System Copy and Migration
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Introduction
At several stages in the lifecycle of your SAP solution, you will face the requirement to perform a system copy or a migration. For example, SAP recommends that you perform a system copy to create test, demo and training systems. Also, if you need to change your operating system and/or database, you have to perform a migration of your SAP system.
For this, SAP is offering the system copy and migration services of software provisioning manager 1.0 (offering the latest SAPinst version including latest features and fixes for several product versions) that enable you to create consistent copies of your SAP systems, flexibly adapted to your needs - be it an SAP system distributed to several hosts, a high-availability system or a system on a rather exotic operating system/database combination.
Besides the procedures provided by SAP, there are also non-SAP methods to replicate existing SAP systems (for example, methods offered by hardware partners). SAP systems copied or migrated with such methods are still supported by SAP, but no support can be provided by SAP for these non-SAP procedures. Instead, the corresponding supplier of the procedure (for example, the hardware partner) is in charge of providing support for the corresponding non-SAP procedure.
Getting Started
- In this shortoverview presentation, get a quick overview of the system copy and migration with software provisioning manager 1.0.
- In this short technical details presentation, get technical details and a quick overview how the system copy and migration process looks like with software provisioning manager 1.0.
- Explanation of Terms provides a quick overview of the terminology used for SAP system copies.
- Heterogeneous ABAP System Copy - Technical Overview: If you are involved in a migration process (be it as administrator, technical consultant or other project member) or just want to learn more about heterogeneous copies of ABAP systems, see this presentation to get a technical overview including involved tools and created files.
- SAP Note 784118 (System Copy Tools for ABAP Systems)
- FAQ - System Copy and Migration: frequently asked questions about the system copy and migration of SAP systems.
- SAP Note 547314 (FAQ: System Copy procedure)
- For troubleshooting information, see the list of Troubleshooting documents for Software Provisioning Manager
Migration to SAP HANA
For the migration to SAP HANA, several migration path options are offered - see the Migration of SAP Systems to SAP HANA page for an overview.
Especially for the classical migration to SAP HANA, see the corresponding Classical Migration to SAP HANA page that provides further information about the procedure and lists several best practices for this use case.
Further Information
- System copy and migration guides, available at http://help.sap.com/sltoolset → System Provisioning → System Copy Option.
- Best Practice Guide - Classical Migration of SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP to SAP HANA
- In addition to standard system copy and database-specific procedures, the split-mirror solution (SMP login required) uses storage technology to create a split-mirror image of a single system or a system landscape. For more information, navigate to Storage - Split Mirror Solutions.
- SAP Note 954268 (Optimization of export: Unsorted unloading)
- SAP Note 1918774 (Performance issues when running a SAP Installation / System Copy)
- For information about how to handle landscape data in the system landscape directory (SLD) in the course of a system copy, see the blog How to Deal with Landscape Data Created during System Copy and the Landscape Management page.
Possible Alternatives
- The product SAP Landscape Management (fka SAP Landscape Virtualization Management) helps customers simplify and optimize provisioning, deployment, and management of their SAP systems through the use of virtualization and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud technology. One of its key features is a framework for SAP system cloning, copy and refresh, including fully automated post-copy tasks, eliminating manual effort. Customers can use it to reduce the total cost of operations of their SAP system landscape and enhance their flexibility and business agility. For more information about our offering for the automation of post-copy activities, see also this overview presentation.
- For certain use cases, the system rename procedure might be a faster alternative to the classical homogeneous system copy procedure, as it allows to quickly adapt key characteristics - such as hostname, instance number, or system ID (SAP system ID or database system ID) - of an existing SAP system or to make cloned systems operational (for example, by using system rename to configure a system that has been copied to another file system along with services, users, permissions, and hostnames to be operational on the new host).
How to Get It?
Get the latest version of both the tool and the guide valid for several product versions and containing latest features and fixes at: http://support.sap.com/sltoolset → System Provisioning.
The guides describe the export procedure of the source system as well as the import procedure on the target system based on software provisioning manager 1.0. Post-copy activities required for systems based on SAP NetWeaver are also covered. SAP Support can only provide optimal support for copied systems that have been copied using one of the procedures described in the guide
Feature Requests
Influence the future of the system copy procedure by collaborating on ideas for new features in SAP Idea Place, the public channel to participate in innovation at SAP. System copy belongs to the idea session Software Logistics, category Solution Implementation (homogeneous system copy) resp. System Transformation (heterogeneous system copy/migration). Submit new ideas, vote for existing ideas and connect directly with the team that is in charge of the system copy procedure!
