SAP Ecosystem: Successful Upgrade

COMPANY UPDATES

In the ever-evolving world of technology and business, change is the only constant. Laws and regulations often require us to adapt, and to stay ahead, we need a robust technological infrastructure that can grow and change with us. Let’s look at why this was mandatory for the business:

1. Keeping up with Change: As technology and business scenarios change, SAP releases updates to stay relevant. We need to stay up-to-date to remain competitive and compliant with regulations.

2. Limited Support: SAP offers support for its software versions for a limited time. After that, we're on our own for issues and updates. An upgrade ensures we have the support we need.

3. Newer Technologies: Our business needs to be compatible with emerging technologies. An upgrade helps us stay connected with the latest advancements.

Our Upgrade Journey

Upgrading is not a simple task. It requires careful planning to minimize downtime. Our situation was unique because we are on S/4 HANA, which uses in-memory databases. Our existing servers could not handle the upgrade, and our operating system needed an update. We also decided to shift from physical servers to a virtual machine (VM) environment.

We initially planned to create a parallel landscape, but that would have meant double the costs without any real use. Instead, we subscribed to a separate server called a sandbox. We cloned our production server into it and began the upgrade process. Unfortunately, we faced challenges and complexities during the first attempt. So, we opted for another sandbox upgrade, learning from our previous experience. This time, it was a success.

Sandbox Testing: While thorough testing is recommended for all business scenarios, we could only perform limited testing due to unavoidable reasons. We focused on the most common scenarios.

Moving to Parallel Landscape: We subscribed to the parallel landscape and moved our production server into the new VM infrastructure. We also reconfigured the VPN connectivity to ensure server access.

We froze the servers and ensured that all functionalities, including communication and load balancing, were working correctly. We created a shadow system and initiated the upgrade of the live production instance. This involved various technical phases, such as system preparation, SPDD phase, system upgrade, SPAU phase, and extensive testing, including checking the Z-Programs. After successfully completing post-upgrade activities, we are now live with the upgraded version of SAP S/4 HANA 2021.

In conclusion, this upgrade journey was a complex yet necessary step to ensure our business remains adaptable, compliant, and technologically advanced in today's ever-changing landscape.

Information Source: Mr. Devendra Pratap Misra (Chief Technology Officer)