Difference between System Copy and System Refresh

[Former Member]

Hi Experts!!!!

Kindly can some one let me know what is the difference between a system copy and system refresh with some example if possible. Also, let me know if the method used for doing system copy and system refresh same or different.

TIA

Regards,

Sharath

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Sharath,

A system copy and system refresh are the same.. You refresh your system with a copy of another system.

Kind regards,

Mark

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Thanks for the info. I have below queries

1) Suppose say that I have my source system with ABAPJAVA satck and Traget system is only ABAP stack. Now, if I export my source system through system copy method and Import in Traget system then after copy will it become ABAPJAVA system or it will still remain ABAP system only.

2) Like incase of Remote client copies we have condition like source and target system should be in same patch levels. IS similar condition applicable for system copy procedure also I am doing a system copy between two existing systems.

3) I have one SAP System with DB & SAP already installed and have another system without SAP in it with just operating system. Now, I want to do a system copy between these two. So, do I need to first install DB & SAP initially and after have to do a system copy or like just exporting from SAP system with system copy option and Importing in other system without SAP with System copy will suffice. Hope point is clear. In one word, If I have a system without SAP in it and want to do a system copy from another SAP system, then do I need to install SAP in it first or direct importing through System copy is sufficient.

TIA

Regards,

Sharath

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

In case of System Copy, all the patch levels should be same on both the systems. Generally it happens from production to quality. Also your quality server should have same or more space than production server. You should take the back of both the systems. Once done you need to create the softlink from PRD to QAS. Next step is you can restore the contents of sapdata file systems from production to QAS. Next is bringing up the server by makign changes in control file and impoting users, printers etc.

Regarsd,

Kedar

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Sharath,

I have to make a slight nuance.. A refresh can be done of an existing system, a system copy can be done to a non-existing system.

1) Suppose say that I have my source system with ABAPJAVA satck and Traget system is only ABAP stack. Now, if I export my source system through system copy method and Import in Traget system then after copy will it become ABAPJAVA system or it will still remain ABAP system only.

If you use the SAP system copy tools, you will copy the J2EE stack along with the procedure. In this case you could also just restore the backup of your dual stack system to your ABAP stack and delete the JAVA schema from the database afterwards.

2) Like incase of Remote client copies we have condition like source and target system should be in same patch levels. IS similar condition applicable for system copy procedure also I am doing a system copy between two existing systems.

Since the entire contents of your database will be replaced, you don't have to take SAP support package patch levels into account. You have to make sure that you have the correct kernel under the system that you are refreshing.

3) I have one SAP System with DB & SAP already installed and have another system without SAP in it with just operating system. Now, I want to do a system copy between these two. So, do I need to first install DB & SAP initially and after have to do a system copy or like just exporting from SAP system with system copy option and Importing in other system without SAP with System copy will suffice. Hope point is clear. In one word, If I have a system without SAP in it and want to do a system copy from another SAP system, then do I need to install SAP in it first or direct importing through System copy is sufficient.

You can just create a new system using the system copy method. It is basically the same as an installation, however the exported system is used for the load instead of the regular load DVD's.

Kind regards,

Mark

[former_member227283 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Suppose say that I have my source system with ABAP+JAVA satck and Traget system is only ABAP stack. Now, if I export my source system through system copy method and Import in Traget system then after copy will it become ABAP+JAVA system or it will still remain ABAP system only.

While exporting the source system which is abapjava , you have to export first abap then you have to select java. in one shot you cannot export abap java system , so when you are using sapinst there is option to export abap first then java. Many time such scenarion comes , where your source system is abapjava in which java stack is not of use and you have export the abap stack and import it to the system where there is ABAP only system. In such cases you can suffy your requirement by exporting abap only from abapjava system using sapinst system copy method and import it to abap only system. it will work.

Like incase of Remote client copies we have condition like source and target system should be in same patch levels. IS similar condition applicable for system copy procedure also I am doing a system copy between two existing systems.

Patch data get stored in database, so when you copy the source system to target system , your whole database get move from source to target, so you will get similar image of source system to target system.

I have one SAP System with DB & SAP already installed and have another system without SAP in it with just operating system. Now, I want to do a system copy between these two. So, do I need to first install DB & SAP initially and after have to do a system copy or l

In such case you will first export the system using sap inst from source system.

Then , if your target system OS is windows , then you will install first database and then you will import the system using sapinst using the sapdump which is get created while exporting.

If your system is unix based , then you will start import directly using sapinst , where will importing there will 1 phase which will prompt you to install database, here you will install database and you will continue with sapinst import options.

Edited by: Anil Bhandary on May 21, 2010 9:55 AM

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thank U for the clear explanation

[Former Member]

System Copy:

Build a SAP system similar to Production data

1) Homogeneous system copy: source and target system using the same operating system and database system  (using database backup/restore)

2) Heterogeneous system copy/migration: source and target system using different operating system or database system (using SAP specific tools*).

Additional info: http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-8324

System Refresh:

Refresh existing system data with production data (target system is online)

1) Database Specific method (database backup/restore)

2) SAP specific method*

*SAP specific tools/method: R3load (for ABAP) and Jload (for JAVA)

[Former Member]

Hi,

Thanks for clarifying my query.

Thanks & Regards,

Sharath