If your organization is considering moving to SAP HANA, consider the various integration approaches available. It will help you choose the right option for your business.
When choosing an integration approach, determining how you want to use the new system is the primary consideration. It will affect the type of copy you need to make.
Hybrid
One of the most common integration approaches is a hybrid approach. It enables organizations to select which aspects of their current system to redesign and keep working while they move their data into the new SAP HANA system.
A hybrid SAP HANA system migration approach can reduce complexity and business downtime. It’s a smart choice for organizations that want to maintain their current business processes while modernizing them faster and more flexibly.
When you choose a hybrid approach, you can use SAP’s native tools to export your source database and import it to the new target system. You can also use standard backup tools to create a backup file that is not dependent on the system’s version and operating system.
The hybrid approach can also be helpful if you need to change the target system. It allows you to easily migrate your database while maintaining your settings and customization strategies. You can add new SAP BAPIs and ODATA connections without modifying or customizing the core application.
Replication
Replication is the process of copying data from one location to another. It is helpful for various applications, including SAP HANA systems migration. However, replication can be difficult to implement and manage because it requires much time and bandwidth.
Depending on the amount of data to be moved and the speed at which it must be transferred, replication can be very slow or extremely fast. In addition, it can be impacted by network connectivity and database size.
Aside from the technical requirements, planning and executing the migration takes time and effort. It is why many organizations choose to partner with external experts to handle the migration process for them.
Replicating the data between systems can be done in two ways: asynchronous replication and backup and restore. Both have pros and cons, and it’s essential to consider these when choosing an approach.
Option 1: Asynchronous replication replicates all database content from the source environment to the target cloud infrastructure. This method is more efficient than backup and restore, but downtime varies based on the database size.
Regardless of which method you choose, it’s essential to test the performance of your database and SAP HANA application before moving your data. You can build a sandpit environment and copy your production system. It will help you identify any potential issues with your migration.
Custom Code Remediation
Moving to a new IT environment is a complex task. It requires extensive planning – and some creativity – to ensure your team has the tools and functionality it needs to operate efficiently and with agility. It includes planning how to address custom code, getting the most ROI from modernizing it and implementing processes to help you control technical debt and keep you on track.
When moving from ECC to S/4HANA, many custom objects and programs need to be remediated/adapted. It can be done by an experienced consultant or a team of SAP experts.
Before starting the remediation process, these experts comprehensively analyze each impacted custom program and object. This information lets you plan the SAP S/4HANA system conversion clearly and confidently.
Once the impact analysis is complete, you can identify the impacted custom objects that must be removed from the SAP ERP system during the migration. It is a crucial step to eliminate the risk of system dumps and data inconsistency after the conversion.
You can add a deletion transport request during the system conversion to delete impacted objects. The transport is added to the SAP Software Update Manager (SUM). SUM will delete it from the system after the conversion.
Sandpit
Sandpit is a standard integration approach that enables SAP customers to upgrade from ABAP-based corporate systems running on any DB to a new SAP S/4HANA database in the same data center. It combines system update and technical migration (if required) with an optimized migration procedure that offers simplified steps, reduced manual effort, and only one business downtime period.
S/4HANA is designed to speed up business processes, simplify IT environments and deliver more business intelligence by removing the need to maintain legacy databases or store data in on-premise or cloud systems. It reduces the total cost of ownership by up to 17% compared to older IT landscapes.
It also supports organizations in transforming their business models and processes digitally. Provides a modernized ERP experience with the tile-based SAP Fiori UX and intelligent technologies that enhance efficiency, productivity, and innovation potential.
There are a variety of deployment scenarios for S/4HANA. Including on-premise deployment, the private cloud offering from SAP called SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud and public clouds IaaS offerings. Each of these deployment scenarios provides a specific set of advantages and challenges.
During the planning phase, it’s vital to identify the correct deployment scenario for your organization. It depends on the size of your budget, resources, time frame, and business needs.
