Knowledge Center for Allevo
Welcome to the knowledge center for Allevo
The knowledge center is designed to help people to help themselves by explaining common Allevo error messages and demonstrating possible solutions. The portal is available in addition to our customer service department and can hopefully offer assistance outside of our support hours. If you still have problems and need support, please do not hesitate to contact our support team.
Allevo Manuals
When accessing the Allevo cockpit, you also have the opportunity to view all Allevo manuals. In the cockpit (/N/ALLEVO/COCKPIT), simply go to "Cockpit" → "Allevo Documentation" and select the required document. A window will then open in the browser and you can use the keyword search to filter for specific keywords.
Manuals for download (PDF)
Activating an Allevo License
You will generally receive an email from the Kern support team containing all the information you need to activate the Allevo license.
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Open up the cockpit (/N/ALLEVO/COCKPIT) and choose single-object planning for the object type specified in the license.
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If you use different planning layouts, select the entry without a name (the * layout) in the “Planning layout” list. Otherwise, this list is hidden.
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Next, open the program settings (“Settings” button) and switch to the “Constants” view. On the first tab, you will find a parameter called LIC_KEY. In the “Value from” column, please enter the license key for the objects.
If your license contains a side calculation key, please proceed as follows:
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The “Cockpit” menu is accessed from the Allevo cockpit. Select the “Side Calculation” dialog. Enter the license key and designate the satellites according to the planning side calculations (letters). If necessary, seek technical advice. A maximum of 9 reading & writing satellites can be activated per subject; it is possible to have multiple reading satellites.
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Finally, save the changes and specify whether the new license key will be used for all controlling areas or only specific controlling areas.
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Using the |Check license| function, you can determine the current scope or the utilized scope of the license.
If you require more detailed information, you can access F1 Help for the LIC_KEY constant or call up the information directly using F1 Help.
Side calculations are usually set up by your consultant. If you have further questions about your license, please contact our customer support team.
Constants in Allevo
Please note that some constants can have a significant impact on your planning. Some constants affect the settings of your layout and others your planning process and data. Please be careful when making any changes. If you are in any doubt, please contact your consultant or support team. |
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If you wish to customize the constants in your Allevo layout settings, simple guidance is provided for each standard constant. This does not apply to customer-specific constants.
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Firstly, go to the settings of your layout: Select Start > Layout > Settings > Constants.
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The “All” category gives you an overview of all constants that are used in the layout.
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Select a constant and then press the F1 key. A window opens displaying the setup options for this constant. If the F1 key is assigned to another function, you will receive an overview of all constants here.
- To search for a specific constant, you can use the normal browser search function. Simply expand the Constants tab and search for the desired constant using Ctrl + F.
Macro Security and Kern Certification
All masters and other files used for planning with Allevo are provided in XLSM format. This has been the standard format for workbooks with macros since Excel 2007. In order to execute our macros, the Win32 API calls must be allowed in Defender.
To protect against malicious software, many companies increase their macro security settings. To enable Allevo to function, a certificate must be installed on all Allevo workstations, which identifies Kern AG as a trusted publisher. When combined with the signed files, this certificate ensures that the macros required for the Allevo process can be executed. We will be happy to provide this certificate with the corresponding signature for your files. We simply sign your files and send them back to you.
The certificate and signature are valid for three years. We will send you a reminder when the certificate is due to be updated and will support you throughout the process. The following video shows you how to check the validity of the certificate and the signature:
Office Integration and SAP GUI Compatibility
Microsoft and SAP are constantly striving to improve and expand their applications. They are also actively working to improve the integration between the two environments with a particular focus on the SAP GUI. SAP GUI is a Windows application, and functions independently from the SAP release used. Each patch level contains numerous fixes, so performing regular updates will proactively prevent errors. Allevo therefore works best with the latest versions of the SAP GUI.
SAP only supports SAP GUI releases from 7.60 onward. Allevo is fully compatible with these releases. We therefore recommend using only these releases.
Explanatory note: In the standard system, new themes are preset in which the display differs significantly from the previous display. Although these themes may be an improvement on previous themes, a change in theme and the timeline for this change must be coordinated company-wide.
Compatibility SAP GUI and Office (32 Bit)
Compatibility SAP GUI and Office (64 Bit)
SAP Note 3086119 refers to errors with Microsoft Office in the following SAP GUI versions:
- SAP GUI version 7.60 patch level 10/11/12
- SAP GUI version 7.70 patch level 02/03
In these cases, the following patch levels are recommended:
- SAP GUI version 7.60 patch level 13 (alternatively patch level 09 or an earlier version)
- SAP GUI version 7.70 patch level 04 (alternatively patch level 00/01)
Furthermore, for Windows 11, only SAP GUI 7.70 is compatible. SAP is currently testing whether patch level 04 can be used to resolve this issue. Patch levels for older releases are not planned. More information can be found here:
or here:
Problems with Dynamic Arrays (Office 365)
Excel 365 includes a new array formula (dynamic arrays) that is not present in Excel 2016.
