Over past few months, I am regularly observing search terms related to NWDI track creation process. So guys, this for you. I am not going to talk more on what is NWDI and its use in SAP’s netweaver development. This post would be more like a tutorial on creating NWDI tracks. What you should not miss while creating a track. For e.g. what should be the production state of a software component; archived, planned, released? Or should we add dependencies at the runtime or designtime? These configurations would have serious impact of your development cycle.

NWDI is SAP’s own version management tool that supports sliced development. it’s major components are Change Management System (CMS), Component Build Service (CBS), Design Time Repository (DTR). In short, CMS is responsible for maintaining version of your software. CBS is required for the building of software components and DTR maintains the code.

Now, let’s see how do we create a track in 5 easy steps.

1. First step is to create a new product version. This is a parent component that’ll hold software unit (SU) and software components(SC). Product, Software Unit & Software Component are created in SLD and the track is created in NWDI Landscape configurator. Follow the steps for creating a product

SLD > New Product Version > enter required data > Create an  SU > Create an SC and keep production state as started

2. Now, we need to add dependencies to SC that will support the development and building of a component. There are 3 dependencies we must add. However, if your development is somehow related to Guided Procedures, you also need to add CAF related dependencies in addition to 3 std. dependencies.

Go to Software Catalogue > Software Component tab > Select application SC and navigate to Dependencies tab > Set context to Build Time > Click on Define prerequisite software components > Search and add following dependencies.

• SAP J2EE ENGINE <release version> | SAP-JEE
• DI BUILD TOOL <release version> | SAP_BUILDT
• SAP JAVA TECHNOLOGY SERVICES <release version> | SAP_JTECHS

After this, our application component is ready to be used in track in NWDI

 3. Here we will reserve a NameSpace for our developments. NameSpace and NameSpace prefix are used while creating a Development Component (DC). It make sure that everything developed is clubbed under same NameSpace. This is to avoid conflict in the component build and transports. You can skip this step if you want to use already created NameSpace.

Go to SLD > Name Reservation > Define Name Prefix >Specify name category and name prefix and choose create

Here we did not create a new NameSpace, if you want to create a NameSpace, you can click on New NameSpace and use it while creating Name Prefix.

4. In this step, we are going to create a track, provide domain data, track data and define runtime systems.

Go to NWDI (http://<host>:<port>/devinf) > CMS > Landscape Configurator > In right hand side, click on New Track > You need to have CMS & CBS URL and password for further steps > Fill domain and track data > Here you need to add a software component that we created in SLD to the track > Search for  the SC and add it track.

PS: Make sure all three dependencies are also added along with SC and are in Green state

Now, go to runtime systems > and select the check boxes for system you wish to define. For e.g. if you want to configure development, test and production, select the corresponding check-boxes. Select Configure without wizard > provide user id and a password > Similarly add other runtime systems

5. This is the final step of NWDI track creation process. Here we are only going to check-in the dependencies to the development system that we defined in runtime systems of landscape configurator.

Go to Transport Studio > Check-in tab> Select all three dependencies and click on Check-In > after successful Check-In, these dependencies should be moved to Development system.

You can leave these dependencies in waiting for import state and import them along with your released development activities. Its stage will not hamper your development.

With this, you have successfully

• Create New Product
• A software unit and a component
• Added dependencies to SC
• Defined a new track and  added an SC to track
• Configured runtime systems
•  Check-In all dependencies to development system

 You are all set to start development in NWDS. I feel it is equally important to know how to delete NWDI track and its DTR workspace. You can read more on this here How to delete NWDI Track and DTR Workspace and also more on NWDI Troubleshooting