System Conversion to SAP S/4HANA: SUM is the tool

S/4HANA is a new product line

• SAP S/4HANA is not a successor of SAP Business Suite, it is a new product line
• This is why we do not talk about migration to S/4HANA (for a source like SAP ECC 6.0)
• The terminology is Transition, and there are three options
  • New installation
  • System Conversion
  • Landscape Transformation
• SAP S/4HANA is available as on-premise or cloud edition
• The SCN blog from Frank Wagner is an excellent starting point:
  The road to SAP S/4HANA: the different transition paths

System Conversion: SUM is the tool for the transition to SAP S/4HANA on premise

• System Conversion is the process of transitioning an existing SAP ECC system to SAP S/4HANA on Premise
• Software Update Manager (SUM) is the tool for this transition: either with or without DMO
  • If the source is already on SAP HANA DB, it is SUM w/o DMO
  • If the source is not yet on SAP HANA DB, it is SUM w/  DMO
• This blog only covers the System Conversion to SAP S/4HANA on premise only

SUM 1.0 SP15 for system conversion

• SUM SP15 is required for all scenarios targeting SAP NetWeaver 7.5 based systems
• SUM SP15 is available since October 2015
• SUM SP14 is available since September 2015
• Both SUM SP14 and SP15 are offered in parallel until SUM SP16 is available (expected in Q1 2016)
• SUM SP16 will then again be the unique tool for all scenarios, including 7.5 based systems

One-step or two: depends on Unicode (UC)

• General rule:
  • If the source system is already on UC, the transition is a one-step procedure
  • If the source system is not yet on UC, the transition is a two-step procedure
• Exception
  • For SAP R/3 4.7 and SAP ECC 5.0 Unicode systems: these releases do not include the Customer-Vendor-integration (with Business Partners) that is required for SAP S/4HANA, so a two-step approach is required
• Yes, in general DMO may include the UC Conversion - but not for target NW 7.5:
  • NW 7.5 is only UC: no non-UC kernel (and no non-UC export load) available
  • DMO builds up a shadow system for the source system on the new release
  • For non-UC systems, this shadow system has to be non-UC -> not possible for NW 7.5
• Recommended path for non-UC source systems is discussed below
• Even if one-step is possible, for business reasons customers may decide to have several steps, as discussed by Frank Wagner (see above)

Important:
it is relevant for all target systems based on SAP NetWeaver 7.5 (also for possible upcoming SAP Business Suite 7 versions) that the source system has to be already on Unicode.

System conversion is more than a technical SUM procedure

• Apart from the SUM run (with or without DMO), the procedure includes
  • Maintenance planning with Maintenance Planner (instead of MOpz):

    -  includes checks for AddOns, software components, activated business functions

    -  allows the download of stack.xml and software files like MOpz

    -  Introduction to Maintenance Planner in SCN: http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-65243

• Preparation checks for system, based on SAP Notes
• Code check
• post activities during downtime (like reports) to migrate the data from old to new data model
• The preparation and the data migration requires involvement of colleagues from business

SAP S/4HANA Simple Finance 1503 is a special member of SAP S/4HANA family

• SAP Simple Finance on premise edition 1503 (fka sFIN 2.0) is a part of the SAP S/4HANA family
• Still "1503" is slightly different from a technical perspective
  • it is based on NW 7.4 (not 7.5)
  • Usage of Maintenance Planner is not mandatory (but recommended)
  • Transition to "1503" with SUM/DMO including Unicode Conversion is possible
• Note that "sFIN" is not the official name
• Note that SAP S/4HANA Simple Finance 1602 will be based on NW 7.5, so source has to be Unicode!

Recommended path for two-step approach: goto 6.17 oH

• As discussed above, a two-step approach is required: for non-UC systems and for R/3 4.7 & SAP ECC 5.0
• Recommendation:
  • first step to for SAP ECC 6.0 EHP 7 on HANA (6.17 oH) with SUM w/ DMO
  • second step later then with SUM (w/o DMO) to SAP S/4HANA 1511 ff
• Exception: DMO not supported for SAP R/3 4.7:
  • use SUM (w/o DMO) to 6.17 on sourceDB
  • later SUM w/ DMO to SAP S/4HANA
• Alternative for SAP ECC 6.0 EHP 0...7 on anyDB:
  • You may only do the Unicode Conversion without update & migration (stay on software level)
  • Benefit: no change of business processes, so project effort may be reduced
  • Disadvantage: you need additional hardware to support a parallel DB export/import to minimize the Unicode conversion downtime, which would not be required for SUM w/ DMO
• Discussion:
  • Targeting 6.17 oH as first step is a handy general rule, although exeption exist
  • Targeting EHP8 not possible, because it is based on 7.50 => requires UC source system

Best regards, Boris Rubarth

Product Manager Software Update Manager, SAP SE