Differentiation between homogeneous and heterogeneous SAP system copy
Several advantages at once
In order to be able to work with the most up-to-date data possible on the development and quality assurance systems, it is necessary to bring an up-to-date production status onto these systems. This is often done via a complete system copy (production system -> development system, production system -> quality assurance system) and is very error-prone and user-intensive in ad-hoc configuration (especially if each developer/customizing user is responsible for saving the transports and importing them again after the copy). Every SAP system copy then carries the risk of losing the development status achieved and can lead to inconsistencies in programs and customizing, and any damage repair is usually very time-consuming.
In order to check whether the usable settings are correctly adjusted, especially in the case of large databases, the runtimes are automatically logged during the BDLS. Based on these results, it is possible to analyze how the runtime can be further optimized. By the way, BDLS reports and optimization options are displayed in the BSC GUI, including modification options.
SAP system/instance move
Basically, a distinction is made between the initial setup and refresh of a non-productive SAP system. In the past, the cost of a refresh, i.e., updating the environment with new data, often corresponded to the cost of the initial setup. This also restricted the availability of the productive system, which is hardly tolerable for companies that operate internationally and in different time zones.
A SAN enables a system copy during dialog operation. In this way, virtual copies of a logical volume, so-called snapshots, can be created. Data is only copied if it is changed in the original data volume (copy-on-write procedure). When copying from a snapshot to file level, the affected systems remain available. However, this procedure puts a strain on the storage network. If this takes several days, the response times of the productive system deteriorate.
"Shortcut for SAP Systems" offers the possibility to backup and restore any tables. Not only those that are considered in the PCA tool (Post Copy Automation) but also self-developed tables. Thanks to the simple and clear interface, backup and restore of self-developed tables can be integrated quickly and easily. The command line interface can also be used to automate the process: for example, a simple line command can be used to perform a complete backup of table contents before the system copy, and a simple line command can also be used to restore these tables after the system copy. This means that the complete backup or restore process can be integrated into any automation software.
In connection with Unicode must be differentiated between the system copy of a Unicode system and the Unicode conversion.
SAP Basis is the foundation of any SAP system. You can find a lot of useful information about it on this page: www.sap-corner.de.
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SAP offers its own solution for this: With the Test Data Migration Server (TDMS), individual tables can be selected and written indirectly, via a third SAP system, from the source to the target system via Remote Function Call (RFC).