Last Updated on May 16, 2023 by Pradeep
What is SAP HANA Migration?
SAP HANA Migration is the process where we need to migrate SAP ERP System from the ECC platform to the HANA platform which works on On-premise and cloud technology. In short, this process involves converting the SAP ECC database to HANA technology.
What is covered in this article?
(To jump on a specific topic, click on it, or read the full article).
- Why SAP S/4HANA Migration is Required
- ECC to HANA Migration Options
- SAP HANA Migration Checklist
- SAP HANA Migration Steps
- The Three Conversion Phases
- Pre-conversion Phase & How it works
- The important Migration tools
- Installation & Upgrade
- Conversion Phase
- Post-Conversion Phase
- Important note for Consultants
- Conclusion- The EndNote
This SAP HANA Migration guide will help you understand many aspects of SAP HANA data migration. Go into detail about each segment to understand each concept well.
Why we need to do this SAP S4 HANA Data Migration?
The new S/4HANA uses the in-memory database, while the previous ones were outsourcing databases. Since much data is there in the old database, we need to shift it all to the new S/4HANA.
Hence, to get all data under the new platform, we do the data migration in SAP HANA. This way, not only do we curtail the limitations of old databases, but also, get the complete data in sync and connected.
I hope you understand the concept behind doing SAP HANA Migration.
What is the new SAP S/4HANA?
An updated version, a successor or call it a new functionality of SAP ERP. This is actually SAP S/4HANA.
It is based on cloud technology that uses an in-memory database. While the previous versions like SAP R/3 and SAP ECC were outsourcing databases, which lead to many drawbacks. This includes performance issues, being slow and outdated reports and many more. Hence, the need for S/4HANA came into the picture.
FYI- The latest version that is now launched is S/4HANA 2020.
Watch Slide: What’s New in SAP S/4HANA Finance 2020?
Which Platform should we use for Migration?
Well, this needs to be ascertained at the beginning of the process that, where the SAP HANA is to be migrated.
Either we can easily deploy HANA on-premise to gain maximum control with low risk. Else, we can use the cloud to increase flexibility with new user experiences to business users.
Therefore, both platforms have their own qualities.
However, this also depends on budget allocation, resources, time and needs of the business.
Customers can use SAP’s cloud offering called SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud. For instance, SAP HANA license, original cloud infrastructure as well as SAP managed services.
Importance of the size of SAP HANA Database
The Sizing scope of SAP HANA in-Memory Database is very important while preparing the project plan.
This is because it helps customers to get the maximum benefit from their investment and ROI. Though you can effectively compress the DATA in HANA, it’s a bit difficult to guess the amount of memory required.
Therefore, it is always advised to check the size of memory by using the SAP Quick Sizer tool as well as reports and notes.
SAP HANA Migration Options
We have three SAP HANA Migration options to do the Migration.
SAP HANA Migration option No. 1 – New Installation
Here we install a new system to HANA. It can be either without doing any changes to the current solutions. Or by doing selecting certain data from the existing solution and migrating it to the HANA.
SAP HANA Migration option No. 2- Classic Migration
Here we upgrade the original system and bring it on release that the SAP HANA supports. Then further, we classically migrate the old database to HANA.
SAP HANA Migration option No. 3 – Using DMO
In this option, we use DMO i.e. Database Migration Option. It is a combination of upgrade and migration. With this, we perform migration in one single step, instead of two or more steps. In other words, it is a one time process using one single tool. Thus, involves one downtime only.
The following image shows the steps or process of Migration from the ECC model to the S4 HANA Platform.
SAP HANA Migration Checklist (ECC to S4)
SAP HANA Migration Steps
Following are the SAP HANA migration steps that you should follow. It includes:-
- Preparatory Phase
- System Requirement
- Maintenance Planner
- Pre-Check
- Custom Code Preparation
- Technical Migration
- Database Migration
- Software Update
- Data Conversion
- Data Customization
- General Ledger
- New Asset Accounting
- Material Ledger
- Bank Accounting
- Controlling
- Data Functional Migration
- Testing
- Go-Live
Check: SAP S4 HANA Finance Online Training
SAP HANA Conversion Phases
There are three phases of the conversion process from ECC to HANA.
