The system copy
Key solution steps
SAP recommends that you always update enterprise software in your production system using the SAP transport system and never make changes directly in the production system. In addition, SAP suggests that you validate change transports through a QA system that is approximately identical to the production system and has up-to-date transaction data. Outdated data can affect the validity of change transport tests, which can lead to errors and failures in the production system. However, end-user transaction data is received only from the production system. Such data must therefore be passed regularly throughout the SAP transport chain to ensure that your non-production systems have up-to-date and valid transaction data. This can usually be accomplished by passing a system copy of the production system, created for updates, to the QA system. To reduce the number of test cycles, it is also advisable to update your development system occasionally.
Renaming and restoring the target system database - adjusting file system permissions. Renaming, recovery and startup of the target system database.
Performing SAP system copies automatically
Installation continues until the 'Load Data' phase. Here the program waits for successfully exported packages and starts the import as soon as a package has been exported.
Typically, the "homogeneous SAP system copy" process involves a large number of manual activities. A certain skill level is required for this, which leads to the fact that usually the employees of the SAP Basis department or external service providers realize the system copy. Depending on the structure and size of the systems, this process can take anywhere from hours to several days. In addition to making the target systems unavailable to operations and project teams, system and landscape copies also block SAP Basis administrators. Other challenges include the varying duration and quality (completeness) of the results depending on the processor, time dependency on the employees performing the work, etc.
SAP system copy is made much easier by the "Shortcut for SAP Systems" application.
With the definition of package groups, the parallel processing of packages can be configured beyond the definition of the order: All defined groups run in parallel to each other.
The website www.sap-corner.de offers many useful information about SAP basis.
At least the SAP tool can be used to reduce the runtime of an extraction of test data compared to the system copy or client copy.