Error
Error Code:
686
SAP S/4HANA Error 686: SQL Task Start Failure
Description
This error indicates that a background SQL task or process within SAP S/4HANA failed to start successfully. It typically occurs when the system attempts to execute a database operation, report, or job that relies on a specific SQL process, preventing its execution.
Error Message
ERR_SQL_START_TASK_ERROR
Known Causes
4 known causesDatabase Connectivity Issues
The SAP S/4HANA system may be experiencing intermittent or lost connection to its underlying database, preventing SQL tasks from initializing.
Insufficient Database Permissions
The user or system account attempting to start the SQL task lacks the necessary database privileges to execute the required operations.
Corrupted Task Configuration
The specific SQL task's definition or its associated parameters within SAP S/4HANA might be incorrectly configured or corrupted.
Database Resource Exhaustion
The database server might be running out of resources (e.g., memory, CPU, disk space) to start new SQL processes.
Solutions
4 solutions available1. Verify Database Listener and Listener Status easy
Ensures the database listener is running and accessible to S/4HANA.
1
Log in to the database server where your SAP S/4HANA database is running.
2
Check the status of the Oracle listener (or your database's equivalent). For Oracle, use the `lsnrctl status` command.
lsnrctl status3
If the listener is not running, start it. For Oracle, use `lsnrctl start`.
lsnrctl start4
Verify that the listener is configured to accept connections from the SAP S/4HANA application servers. Check the `listener.ora` file for correct IP addresses and ports.
SID_LIST_LISTENER = (
SID_LIST = (
SID = (
SID_NAME = <your_sid>
ORACLE_HOME = <your_oracle_home>
)
)
)5
Restart the SAP S/4HANA application server instance(s) that are reporting the error to re-establish communication with the database.
2. Check Database Connection Parameters in SAP System medium
Confirms that S/4HANA is configured with the correct database connection details.
1
Log in to your SAP S/4HANA system using SAP GUI.
2
Navigate to transaction `RZ10` (Parameter Maintenance).
3
Select the appropriate instance profile and display the current profile.
4
Search for the following parameters (exact names may vary slightly based on database type):
dbs/ora/cs_oracle_name
dbs/ora/dbhost
dbs/ora/dbport5
Ensure that `dbs/ora/cs_oracle_name` (or equivalent) matches the SID of your database as registered with the listener. Ensure `dbs/ora/dbhost` and `dbs/ora/dbport` correctly point to your database server and listener port.
6
If any parameters are incorrect, modify them, save the profile, and activate the profile.
7
Restart the SAP S/4HANA application server instance(s) that are reporting the error.
3. Review Database Alert Logs for Errors medium
Investigates the database's own logs for underlying issues preventing task execution.
1
Log in to the database server.
2
Locate the database alert log file. For Oracle, this is typically found in the `ADR_HOME/diag/rdbms/<dbname>/<instname>/trace/alert_<instname>.log` directory.
3
Examine the alert log for any error messages or warnings that occurred around the time of the SAP S/4HANA error 686. Look for messages related to connection failures, resource issues, or SQL execution problems.
4
If specific errors are found in the alert log, consult SAP Notes or Oracle documentation for those specific errors. This might involve issues like insufficient memory, disk space, or corrupted data files.
5
Address any identified database-level issues. This may require database administrator intervention.
6
Once database issues are resolved, restart the SAP S/4HANA application server instance(s).
4. Check Database Resource Utilization advanced
Ensures the database has sufficient resources (CPU, memory, I/O) to handle S/4HANA tasks.
1
Log in to the database server.
2
Use operating system tools to monitor CPU, memory, and disk I/O utilization. Examples:
top (Linux)
perfmon (Windows)3
Use database-specific tools to monitor database resource consumption. For Oracle:
SELECT * FROM V$SESSION;
SELECT * FROM V$PROCESS;
SELECT * FROM V$SQLAREA WHERE PARSING_CALL_ET > SYSDATE - 1 ORDER BY PARSING_CALL_ET DESC;
SELECT * FROM V$SYSSTAT WHERE NAME LIKE 'user commits' OR NAME LIKE 'user calls';4
Identify any processes or SQL statements that are consuming excessive resources. This could be due to inefficient queries, long-running transactions, or memory leaks.
5
If resource contention is identified, investigate and optimize the problematic queries or processes. This may involve SQL tuning, increasing database memory allocation (e.g., SGA/PGA in Oracle), or scaling hardware resources.
6
After addressing resource constraints, restart the SAP S/4HANA application server instance(s).