- Pre-Conversion
- Conversion
- Post-Conversion
Let us understand each one of these.
1. The Pre-Conversion Phase
In the Pre-conversion stage, we perform all pre-steps which we need to start conversion. This helps us to find any issues in the early phase of the project. This stage is also called a Preparatory stage.
The purpose of the Pre-conversion stage is to check the issues or problems in the SAP ECC system and fix them in advance. This consequently makes the actual conversion process error-free.
Why we need Pre-conversion phase?
Because, in this phase, we need to perform all the new configurations. This includes the following:
- GL configuration
- Asset Accounting configuration
- Controlling configuration
- Material Ledger configuration
- House Bank Accounts
- And many more.
How it Works?
The Pre-Conversion phase is also called Customization Phase. Here we need to do all those new customizations which are missing from the previous old system database.
For example, In the old system, we already had a New GL configuration. We also had leading and non-leading ledgers configurations. Still here in the new system, we need an extension ledger, simulation ledger, add global currency types here.
Thus, in short, the phase where we need to do the brownfield migration, we call it the Customization Phase.
After these customizations, we will perform:-
- Data Migration and,
- Post-Migration Activities
Learn: SAP S4 HANA Finance – Ledgers
System Requirements for SAP Database Migration
- Set the Database Data to HDB (HANA Database). Please note, you may be using any version of HANA, either 1.0 or SAP Simple Finance, you should always use this setting as HDB for migration.
- Set the Unicode System to YES.
- Use DMO, Database Migration Object. In place of any traditional database (RDBMS), we need to use the HANA Database. Here you can use the DMO for the purpose of migration
- Update the DS.
- Update the New Release and Service Pack of the existing system.
SAP HANA Migration Cockpit
It is designed for customers who want to transfer their business data from SAP or Non SAP software systems. SAP HANA migration cockpit tool is now an essential tool for SAP S4 HANA data migration. It also supports customers during the transaction to SAP S/4 HANA .
The Migration Cockpit is part of both SAP S/4 HANA and SAP S4 HANA cloud . Thus, you can launch using “Migrate your Data” App in the Fiori Launchpad or using LTMC.
Further. within the migration cockpit , you can migrate your master data and transactional data to SAP S/4 HANA. It uses migration objects to identify and transfer the relevant data and thus facilitates the migration process by providing predefined migration content and mapping.
Benefits of SAP HANA Migration Cockpit
- Preconfigured content and mapping for each migration object. Examples are Cost center, Profit center, Material, Customer etc.
- Predefined template files and staging tables for each migration object
- Automated mapping between the template and target structure
- Migration programs are automatically generated- no programing required
- Available for SAP S/4 HANA and SAP S/4 HANA cloud
SAP HANA Migration Tools
We have some important SAP HANA migration tools that we need to do the SAP ECC to HANA data migration. Understand them in detail and how they work.
- Maintenance Planner
- SI Check
- Custom Code
- Sizing Report
Some Supporting SAP HANA Migration tools are:-
- SUM Tool (Software Update Manager)
- DMO (Database Migration Option)
- Maintenance Optimizer
Let us look at them one by one in detail.
Maintenance Planner
The Maintenance planner checks the system with regards to the business functions, industry solutions, add-ons, etc.
In order to perform the conversion, you should activate all the business functions in the system. In case, it is not yet activated, ask your technical counterpart to activate it. Since in HANA we need to work on various new functions, thus, these should be in active mode to get their full functionality.
For example, you need to activate the New GL in order to work on New Asset Accounting. Others are Cash Management, Bank Communication Management, etc. which are required to be activated.
Do Read: SAP New GL Migration – Overview
How Maintenance Planner is used for SAP HANA Migration?
You must use the Maintenance Planner for your conversion to SAP S/4 HANA Finance. It then creates the download files like add-ons, packages, database drivers stack files etc. These files the Software Update Manager (SUM) uses to install SAP S/4 HANA Finance.
The Maintenance Planner checks the following.
- Whether can we use the add-ons in the system for the conversion
- Can we use the activated business functions in the system for the conversion
- It also checks if a valid file path is present in the system or not.
