Addressing the SAP Data Migration Challenges with SAP

Netweaver XI

Executive Summary: Whether it is during the final phases of a new SAP implementation, during SAP
upgrades and updates, during corporate restructurings, or during mergers and acquisitions, data migration
continues to remain a challenging problem for IT. Exchange Infrastructure (XI), SAP’s flagship business
process and application integration solution can help address many of Data Migration challenges in SAP
environments.

Table of Contents

1. SAP Data Migration – Current Situation ...................................................................................... 2

2. Desired Situation for SAP Data Migration ................................................................................... 2
3. Data Migration Techniques and Interfaces.................................................................................. 3
4. Data Migration between SAP Systems using XI ......................................................................... 4
5. SAP to SAP Data Migration Assessment Prototype using XI ..................................................... 6
1. SAP Data Migration – Current Situation

Data migration or data conversion is a persistent issue facing most organizations who have
implemented SAP. Whether it is during the final phases of a new SAP implementation, during
SAP upgrades and updates, during corporate restructurings, or during mergers and acquisitions,
data migration continues to remain a challenging problem for IT.

Most data migration projects are faced with a time and budget crunch. But, these projects usually
require extensive support from programmers and other technical experts and therefore data
migration projects tend to get expensive and time-consuming.

The traditional tools for data transfer and data migration provided by SAP are very technical and
have a steep learning curve associated with them. This leads to escalation of migration project
time and costs.

2. Desired Situation for SAP Data Migration

An ideal data migration scenario would let the data migration project be implemented by the
business analysts and functional consultants themselves. Such users should have the ability to
transfer and migrate data themselves without heavily relying on technical experts. Such a
scenario would significantly cut the time and effort required in a data migration project.

Reaching such an ideal scenario would require data migration mechanisms and tools that are
easy to learn and require no programming. Furthermore, these tools should work across all the
different SAP modules and the SAP products, including the different versions of SAP.
 Such mechanisms and tools are expected to:

 Save time and resources during data migration projects.

 Make the SAP business-users and functional analysis more
self-sufficient by reducing their dependence on valuable IT/IS
resources.
 Save IT resources by significantly reducing custom
programming efforts.
 Use the same tool for many applications and projects.
Maximize the return on investment.

Use of SAP Netweaver XI, SAP’s flagship data and business process integration product, can
help fill in the existing gaps and simplify the migration tasks to a significant extent.

3. Data Migration Techniques and Interfaces

SAP offers multiple options for data migration. Judicious use of these techniques and interfaces
need to be made depending upon the migration requirements. A brief description is provided
below.

SAP Migration / Read Write Description

Interface Technique
Business X X • Library of standard SAP interfaces that are
Application Remote Function Call (RFC) enabled
Programming • Able to move data into and out of SAP
Interface (BAPI) / RFC • Useful in data migration scenarios to do pre-
validation, or look-ups, of legacy data against the
SAP application
Intermediate x x Standard SAP data structures for common
Document business entities, such as material master or
(IDOC) purchase order
• Supports integration of both transactional and
master data
• Although based on asynchronous data
integration, IDOC, via SAP’s Application Link
Enabling (ALE) protocol, can support near real
time data movement as well as larger batches of
data
Data Migration x SAP certified interface tailored for SAP data
Interface migration
(DMI) • Includes SAP delivered programs for the most
common master and transactional data needed in
any SAP data migration project
• Programs require data in a valid and well-formed
flat file
• Programs support a combination of batch and
direct input of data into SAP
Batch Input x Common method of moving data into SAP
Processing • Programmatically automates and “mimics”
processing data in the same fields and screens
an online user would step through in a given SAP
 transaction
Direct Input x x SAP supported technique of writing data directly
Processing to the database layer of an SAP system
• Unlike Batch Input, does not walk through the
entire SAP transaction logic
• Contains SAP application validation checks
• Should be considered if throughput from Batch
Input is not sufficient
Migration x x SAP tool that helps migration teams orchestrate
Workbench data
(LSMW) migration processes
• Able to schedule and run techniques listed
above, such as BAPI, IDOC, or DMI processes to
load data into SAP
• Supports both Batch Input as well as Direct
Input Techniques
Computer Aided x Tool that supports the testing of an SAP business
Testing Tool process
(CATT) • While designed for recording and automating
QA test scenarios, it can be used to load data into
an SAP production environment
Web Services X X Web Services are open standards based
encapsulated functionalities which can be invoked
using open protocols like HTTP.