Excel identifies formulas that can return a range and inserts an array formula (these formulas are surrounded by “{ }”). When the file is opened with Excel 2016, the following message appears:
To prevent the error, there is a workaround where the formula is appended with an “@” as soon as you enter it in Excel 365. In Excel 2016, this “@” is not visible. Conversely, Excel marks those formulas that were entered in Excel 2016 and theoretically have the potential to return a range with “@” in Excel 365, so that these formulas are not converted to a dynamic array.
The latest information on these topics can be found here:
Problems with Sensitivity labels (Office 365)
When switching to Office 365, IT often activates the new so-called sensitivity labels via the Microsoft Compliance Portal.
Attention: Once activated, they can no longer be deactivated. Since this feature is still quite new, we therefore recommend NOT activating it.
The following sensitivity labels are intended to assign files, e.g. in Excel, to a certain category so that it is easier to distinguish between public and internal files, for example. These categories - public, internal, confidential etc. - can be assigned manually or automatically.
Allevo can only work with the sensitivity labels "Public" and "Internal". If a different label is assigned, this must be changed to one of the two options mentioned and the file then saved. If you do not have the necessary authorization, please contact your administrator.
If the sensitivity labels are activated but no label is selected, Allevo cannot be started.
The changeover to the compatible "Public" and "Internal" labels must be made before the first file call in Allevo and via file management or upload in the Business Document Navigator (BDS).
Problems with Office 365
When using Office 365, a wide variety of behavior can occur, which can usually be remedied by changing the settings.
When starting Allevo, Excel opens in a separate window rather than being embedded in SAP. After starting, the Allevo master is not populated with data and does not have the usual structure. Various error messages may also appear.
- clsSAPHeader.GetMoHeader, Index out of valid range
- Error in DataSatellite.ImportSatelliteData
- Document interface not initialized, Standard document interface is not available
- This function of the SAP document interface is not implemented.
- SOFFICEINTEGRATION 214
- SOFFICEINTEGRATION 016
- Error while generating the Excel sheets - Index:0 Planning object: -error message
- clsSAPHeader.WriteToExcel: Types incompatible
- basAntloopMain.CreateMultiTransaction: Types incompatible
- DataPlanning.CreateMOMTransaction: Worksheet not found
SAP GUI and Microsoft Excel 365 compatibility
The reason for this situation is that the use of multiple monitors with different resolution settings is to be supported much better. Responsible for the error messages is that the individual Windows programs have included this in their pro-grams at different times.
For Allevo, the relevant tools are Excel and the SAP GUI or the SAP Business Client (SBC, NWBC):
- Microsoft supports this new method with Excel 365 and 2019 and delivers it activated by default ("Optimize for best appearance"), but offers the possibility to deactivate it optionally.
- The SAP GUI supports the new procedure as of release 7.70 (compare SAP-Note 3141383), the SAP Business Client (NWBC) starting with release 6.5 and successor release 7.70 (compare SAP Note 2519448), if you are using one of the themes Belize or Quartz; it is deactivated by default ("Multi-monitor scaling awareness").
Allevo uses Excel in SAP GUI/NWBC inplace, so both must use the same setting regarding this behaviour.
Notes
- SAP GUI 7.70 has an extra bug in patch levels 0 to 4 that causes XLSM files to be handled incorrectly (cf. SAP Note 3086119). We have already included this in the following table.
- Older Excel versions such as Excel 2016 do not know the new possibilities of Windows 10. Consequently, there is no possibility to change this setting in older Excel versions. The current versions, on the other hand, can be switched to the old procedure via the option "Optimise for compatibility" (see SOFFICEINTEGRATION 214).
If you have any questions, please contact our support.
Excel Does Not Open
- Check whether the entries for XLSM and XLSX are listed in the TOADD table (via OAD2). You may need the support of SAP Basis. Check your authorizations using transaction SU53. Use transaction GR55 to export a simple report in Excel 2007 format. If you encounter problems, please check the compatibility of Excel. If you can export the report without any problems, please follow the instructions below.
- Check the Excel macro security settings.
- Check the compatibility of the SAP GUI and the Office version.
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If you have two Excel versions installed, please repeat the previous steps.
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Close Excel completely and make sure Excel is no longer listed in Task Manager. Restart Allevo.
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Is the file path stored correctly in the layout settings? If you take the file from the BDS, is the logical filename correct in the settings?
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The temp path must not contain a full stop. If the temp path appears in an error message, copy it and open it in File Explorer. If you cannot open the link, the path is not correct. Contact us to correct the path.
