Planning

your Production SAP OS/DB migration

What is an SAP OS/DB migration?
An SAP OS/DB migrations is a process by which the platform (Operating System, Database System or both) of an SAP system is changed (for example, from Windows/DB2 to HP- UX/Oracle). The technical procedure for the migration involves copying the SAP systems database instance to another server.

you but consulting fees will apply if SAP needs to intervene. It is advisable to engage a certified migration consultant early in the project as he/she will provide valuable input for the planning. Very large systems with critical up- time requirements may only be able to be migrated with SAPs direct involvement in addition to your certified consultants. A special procedure called Incremental Migration (IMIG) is used in these cases to minimize downtime. IMIG this is a fee-based service offered by SAP.

Inform SAP

Who can perform production SAP OS/DB migrations?

The technical migration procedure must be performed by a consultant with a special SAP certification for OS/DB migrations. Certified SAP OS/DB migration consultants possess the knowledge about the required methodology and technology for the migration. There is only one SAP OS/DB migration certification, and its valid for all supported platform combinations. You must tell SAP who your certified migration consultant is and they will verify that he/she is on the list of approved consultants, as part of the project validation. In case of problems during go-live, SAP will ask to speak to the certified consultant only. If you do not have one, SAP will still support

You must inform SAP of your decision to migrate your productive system in two different ways: First, you must inform your SAP representative as soon as you know you will be migrating your system. There are contractual implications to changing your platform. And second, every Production migration requires the mandatory SAP OS/DB Migration Check service. To order this service, open a Service Marketplace ticket under component BC-INS-MIG at least 6 weeks in advance of your intended go-live. The OS/DB Migration Check is a fee-based service, however, it can usually be performed free of charge in exchange for other services included in your maintenance. Ask your SAP representative about your specific case.

Time requirements

SAP makes no statements about the total duration of a migration project, and rightly so, because every SAP system is different. Having said that, experience shows that a project to migrate a small to medium, standard 3-system landscape (DEV, QAS and PRD) can have a duration of about 3-4 months. However, large or complex landscapes may take much longer than that. The estimated duration for your system can only be determined once your Project Manager has put together a project plan with input from the migration consultant and the rest of the project team. Total project duration will depend, among other things, on how much testing is required.

process and fit the downtime to the required window.

Combining an OS/DB migration with a release upgrade

Many companies make the decision to change platforms in the context of upgrading their SAP system. It makes sense to combine both projects in order to optimize efforts, however there should be a stabilization period between migration and upgrade go- lives. Plan to do the migration first and the upgrade second and, ideally, you should allow at least 6 weeks between the migration and the upgrade go- lives for production systems.

Testing

Adequate testing is probably the most important success factor in an OS/DB migration project. Both technical (Basis) and functional testing are critical. The right amount of functional testing depends, among other things, on how many and how complex your SAP-based processes are, how many interfaces exist and how many platform-specific programs run in your system. The minimum that SAP requires is 2 weeks of testing between the test run and the productive run. A minimum of one technical test run is required by SAP for productive systems, however, especially with large databases, several test runs may be required in order to optimize the

Combination with Unicode conversion

The SAP Unicode conversion procedure is based on the standard OS/DB migration procedure. The main difference is that the Unicode conversion requires additional preparation and verification. Other than that, they are basically the same and can be performed together.
For more information, visit the SAP OS/DB migration page at: https://service.sap.com/osdbmigration Or check with your SAP OS/DB Migration consultant.

Certified SAP NetWeaver and OS/DB Migration Consultant http://consulting.chplanet.ca

Carlos Herrera