Several advantages at once
Solution Description
An SAP system copy is not done in an hour. Due to the large amount of data in an SAP system, the individual steps can take a long time to complete. The export and the import do not always run without errors. Often one is held up by troubleshooting. Of course, the target system must be prepared before the actual copy can be performed: Setting up the server, installing the operating system and database software, downloading and copying the installation media. During the export, the source system cannot be used. Therefore, this task must be planned well and in advance.
Even if the target system is not used for production in an update scenario based on a system copy, it is of central importance for developers and thus also the software lifecycle of the production system. That's why you should avoid upgrade downtime in both the production source system and the non-production target system. Production system downtime depends primarily on the method you use to create the image of the production data to be used in the target system. This image must be a transferable database image - for example, a database export, a backup copy, or an array-based reconciliation. To eliminate downtime in the production system and minimize the impact on application performance-regardless of the size of the production data reconciliation-you can use, for example, HP StorageWorks System Copy for SAP (HP System Copy), which has a disk array-based replication capability. Downtime in the target system depends on the following factors, among others: The time required to restore production data reconciliation in the target system The amount of pre- and post-processing in the target system With HP System Copy, images of production data can be created in minutes, with each step between shutdown and reboot of the target system occurring automatically. However, after the reboot, the target system is not immediately ready for use, as additional steps must first be performed (see description below).
Detailed checks for critical order contents
One of the most common methods of creating an SAP system copy is to use SAP's own tool "BR*Tools". This tool provides the ability to create a backup of the database, which can then be used to restore the system. It can also be used to export certain data from the database and import it into another system.
So much information... how can you keep it so that you can find it again when you need it? Scribble Papers is a "note box" that makes this very easy.
The tools we use can be easily operated either in the cloud or on premise. For this, the SAP systems to be copied must allow access at operating system level. The typical cloud infrastructures, such as AWS or Azure, are not a hurdle for this service.
For some time now, SAP customers have been supported in system copying by very powerful automation tools that can be used as needed, such as "Shortcut for SAP Systems". Nothing has to be installed in your SAP systems for this - no transport requests, no AddOns!
Such a process can also be crucial for error analysis or to prepare for audits and compliance checks.
Because such SAP system copies have to be created for each SAP application on the QA system and can thus quickly require dozens of system copies, they tie up a lot of resources and staff.