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Are you using add-ins? If so, see our section on add-ins.
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If you are using Allevo in a CITRIX or VM environment, also check the above points. If necessary, contact your IT department.
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Download the populated master and open it locally. If the master can be opened, the above points should be checked. If the master cannot be opened, contact us and send us the file.
Enabling the Excel File (Protected View)
If an XLSM file, i.e. an Excel file with macros, is downloaded from the Internet or from an email, the "Protected view" warning message appears when the file is opened for the first time. If you click on the text in the notification area, you will receive more detailed information on protected view. The file must be unblocked once by selecting "Enable editing". A message then appears stating that some functions are disabled in the Allevo master and that the master should be saved locally.
In order to retain all the features of the Excel file, the following steps must be taken after download:
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Save the file from the Internet or from the email locally
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Open the file
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"Enable editing"
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Acknowledge the Allevo warning
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Save and close the file
You can then use the Excel file in Allevo without restrictions or work with it offline.
SOFFICEINTEGRATION 142, 153, 170, 207, 213, 214, 230
This list describes the most common error messages of SOFFICEINTEGRATION.
- Check if your SAP GUI is compatible.
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Check the path to the document you see in the error message: if necessary check environment variable %TEMP% in Explorer and look for special characters, change via USER ACCOUNTS > Change own environment variables. Sometimes the path contains a ".", therefore the process is aborted.
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If you are using Allevo in a CITRIX environment, the CITRIX license should be checked .
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The cause may be a bad network connection.
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If it only happens in the shuttle: The path in the shuttle was limited to 255 characters before Allevo version 3.4.23 and the text was truncated.
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From a previous use, there are still files in the Temp directory that Excel wants to reopen. Check the folder and delete the files if necessary.
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The CoPlanner add-in is started when the master is called and cannot be executed correctly. If you are using this add-in, deactivate it and restart Allevo. If Allevo starts correctly after this, check the following setting.
- Pathname too long.
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Excel 2007 and "Open file" in SAP with workbook protection of Excel (not the password setting of Allevo in the customizing sheet). In later versions of Excel this may not be the cause.
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Excel 2013: SAP GUI version is not compatible.
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If SparkShapes is installed: Please open an empty Excel instance before starting Allevo.
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Excel 365, this problem appears in relation to the new matrix formulas (dynamic arrays), which did not exist in previous Excel versions (more information about this can be found at Microsoft). In this case, contact us to analyze the master together.
- SAP GUI is outdated.
In Office 365, this error message appears if the setting under File > Options > Excel Options > General > User Interface Options > Optimize for compatibility is not selected.
By default, "Optimize for best appearance" is enabled here. In most cases, the error is fixed by setting the check to the second option, so that Allevo can start as usual again (see also solutions at Problems with Office 365).
- Please check your security settings.
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Two Excel versions on the same PC may also be the cause. In this case, check the security settings in both versions.
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If you have installed the BEX Analyser and/or IBM Connections add-ins, deactivate them (one after the other, if both are in use) and restart Allevo (see notes below).
Problems with Add-Ins
Add-ins are frequently used. Add-ins are ready-made functions or macros that are integrated into Excel as well as other programs. Since the Allevo master also uses macros, this can lead to conflicts between the add-ins.
The list below shows the possible issues:
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Allevo does not open.
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Excel events are disabled and some macros are not executed. Depending on the master, this can have various effects.
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The Allevo ribbons are not displayed, navigation is switched off.
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The mouse cannot be operated.
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The color scheme is incorrect and the data is not entered in the cell.
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Allevo does not close properly and a temporary file remains open in the temp directory. When reopening Allevo, the old file is displayed.
Other errors may occur when using Excel:
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Allevo opens a master with no data.
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Sporadic program crashes
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DOI 170 or 230 (Document Office Integration)
Not all add-ins cause the same issues or prevent Allevo from working. To determine which add-in is causing a conflict with Allevo, we recommend that you disable each add-in individually and restart Allevo. This will allow you to identify which add-in is causing the problem. However, deactivating and reactivating the add-in is not a long-term solution. You will therefore need to contact our support team. It may be possible to automate this step using a constant (not in our F1 list). Not all add-ins can be remotely controlled, therefore we recommend that you schedule some time for the test.
Problems with 64-Bit Systems
"The code in this project needs to be updated for use on 64-bit systems. Please review and update Declare statements and then mark them with the PtrSafe attribute."
This error message appears when using a 64-bit Office version with Allevo master 3.1 or an older release. By making a small adjustment in the code, the file can be made executable with the 64-bit version. To do this, send us all the files (master, shuttle and offline files) that you are currently using so that we can modify them.
Your contact persons
Support Consultant
Nils Gaede
Support Consultant
Thomas Geiß
Head of Global Customer Center
Genís Ventura Fayol