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The system copy
In this context, generated jobs adapt to changes, even if, for example, a DB change, a release change or other changes have taken place. Nevertheless, once created copy jobs can be reused, which minimizes the maintenance effort and a certain susceptibility to errors. This is also the case when switching from one Any DB to another or when moving from an Any DB to Hana.
A system copy can be created either with SAP transactions (R3trans, from R4.6C SAPinst) or at file and database level. Costs and effort increase with the size of the system and the requirements for availability and data protection. In addition, administrative rework is often necessary, starting with the system name and extending to printers and interfaces.
Purpose of the SAP system copy
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 Outdated data can affect the validity of change transport tests, which can lead to errors and failures in the production system.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.
With Automated System Copy for SAP, an SAP system copy can be scheduled and executed in a parallel mode, which has the advantage of reducing manual intervention to a minimum. In addition, daily work can continue as normal. Rehau had already been using the software provider's Business Automation platform for cross-platform scheduling of complex job chains since 2004. The existing installation was expanded to include the module for creating SAP system copies.
A solution such as "Shortcut for SAP Systems" offers an automatable solution for many of the activities involved in an SAP system copy.
For the Unicode conversion of a 4.5 TB system (2.7 TB data) a downtime of 16 hours was achieved (including the follow-up work such as reconfiguration, updating DB statistics, generating reports, creating backups, testing the system).
But collecting this data can be challenging in times of Big Data and increased data protection, as well as due to complex IT structures.