After these checks, the stack configuration file is created which SUM uses for conversion to S/4 HANA.
How these checks helps to users?
These checks provide users with all the mandatory steps for SAP S/4 HANA Finance migration in the form of SAP Notes. To ensure accuracy, the checks are run twice in the SUM during the conversion process. The pre-check result provides the log that needs to be addressed before the actual conversion process. If errors are encountered during the process, the conversion is stopped.
Benefits of Maintenance Planner
The Maintenance Planner is an SAP solution that helps you plan and maintain systems in your landscape. You can plan complex activities such as installing a new system or updating existing systems. You can also schedule all changes to be deployed at a convenient time to minimize downtime. This essential administrative tool will further help you complete a major part of your application lifecycle management.
What can you do with Maintenance Planner in SAP HANA Migration?
With the Maintenance Planner, you can do the following:-
- Explore all the systems and system tracks in your landscape
- Plan a new system installation
- Also, Plan Upgrade or upgrade activities for an existing system
- Group systems into tracks and perform collective maintenance
- Analyze dependent systems impacted by your change
- Likewise, you can identify and evaluate changes to the landscape
Key Tools Maintenance Planner
- SUM tool – Required for the Conversion of Unicode.
- Perform the Dual Stacks Split – (If required) as the dual stacks are not supported by HANA
- Linux Operating system – It is more supportive to HANA and gives better performance as compared to other OS.
SI Check
In SI Check, we check the Data for any inconsistency or missing activity, mandatory for conversion. Furthermore, we can identify the simplification items which are relevant for the conversion of the database.
In SI Check, we get error codes with unique colours each representing different actions to be taken as per code and colour.
Noteworthy, SI Check is Run at the early stage of the project. Thus, for performing SI- Checks, you need to adhere to some settings.
Settings to do in SI Check
You may follow the below steps:-
- Select the target S/4HANA Version in the simplification item check option
- Chose the mode in which you want to run checks
- In Online Mode- The results are displayed immediately after the check finished
- Background Job- If the check will need a long-running time, use the background mode.
- To convert successfully to S/4 HANA – Start running simplification items check and subsequently fix the issue found by checks as early as possible.
Custom Code
The new S/4HANA Finance architecture is obviously based on the new S/4HANA model. Hence, the migration to SAP S/4 HANA Finance creates new data structures in SAP ERP Finance.
This includes table BKPF as the header table. It also has table ACDOCA as the line item table and with read-only access compatibility views replacing SAP ERP tables.
You might need to adapt certain custom codes to comply with the SAP S/4 HANA Finance data model. Otherwise, the installation of SAP S/4 HANA Finance may be blocked with SAP ABAP dictionary activation errors.
The SAP Basis, technical and development teams must perform the checks and activities detailed in the next sections in the test system. This helps them to check the non-disruptive usage of the existing ABAP programs.
SAP Sizing report
This work is related to the hardware of the system and we work on analyzing the hardware parameters for the new database. It also helps us to know the estimated size required for HANA System.
Likewise, it also gives an estimate of how much storage/RAM is required for the HANA Database.
Since the right side of the storage or memory is very important, the consultant needs to take this step very carefully. The right size estimate can reduce costs in the long term.
So, till now, this was the information about the Pre-Conversion phase. That included:-
- Why do we need to do the SAP HANA migration?
- How does it really work?
- Further, what are the key tools that you need for conversion?
- What is the system requirements for SAP HANA Migration?
- And finally, what are the key tools used for the SAP HANA conversion process?
To explain more clearly let us go deeper into this topic.
Database Sizing for SAP HANA Migration
This step involves determining hardware requirements such as network bandwidth, physical memory, CPU power etc. Often, the sizing is determined based on the volume of the current data and the rate at which the data is expected to grow.
The hardware platform, the SAP software, the system settings and the customizing settings that are based on the business processes, all are factors that influence sizing.
Here is the recommended approach to compute the memory requirement for SAP HANA:-
- Firstly, take half of the current disk-based database space
- Then, add a 20% contingency and buffer and
- Finally, add another 50 GB for coding, stacking and other activities.
Thus, for the SAP HANA database size, the recommended approach is to use half the size that currently exists for the disk-based database.
