Hello Burkhard,
finaly, after updating the database of a test system to 7.9.08.11, I got the python script running. But afterwards I went back to the NetApp snapshot I took before. Reasons:
1. Python is not officially supported by SAP (see statement of Daniel Dittmar in
http://scn.sap.com/thread/3156375). And after doing some researchs in the forum and in OSS I found many hints that Daniel is right, e.g.
http://scn.sap.com/thread/1356737 "What is the relationship between MaxDB and Python?"
http://scn.sap.com/thread/1348638 "Support for Python 2.5 / 2.6"
http://scn.sap.com/thread/3265891"7.8 feature state: WebDAV, Python?"
And that dbmmodule.so was missing in build 7.9.08.03 fits in this picture. Even the documentation in the python manuals get smaller and smaller from version to version. The last time that the module sdb.dbm was mentioned was in the 7.7 manual (http://maxdb.sap.com/doc/7_7/default.htm)
2. Python does not support xuser. You have to deposit user names and passwords in every script.
Resume: I am looking for a reliable and officially supported solution. We have to backup daily 22 MaxDB databases - all stored on NetApp Filer NFS Volumes. Backup with EXTERNAL SNAPSHOTS and transfering the snapshots with NetApp snapvault to a remote secondary filer is a good functioning, simple and reliable backup concept. Therefore we will insist for SAP support using mor official support channels as a public forum like SCN can be.
So thanks for your help and
kind regards
Günter