SAP XI Solution can directly use BAPI, RFC and IDOC interfaces apart from other sources like
File and databases.

4. Data Migration between SAP Systems using XI

SAP Netweaver XI is SAP’s flagship product for data and business process integration. It enables
you to connect SAP and non-SAP products having different versions and implemented in different
programming languages (Java, ABAP etc) to each other. SAP Exchange Infrastructure is based
on an open architecture uses open standards and offers integration services that are essential in
a heterogeneous and complex system landscape:

● Modeling and design of data types, transformations, and mappings

● Configuring and establishing communication between SAP and non-SAP systems

● Adapter Engine for integrating heterogeneous system components (XI has adapters for BAPI,
RFC, IDOC, File, Databases and other types of interfaces)

● Runtime for business process management

● Central monitoring for monitoring message flow and processes

SAP XI can be effectively utilized for data migration in SAP environments due to the inherent
capabilities of its components which include Integration Repository, Integration Directory, System
Landscape Directory and Runtime Workbench.
XI Components for modeling and execution of data migration and business process execution are
shown below:

Integration Repository contains the data types, data flow directions, mappings and
transformations and specific conversions.

Integration Directory maintains the technical communications between SAP-SAP and non-SAP
systems.

System Landscape Directory captures the details regarding systems involved in data migration
and process integration scenario.

Integration Server executes the data transfers and business process integration.

Migrating data from source SAP system to destination SAP system using XI

The data can be extracted from source SAP system, transformed and loaded into target SAP
system using SAP XI along with a suitable combination of other SAP migration techniques and
mechanisms.

Extraction: The data is extracted from SAP system using interfaces viz., BAPI, RFC and IDOCs
in SAP XI. Depending upon the need, this data may be stored in a staging database or directly
populated into target SAP system.
Transformation and Conversions: Using SAP XI Mapping Editor, Mapping Templates and
Adapters.

Loading: Using BAPI, RFC, IDOC interfaces in SAP XI.

In normal SAP data migrations, some of the key data objects which ought to be transferred
include:

1. G/L account master

2. Cost Elements
3. Material master
4. Bill of Materials
5. Vendor master
6. Customer master
7. Routings/Task Lists
8. Purchase information records
9. Condition records (pricing)
10. Purchase requisitions
11. Open sales orders
12. Accounting documents (open A/R and open A/P invoices)
13. Stocks

Each use case can be evaluated and suitable mix of migration techniques can be decided to
achieve successful migration. SAP XI can play a significant role in data migration by virtue of
being SAP’s own data and process integration product.

Key Benefits of XI oriented data migration approach

 Application-layer data integration between SAP systems

 Real-time integration of data between SAP and other data sources
 Bi-directional access to SAP via BAPI and ALE/IDOC interfaces to facilitate
synchronization activities
 Automated metadata synchronization with SAP applications for documenting, accessing,
and reusing metadata via a single repository

5. SAP to SAP Data Migration Assessment Prototype

using XI
The desired approach to SAP Data Migration using XI would be doing an Assessment Prototype
which is described below. Such prototype will pave the way to successful execution of the
migration projects.

Business Value of this Prototype

Migrating the SAP data can be a challenging and expensive proposition. The Data Migration
Assessment can help us understand the challenges of SAP data migration, how to mitigate the
risks, value of SAP XI in such requirements and effectively scope and plan SAP data migration
projects to be able to complete them on time, within scope, and on budget. The Data Migration
Assessment can prepare us for large migrations by demonstrating how to execute a best
practices-based data migration using SAP XI and other related migration techniques.
This assessment intends to use a sample data migration project as a prototype. Multiple source
data sets from SAP system(s) are loaded into a target system using a pre-built development and
test strategy. Data profiles, standard exception reports, migration mappings, and an evaluation
report will be created.

Deliverables

At the conclusion of the Data Migration Assessment, an Evaluation Report is prepared. The
Evaluation Report:

 Documents common data problems and provides specific examples found in the specific
migration engagement.

 Demonstrates common mapping problems.

 Outlines probable project management challenges.

 Documents a data migration strategy for customer landscape so as to make the next data
migration a success.

 Shows the value of XI in SAP data migration.

We recommend assessing the value of SAP XI in Data Migrations by doing a prototype project.

For more details, visit Sappers IMII Online www.sappers.in/imii