In a live production system, we need to plan this step carefully with the architecture team and hardware partner. Hence, we require to use SUM along with the maintenance planner for the proper installation of SAP S/4 HANA Finance.
Installation and Upgrade
SAP Note 2157996 includes an Excel-based installation/upgrade checklist. This helps you to verify whether important topics of preparing the installation and upgrade to SAP S/4 HANA Finance are properly considered.
The checklist focuses on specific aspects and condition prerequisites for the SAP S/4 HANA Finance backend installation, the installation/upgrade of the frontend server such as FIORI.
You may be interested in: SAP FICO Tcodes List and their use
SUM Tool – Software Update Manager
Among its many functions, the Software Update Manager (SUM) helps you perform release upgrades install enhancement packages apply service packages and update single components on SAP Net- weaver.
SUM further checks the current version of the system and analyzes the required components imports the necessary programs & add-ons. Finally, it installs all the components that are divided into multiple roadmaps.
Therefore, SUM is the main tool that we can use to convert our system from SAP FICO (ECC) to SAP S/4 HANA Finance.
DMO- Database Migration Option
If your source system is not yet running on an SAP HANA database, use the database migration option (DMO) of SUM to migrate your database to SAP HANA during the conversion.
DMO is a tool that we can use for database migration. It is a component of the SUM tool.
Maintenance Optimizer
We must install SAP S/4 HANA Finance using SUM in combination with the Maintenance Optimizer.
What a Maintenance Optimizer does?
The Maintenance Optimizer leads you through the planning, downloading and implementation of new software versions in existing systems. This is because the system does not support the SAP add-on Installation Tool (SAINT). Thus, we need to check whether the implementation team has experience in using SUM.
With SUM and DMO, you can run the upgrade to SAP ERP or above. Likewise, you can do the SAP HANA database migration to SAP HANA and installation of SAP S/4 HANA Finance in a single step.
Now we will briefly understand what we do in the Conversion Phase and what happens in the Post Conversion Phase.
2. The Conversion phase
In conversion, we convert the system to S4 HANA. This phase includes adaption to new Business Processes, Validation, etc.
The conversion phase includes two things. Conversion and Migration.
Firstly, you understand that when we talk about Conversion, we actually mean the SAP Database conversion.
Here we convert the old ECC model to the new S4 HANA System. This phase includes the Adoption of a new business process.
Thus, here in place of ECC, we use SAP S4 HANA Enterprise Management or the Business Suit.
Do You know? The difference between SAP HANA & S/4HANA
3. The Post-Conversion Phase
We call the final phase as the Post-Conversion Phase.
Here we perform follow-up activities to make sure we get the maximum use of SAP S/4 HANA for our Business.
Please note, all ECC to S/4 HANA conversions take place ON-PREMISE. It cannot happen on the cloud.
Likewise, all these steps are meant for those businesses, who are already using classic SAP ERP or Business Suit.
Important: See the new changes brought in SAP S/4HANA 2020
Important for you to know
To do the technical migration on SAP HANA, it is best to do a trial run by validating the customer’s business process in a SANDPIT environment first.
This will ensure that SAP HANA Migration is a success and can support the technical project also.
It will also help consultants to evaluate important points like time to migrate, realizing the actual process of SAP HANA, understanding the issues in the SANDPIT environment so as to avoid them later.
It further gives them a great opportunity to validate the non-productive environment.
You may be interested in: SAP FICO Real Time Scenarios
Conclusion
SAP HANA Migration is the most crucial phase in the up-gradation of SAP ERP to the S/4HANA platform. Thus, it is a must for every SAP consultant to understand it deeply.
With this article, you would surely have understood this SAP S4 HANA Migration guide in detail. It is important in order to become a successful SAP S/4HANA Consultant, that you can do the technical migration on SAP HANA. And likewise, it is equally important to know its three phases in detail.
In order to do the perfect Migration, you definitely need the best knowledge of SAP ERP Financials in ECC and also in SAP S/4HANA. This you can achieve by learning the SAP from its basics till you reach a point where the project certainly involves migration and related work.
Related Video: SAP HANA Migration Guide
Related Post: Migration of SAP FICO from ECC to HANA
