SAP system copies and the DSGVO
Conclusion
As mentioned above, an SAP system copy created for updates is a special use case of homogeneous system copy. Here, a production system represents the source and a non-production system with a specific long-term task in the SAP system landscape represents the target. The most common update scenario involves updating a QA system in the SAP transport system.
Powerful and sophisticated automation tools for the creation of SAP system copies provide a remedy here and demonstrably make it possible, in addition to time and cost savings, to increase the process quality of system copying, for example, or to maintain it at a consistently high level. In effect, they free up SAP Basis.
Automation of homogeneous SAP system copies
Database: For some databases (MS SQL Server) there is the possibility to copy the database files and reattach them on the target system. For the following SAP installation you only have to specify that no SAP loads should be used, but that the database is already there!
Such system copies, with their enormous manual effort and SAP checklists that are often hundreds of items long, must be performed before every refresh. Usually, three to four days have to be planned for this, during which the QA system - which in two-tier SAP environments is also the development system - is not available for the actual work. The delay is actually only caused by the meticulous matching of trivial things, such as directory names. 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.
With "Shortcut for SAP Systems" any tables can be saved and restored. This is especially useful in the context of an SAP system copy - quite a few tables are system-specific and must exist unchanged in the system after a system copy.Shortcut for SAP Systems uses R3trans - a utility from SAP that is essentially used in the Transport Management System (TMS) environment. With "Shortcut for SAP Systems" it is now also available outside the TMS and enables completely new and diverse application possibilities. Among others in the environment of a system copy. R3trans works database independent. I.e. even in the case of a system refresh from an SAP system with an Oracle DB to a system with HANA, the backup and restore process works!
Understanding the structure and functioning of the system is especially important for IT administration. It is not for nothing that "SAP Basis Administrator" is a separate professional field. On the page www.sap-corner.de you will find useful information on this topic.
SAP environments can quickly become time-consuming.
Technically, it is quite possible to build up a degree of automation here as well, but officially certified consultants ("migration consultants") are required to perform the heterogeneous system copy.