System refresh, which is similar to a system copy, is simply copying one SAP System to another when the target SAP system already exists. The system refresh should copy production to the quality assurance system for testing with fresh data. SAP recommends this process be performed every 3 months.
Example: Copying the source SAP system to a target QAS SAP System. SAP has tools to back up your source system, database clone, or with R3load for ABAP and Jload for JAVA.
If the system does not exist and you need to build a new system on the same operating system and database as the source system, this is a homogeneous system copy.
If the operating system and/or database of the target system is different than the source system, it is known as a migration or heterogeneous system copy.
For further background in SID-Refresh please visit our previous articles:
- SAP Basis Automation with SID-Refresh Supports S/4HANA, ECC CRM BW
- SAP Basis Post-Copy Automation with SID-Refresh
- SAP Basis Automation with SID-Refresh
Pain Points
System Refresh can be costly, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and error-prone.
Traditionally, a system refresh has been complex and takes away from the time of skilled resources. The most common method is to take snapshots of the technology and recreate a new environment.
- BDLS takes a long time to convert logical system names.
- Target systems will have the entire dataset, which includes the transaction history kept in the system
- There are many projects running and customers struggle to find the right timeframe to complete them.
- A Typical SAP System refresh requires an SAP Netweaver/Basis Administrator, Project Manager, Storage Administrator, Database Administrator, and OS system Programmer.
- Installing, maintaining database libraries, cloning databases, and performing the SAP system refresh of the database can take days to weeks.
- If a refresh in the middle of a project gets disrupted, the refresh may not be performed at all.
- Each environment needs to be created, and the new SAP system should be installed and customized before the migration.
- Must follow Best practices for naming and address conventions.
- The system administrator must manually configure the network, database connection, and application server instances
- Configuring a database is complex, and each instance may have as many as 80,000 tables.
- There are many steps involved and human work is error-prone. Mistakes can happen at any time in the multi-stage process.
- Smooth and flawless operations of systems are the key to keeping business processes on track. This requires a combined effort of all database admins, programmers, and SAP SMEs.
- As the complexity of computing environments increases, SAP solution experts are challenged to deliver cost-effective and timely results.
Automation with SID-Refresh™ to the Rescue
Automating the system refresh raises productivity and quality, increases efficiency, lowers costs, and reduces errors!
Free up the time from repetitive and boring tasks so SMEs can perform higher-level work.
The IT-Conductor SID-Refresh tool simplifies the SAP system refresh process and streamlines numerous administrative tasks into one, automated, end-to-end workflow. Standardizes and speeds up the time to complete the refresh from days to hours, reducing the risk of human error.
SAP Basis teams can spend less time waiting for long-running tasks to be completed and can spend more time doing productive work that is useful to your business.
Reduces the complexity involved in creating, managing, and copying SAP database environments.
The solution can be used to configure and fully automate the standard tasks required to deploy an SAP database server environment. Custom orchestration can be tied to end-to-end system copy steps before and after the Post-Copy Automation (PCA) tasks.
Visit the SID-Refresh User Documentation for more details.
Testimonials
"With SID-Refresh we save a lot of time, exporting customizing settings before an SAP System database refresh, and even more, when restoring them, after the copy: the tool rebuilds the selected customizing settings in a safe way and prevents possible mistakes coming from manual changes."
- Dino Dose, Team Manager @ BGP Technology
"We used SID-Refresh several times. It amazes me with its simplicity and minimum time spent on starting up the system during copying. The most pleasant that the program is adapted for Linux systems!"
- Yuliia Bazyliuk, Head Engineer @ The National Bank of Ukraine
"I'm an independent Basis Consultant who used SID-Refresh on a BW System Refresh for a client. I'm fascinated by how well it works. It is truly a high-quality solution that deserves to be known around the world!"
- Eduardo Andrés Lallo, Sap Basis Administrator (Sap HANA Certified Technology Consultant)