Unicode and Non-Unicode Instances in one Transport Landscape

[Former Member]

We have a 4.7 landscape that includes a shared global development system supporting two regional landscapes. The shared global development system is used for all ABAP/Workbench activity and for global customization used by both regional production systems. The two regional landscapes include primarily three instances - Regional Configuration, Quality Assurance, and Production. The transport landscape includes all systems with transport routes for global and regional.

A conversion to unicode is also being planned for the global development and one regional landscape. It is possible that we will not convert the other regional landscape due to pending discussions on consolidation. This means one of the regional landscapes will be receiving global transports from a unicode-based system.

All information I've located implies no actual technical constraints. Make sure you have the right R3trans versions, don't use non-Latin_1 languages, etc. Basic caveats for a heterogenous environment ....

Is anyone currently supporting a complete, productive landscape that includes unicode and non-unicode systems? If so, any issues or problems encountered with transports across the systems? (insignificant or significant)

Information on actual experiences will be greatly appreciated ....

Many thanks in advance.

[Former Member]

There are no issues if all your systems have basis version >6,10

You will have probelms only if you try to transport from Unicode system to a system which is 46D and below ( this is a solution avl for this too) but since you do not have this scenario there is nothing to worry

Go ahead

[Former Member]

Hi Laura,

Although i do not have the live / practical experience, but this is what i can share.

I have been working on a Non-Unicode to Unicode conversion project. While we were in the discussion phase there was one such possibility of a scenario that part of the landscapes would remain non-unicode. So based on the research i did by reading and directly interacting with some excellent SPA consultants, i came to know there are absolutely no issues in transporting ABAP programs from a Unicode system to non-unicode system. In a Unicode system the ABAP code has already been checked and rectified for higher syntax checks and these are downward compatible with the ABAP code on lower ABAP versions and non-unicode systems. Hence i beleive there should not be any issues, however as i mentioned this is not from practical experience.

Thanks.

Chetan