How To Fix RT218 - Number of background work processes

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: RT - Monitoring infrastructure MSG and alert texts

• Message number: 218

• Message text: Number of background work processes

What causes this issue?

Technical Constraints:
At least one background work process must exist system-wide, and at
least two must exist during an upgrade.
You can set the number of these work processes using the system
parameter <ZH>rdisp/wp_no_btc</>.
For further information about this topic, see SAP Note 39412 (How many
work processes to configure).

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message RT218 - Number of background work processes ?

  The SAP error message RT218 typically indicates that the number of background work processes configured in the SAP system is insufficient to handle the current workload. This can lead to delays in processing background jobs, which can affect overall system performance and job scheduling.
  Cause:
  
  Insufficient Configuration: The number of background work processes configured in the system is lower than what is required for the current workload.
  High Job Volume: There may be a sudden increase in the number of background jobs due to batch processing, data uploads, or other scheduled tasks.
  Long-Running Jobs: If there are jobs that take a long time to complete, they can occupy the available background work processes, leading to a backlog.
  System Performance Issues: Other performance issues in the system can also affect the availability of background work processes.
  
  Solution:
  
  
  Increase Background Work Processes:
  
  You can increase the number of background work processes in the SAP system profile parameters. This is done by modifying the instance profile (usually DEFAULT.PFL or the specific instance profile).
  Look for the parameter rdisp/wp_no_btc and increase its value. This parameter controls the number of background work processes.
  After making changes, you will need to restart the SAP instance for the changes to take effect.
  
  
  
  Monitor Background Jobs:
  
  Use transaction codes like SM37 to monitor background jobs and identify any long-running or stuck jobs.
  Analyze the jobs to see if they can be optimized or if their scheduling can be adjusted to reduce peak load.
  
  
  
  Optimize Job Scheduling:
  
  Schedule jobs during off-peak hours to balance the load on the background work processes.
  Consider breaking large jobs into smaller ones if possible.
  
  
  
  Check System Performance:
  
  Investigate any performance bottlenecks in the system that may be affecting the execution of background jobs.
  Use transaction codes like ST22 (dump analysis), SM50 (process overview), and ST03N (workload analysis) to analyze system performance.
  
  
  
  Review Job Priorities:
  
  Adjust the priorities of background jobs to ensure that critical jobs are processed first.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  SAP Notes: Check SAP Notes related to background processing and performance tuning for specific recommendations and best practices.
  Documentation: Refer to the SAP Help Portal for detailed documentation on configuring background work processes and managing background jobs.
  System Monitoring Tools: Utilize SAP Solution Manager or other monitoring tools to keep track of system performance and job execution.
  
  By addressing the configuration and workload management, you can resolve the RT218 error and improve the efficiency of background job processing in your SAP system.