may impact the stability and security of the system.

These checks are designed to be added to the global standard ATC check variant. For new setups, a custom ATC check variant should be created as a copy of the default variant ABAP_CLOUD_DEVELOPMENT_DEFAULT in ABAP development tools for Eclipse. The new checks should be parametrized to ensure accurate and relevant findings.

Additionally, the ATC on SAP BTP provides robust capabilities such as custom code analysis, scheduling of ATC runs, developer scenarios, and exemptions workflows. The system also offers a baseline feature to set an initial state for ATC findings in legacy code before starting new clean core development.

The new ATC checks for clean core are available in the SAP BTP ABAP environment and can be implemented in SAP S/4HANA 2023 private cloud and on-premise systems by following SAP Note 3565942. The checks are designed to replace the previous ABAP Cloud readiness checks, focusing instead on the usage of released APIs and classic APIs.

By adhering to these recommendations, organizations can enhance the governance of their ABAP custom code developments, ensuring compliance with the Clean Core Extensibility model and reducing the number of critical ATC issues in their codebase.

References:
[1] https://community.sap.com/t5/technology-blog-posts-by-sap/abap-test-cockpit-atc-recommendations-for-governance-of-clean-core-abap/ba-p/14186130