SAP DB Command Reference
sapcontrol/stopsap stop the SAP instances but not the database — the official SAPControl
documentation states: "The database is not stopped by these commands. You have to stop the
database using database-specific tools or commands." This skill is that database-specific layer.
How to use
- Identify the DB. Determine which database the SID runs on before doing anything:
cat /usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/profile/<SID>_* → look at dbms/type / dbs/<db>/…, or- environment of
<sid>adm: echo $dbms_type (values: hdb, ora, syb, db6, ada, mss).
- Open the matching reference file below and follow its Identify → Preview → Execute → Verify flow.
- Respect the guardrail contract (see repo README): confirm SID/host/OS, classify PRD, preview
before any
shutdown/stop, execute one step at a time via the user-supplied shell/SSH MCP, verify after.
Database reference files
| DB |
dbms_type |
Reference |
Status |
| SAP ASE (Sybase) |
syb |
references/sap-ase.md |
✅ complete |
| SAP HANA |
hdb |
references/sap-hana.md |
✅ complete |
| Oracle Database |
ora |
references/oracle.md |
✅ complete |
| IBM Db2 (LUW) |
db6 |
references/ibm-db2.md |
✅ complete |
| SAP MaxDB / liveCache |
ada |
references/sap-maxdb.md |
✅ complete |
| Microsoft SQL Server |
mss |
references/sql-server.md |
✅ complete |
Cross-references
- Start/stop ordering (DB relative to ASCS/ERS/PAS/AAS) lives in
sap-system-lifecycle.
- DB log/trace cleanup (backup catalog, transaction logs, DB traces) lives in
sap-housekeeping;
this file covers only the operational start/stop/connect/status commands.
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:
search the topic (e.g. the component + symptom, or a Note number cited below).fetch the promising Note IDs for the current text, validity (affected releases/components),
prerequisites and side effects.- Prefer the Note over this file where they disagree, and say which Note you followed.
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
See the Sources section at the end of each reference file for the exact help.sap.com pages and
SAP Notes used, and which commands were verified against the live page.
1---2name: sap-db-command-reference3description: Database-specific operational commands for SAP systems — start, stop, connect, status and basic backup for the SAP-supported databases (SAP HANA, Oracle, SAP ASE/Sybase, IBM Db2, SAP MaxDB/liveCache, Microsoft SQL Server), with Linux / Windows / AIX variants. Use whenever a Basis/operations task needs the DB layer: "stop the database", "connect to HANA/ASE/Oracle", "is the DB up", "restart the database before/after the SAP instances", or when sap-system-lifecycle hands off DB start/stop. Every command is cited to help.sap.com / the official Administration Guide.4---56# SAP DB Command Reference78`sapcontrol`/`stopsap` stop the **SAP instances but not the database** — the official SAPControl9documentation states: *"The database is not stopped by these commands. You have to stop the10database using database-specific tools or commands."* This skill is that database-specific layer.1112## How to use13141. **Identify the DB.** Determine which database the SID runs on before doing anything:15 - `cat /usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/profile/<SID>_*` → look at `dbms/type` / `dbs/<db>/…`, or16 - environment of `<sid>adm`: `echo $dbms_type` (values: `hdb`, `ora`, `syb`, `db6`, `ada`, `mss`).172. **Open the matching reference file** below and follow its Identify → Preview → Execute → Verify flow.183. **Respect the guardrail contract** (see repo README): confirm SID/host/OS, classify PRD, preview19 before any `shutdown`/stop, execute one step at a time via the user-supplied shell/SSH MCP, verify after.2021## Database reference files2223| DB | `dbms_type` | Reference | Status |24|----|-------------|-----------|--------|25| SAP ASE (Sybase) | `syb` | [references/sap-ase.md](references/sap-ase.md) | ✅ complete |26| SAP HANA | `hdb` | [references/sap-hana.md](references/sap-hana.md) | ✅ complete |27| Oracle Database | `ora` | [references/oracle.md](references/oracle.md) | ✅ complete |28| IBM Db2 (LUW) | `db6` | [references/ibm-db2.md](references/ibm-db2.md) | ✅ complete |29| SAP MaxDB / liveCache | `ada` | [references/sap-maxdb.md](references/sap-maxdb.md) | ✅ complete |30| Microsoft SQL Server | `mss` | [references/sql-server.md](references/sql-server.md) | ✅ complete |3132## Cross-references3334- **Start/stop ordering** (DB relative to ASCS/ERS/PAS/AAS) lives in `sap-system-lifecycle`.35- **DB log/trace cleanup** (backup catalog, transaction logs, DB traces) lives in `sap-housekeeping`;36 this file covers only the operational start/stop/connect/status commands.3738## Run as the correct OS user3940**Identify the right OS user *before* running anything, and switch with a login shell.** Wrong-user41execution is a top cause of SAP failures, and the damage outlives the command: files created by `root`42under `/usr/sap`, `/sapmnt` or a DB directory break every later start by the real owner. A login shell43also matters because each user carries the environment the tools need (`SAPSYSTEMNAME`, `ORACLE_HOME`/44`ORACLE_SID`, `SYBASE`, `DB2INSTANCE`, library paths) — without it, commands fail or act on the wrong system.4546| What you're operating | UNIX user | Windows |47|---|---|---|48| SAP instances — `sapcontrol`, `startsap`/`stopsap`, `tp`, `R3trans`, `disp+work`, `sappfpar`, `cleanipc` | **`<sid>adm`** (lower-case **SAP** SID) | `<SID>adm`; services run as `SAPService<SID>` |49| 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) |50| 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 |51| SAP ASE — `isql`, `startserver`, Backup Server | **`syb<dbsid>`** | `syb<dbsid>` / `SAPService<SID>` |52| IBM Db2 — `db2start`/`db2stop`, `db2` CLP | **`db2<dbsid>`** (the instance owner = `DB2INSTANCE`) | same; Db2 runs as a service |53| SAP MaxDB / liveCache — `dbmcli`, `x_server` | **`sdb`** (software owner, group `sdba`) + a DBM operator at DB level | install/service account |54| MS SQL Server — `sqlcmd`, service control | n/a (Windows-only for SAP) | `<SID>adm` / the SQL Server service account |55| SAP Host Agent — `saphostexec`, `saphostctrl` | **`root`** | Administrator / `SAPHostExec` service |5657**Rules**5859- **Switch with a login shell:** `su - <user>` (the `-` is what loads the environment) or `sudo -iu <user>`.60 Windows: use the correct account, or an elevated shell only where documented.61- **`root` only where the procedure explicitly says so** — e.g. `saproot.sh` after a kernel extract, SAP Host62 Agent install/upgrade. Never as a shortcut around a permission error; that is how root-owned files get63 created and break the system later.64- **Verify before acting:** `whoami` / `id`, plus the env actually being set (`echo $SAPSYSTEMNAME`,65 `echo $ORACLE_SID`, `echo $DB2INSTANCE`, `echo $SYBASE`).66- **State the user in every command you hand over** (e.g. "as `<sid>adm`:"), and if the required user is not67 available, say so and stop — do not substitute another user.6869## Staying current — check SAP Notes first7071SAP Notes supersede this file. Landscapes differ by release, patch level, DB and OS, and SAP changes72procedures via Notes/KBAs between doc revisions.7374**If the [SAP Notes MCP](https://github.com/marianfoo/sap-mcp-servers) is configured, use it before75acting on anything version-specific** — especially any destructive step, or when a command here doesn't76behave as documented:77781. `search` the topic (e.g. the component + symptom, or a Note number cited below).792. `fetch` the promising Note IDs for the current text, validity (affected releases/components),80 prerequisites and side effects.813. Prefer the Note over this file where they disagree, and say which Note you followed.8283No MCP available? Look the Note up on `me.sap.com/notes/<id>` and say the check was skipped rather than84assuming this file is current.8586## Sources8788See the Sources section at the end of each reference file for the exact help.sap.com pages and89SAP Notes used, and which commands were verified against the live page.
williamcorrea23