Migration design
There are several migration scenarios, the most straight-forward being a direct "lift-and-shift" (homogeneous). In this scenario, the infrastructure and SAP versions remain the same, for example, on-premise SAP NetWeaver ABAP 7.0 running on VMWare to the same environment on cloud. Migration from on-premise to another infrastructure platform or SAP version (heterogeneous) can become more complex, especially when combined with a DB conversion or application server upgrade.
For a list of migration options and tools, see Moving SAP Workloads to IBM Cloud.
SAP migration categories
There are two types of SAP migration categories:
-
Homogeneous: Target has the same OS and software versions as the source
-
Heterogeneous: Target has a different OS, software, database type, or version than the source
The following tables summarize various approaches for a homogeneous and heterogeneous migration; all dependent on client environments and preferences.
Homogeneous Migration
| Migration method | Technique summary | Advantages and concerns | Associated tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Machine (VM) Backup and Restore | Use specialty tools to back up entire SAP instance(s) as virtual machine images and restore to VPC as Virtual server instances (VSIs). | Lift and shift operation. | |
| Ensure tooling can support delta replication after the point-in-time move. | |||
| Depending on the tools used, post migration adjustments might be necessary to mesh with the target environment in terms of network and systems addressing, interface enablement, etc. | |||
| Database backup and restore | Backup the source database using native DBMS tools. Restore backup copy to a "shell" copy of source system prebuilt on PowerVS, using identical versions of software. | The time to transfer large database backups can be an issue. | SAP software to build "shell" system |
| Target needs same and compatible vendor software to restore from backups file(s) received. |
|
||
| Fresh build and copy the config | Build a fresh copy of the SAP system on PowerVS and copy and re-enter configuration parameters as required. | Good for applications and middleware servers that aren't requiring data transfer. Risk of error introduction if post installation manual procedures are applied to reproduce exact configuration. | SAP software to build "shell" system |
| Database replication and Continuous Data Protection (CDP) tools | Establish replication between source replication and target database constructed on VPC. | Verify that replication is supported between the source version of the database and the target version across the distances involved | SAP software to build "shell" system. Vendor specific database tools to configure and administer database replication, for example, SQL always on replication, HANA System Replication, Oracle DataGuard etc. |
Heterogeneous Migration
| Migration method | Technique summary | Advantages and concerns | Associated tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| System Copy that uses SWPM | Move or Re-Platform to different CPU Architecture, OS, or database. Uses System | Commonly used to change database server in preparation for more significant move; for example, move to SAP HANA DB with a Classical Migration approach | Copy export and import of SWPM |
| SAP export and import | Export database from source system to target on PowerVS. Transfer the export to PowerVS and import into a prebuilt "shell" version of same system, applying variations to software as required. | Time to transfer export across a network is a concern if database is large. Using SAP import and export procedures eliminates concern about having compatible backup/restore software at the source and target. | SAP software to build "shell" system; Aspera (optional) to expedite transfer of SAP export |
| Standard DMO Migration - from on-premises to IBM Cloud | Use SAP SUM and DMO to migrate and upgrade application and database software and associated data from source location across the network to a "shell" target system on IBM Cloud PowerVS. | Technique supports upgrade of application and/or database software. Time to execute SUM and DMO across a network can be lengthy if source database is large and/or network connection is slow or unreliable. | SAP software to build "shell" system; SAP SUM and DMO migration tool |
| Two Step Migration: Lift and Shift, followed by SUM and DMO transformation | Perform a Lift and Shift Migration of source system to IBM Cloud PowerVS. Build a shell target system in IBM Cloud that has applied necessary variations in software. Perform a SUM and DMO procedure within IBM Cloud to migrate and transfer the data to the new system. | Two Step migration approach can take a long time to execute. It is easier and faster to run a SUM and DMO procedure in this way because the source and target systems are co-located. | SAP software to build "shell" system; Aspera (optional) to expedite lift and shift transfer SAP SUM and DMO migration tool |
| Partner Tools e.g. SNP Cockpit | Build a "shell" target system in VPC that has required software levels. Use SNP tools to analyze source system and transfer a subset of configuration, data, and technical debt from the source system across the network to the target system . | Supports application modernization, simplifies migration using custom tooling. Requires a robust network connection to accomplish the migration + transformation to the PowerVS-resident target system | SAP installation software; SNP CrystalBridge (via IBM Consulting); SNP Cockpit (via IBM Consulting) |