Food for thought for another productive system: until when must the system be identical, keyword: transaction log
SAP Landscape Copies
SAP offers its own solution for this: With the Test Data Migration Server (TDMS), individual tables can be selected and written indirectly, via a third SAP system, from the source to the target system via Remote Function Call (RFC). However, the selection of business objects is not possible in the standard system. The tables to be copied can only be determined on the basis of the date. The content restriction applies from a certain point in time. At least the SAP tool can be used to reduce the runtime of an extraction of test data compared to the system copy or client copy.
The maturity and performance of automation tools for SAP system copying have evolved over a period of more than 15 years. The first tools for SAP system copy creation came from the mainframe environment.
Consideration of additional QA clients
An SAP system copy is a process in which an exact copy of an existing SAP system is created. This copy can be used to run tests, perform development, or back up the system.
Installation continues until the 'Load Data' phase. Here the program waits for successfully exported packages and starts the import as soon as a package has been exported.
Of course, time savings also mean money savings. In addition, these processes for system copying can be planned, standardized and always run at a high level of process quality using automation tools of this kind. Especially the latter is of great importance in SAP Basis departments (and of course also for service providers). With "Shortcut for SAP Systems", a number of activities in the context of system copies can be carried out and automated. Your SAP Basis administration is thus significantly relieved. Automation also means that SAP Basis Administrators no longer have to work unreasonable hours. The product can be integrated into almost any automation software.
Partial copies from SAP systems with the help of tools open up potential savings and in many cases make system copies and complete client copies superfluous.
Some useful tips about SAP basis can be found on www.sap-corner.de.
The enormous resource requirements that arise during a refresh of the SAP QA system really cry out for an optimizing software tool.