Before shutting down the target system
Consideration of additional QA clients
When executing a system copy, all tables, processes, databases, etc. are taken into account when copying. Logical system names must also be converted (using the BDLS trasaction code). The process of a system copy usually does not change. If no structural changes have been made to the SAP systems involved, the process is even 100% identical. Due to the very high repeatability of the nevertheless complex process, it is advisable to automate it to a large extent.
The solution does not use software agents. The use of standard protocols for the interaction of tool (client/server) and source system and tool with target system has proven itself, exclusively for the purpose of system copy creation. Whereby the use of a single point of management and control has also proven its worth.
Easy integration also in the system copy of systems of older releases possible!
Of course, time savings also mean money savings. In addition, these processes for system copying using such automation tools can be planned, standardized and always run at a high level of process quality. Especially the latter is of great importance in SAP Basis departments (and of course also for service providers).
In order to have up-to-date data and exactly the same software versions on an SAP test system for meaningful tests as are active on the production system, the production systems are regularly copied completely to the test system. However, many settings in the test system must be retained, because a test system should not act like a production system and, for example, send documents to customers and suppliers or trigger something in production.
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!
Note that when a long-term system is created from a system copy, a system copy may be needed for updates later in the system's life cycle.
Disadvantages: - Potential load on the production system during IMIG - Additional resource requirements in the source system - Two systems running in parallel are needed (source and target system).