Several advantages at once
On-premises: all involved source/target systems in the company's own data centers
Provide your QA, test and training systems with current production data at the push of a button. Including all preparatory and finishing work - Without interfering with or changing your SAP environment - Without time-consuming pre-planning - With minimum lead time - With consistent copy quality.
With the entry into force of the GDPR, the topic of system copies has been expanded to include the aspect of anonymization: In many cases, personal or other sensitive data is operated on non-productive systems that usually have lower security levels and also allow access for those persons who are not normally allowed to work with GDPR-relevant data (eg developers or external consultants). For this reason, when defining the processes around system copy and, if necessary, also when selecting tools for automation, care must be taken to ensure that these also map data anonymization in accordance with the GDPR.
Shutting Down the Target System
Fact: BDLS is a kind of "time eater" for system copies (except when using Hana). An important first step is to integrate the BDLS run into the system copy. Once the copy is effectively through, the BDLS is automatically started.
Checklist for preliminary work: Comparison of database sizes (target system must be the same or larger), comparison of database versions, kernel, host agent (ideally the same software version), dump of kernel files (export via SAPINST), saves download via SWDC, compile RFC connection passwords, inform third-party system administrators, provide memory, hard disk on the system for database and software import. Perform database dump, if necessary with transaction log, if possible with downtime, then without jobs or stop running jobs with report BTCTRNS1. Adminsitration passwords (DDIC, DB-Admin, Winadmin), create system snapshots (recovery), perform database import.
With "Shortcut for SAP Systems", a mature and yet very cost-effective product is available that offers useful functions for system copies. For example, SAP system users can be backed up and restored. Likewise, system-specific tables can be backed up before the system copy and restored after the system copy. And all this can also be automated.
This image must be a transferable database image - for example, a database export, a backup copy, or an array-based reconciliation.
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In that case, it's best to do this on a system copy.