Moving system to new hardware with Windows Virtual Host Name

[maryjane_steele2]

I am building a new system using note  "1564276 - How to install An SAP System on Windows using Virtual Host Names" because I have read that it will be easier to move to new hardware in the future.  How is it easier and what would the process be?  I can't get my mind around how I move to new hardware without re-installing.

[divyanshu_srivastava3 · Accepted solution]

Moving to new hardware requires either homogeneous system copy or migration(depending you are also changing OS/DB)

It becomes handy in case because same virtual hostname can be used in target system(eg RFC destinations) and you don't need to updated this in your landscape. Just an update of services file will be sufficient on other connected system for new IP address.

Regards

[maryjane_steele2 · Accepted solution]

I can accomplish the same thing using c-names.  Currently all my RFCs and 3rd party  use c-names to connect to our systems.  If I still have to re-install I am not seeing the value of the virtual host name concept.  Thanks for the advice (again).

[divyanshu_srivastava3 · Accepted solution]

Hi Mary,

There are many reasons and advantages of using Virtual hostnames.

For you above query, please read

Note 962955 - Use of virtual TCP/IP host names

Regards,

[maryjane_steele2 · Accepted solution]

That note does list any advantages. It makes the same statement of "This may be useful when moving SAP servers or complete server landscapes to other new hardware within a short time frame without having to carry out a reinstallation or complicated reconfiguration".  I am still failing to see how it will help me move to new hardware quicker.  I do not and will not buy LVM.   Any kind of cloning is not an option because as part of the move to new hardware I would want to use the latest version of windows.  

How could I install SAP on the new hardware because I could not have the same virtual name in DNS twice.

[Former Member]

Dear

you can take image of your system if the hardware is same then you can restore the image it and change your host name to new host name

if you are using different hardwarde then it is an migration from one hardware to another hardware

there this ghost do not work

Regards

[former_member188883]

Hi Mary,

You can create a clone copy of existing system to new hardware and move the virtual hostname from earlier host to new host.

Regards,

Deepak Kori

[maryjane_steele2]

I did not think SAP supported clones for production systems.

[former_member188883]

Hi Mary,

If you follow SAP tools and guidelines it is supported for Production environment as well.

For eg: Using SAP LVM tool we can create clones of systems which are supported using this tool.

1709155 - System Provisioning with SAP Landscape Virtualization Management

1767253 - SAP's recommended approach to system copy

In case you are not licensed for LVM tool, suggestion here would be to perform a PoC which covers

- Creating clone of Production

- Isolate the PRoduction clone by removing DNS entries

- Test the Production clone

- Roll out solution to final migration.

Note: In case you have a JAVA stack system above approach may not help. In that case you may need to go with R3load export/import option and then move the virtual hostname to the new hardware.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Deepak Kori

[maryjane_steele2]

Nice to know but we are not buying a SAP Tool.  I do know that VM clones are not supported.  I have moved systems before but was trying to find a faster easier way.  Thanks.

[former_member188883]

Hi Mary,

What is the environment you have in terms of DB / OS platform for source and target ?

Regards,

Deepak Kori

[maryjane_steele2]

DB is SQL Server and OS is windows.  Basically I just want to move to a new server with the latest version of Windows.  I am very familiar with system copies, I do them all the time. I have even migrated all my production system to new hardware, I am just trying to improve on the process.