SAP Cloud migration is the process of moving your SAP applications from your on-premise data center to cloud environment providers such as Amazon, Azure or KCloud. This process can be complex, challenging especially for your mission-critical business application. This discussion is to understand stages of the cloud migration and finally a snapshot how we successfully migrated a complex SAP workload of 70+ instances in 60 days.

Stages of SAP Cloud Migration

1. Analysis

This stage requires a comprehensive breakdown of the current application landscape along with your current IT team and set the right foundation for the path ahead. Understanding the current environment to the fullest reinforces the SAP cloud migration strategy, design, and approach. The following areas need to be addressed during analysis:

• SAP Applications and integrations (internal and external)
• Current database size
• Compute, storage, network & security
• Virtualization, OS, Management, Back-up
• High Availability, Business Continuity / DR
• Monitoring, automation
• Standards and regulations

2. Design

With Design in the cloud context, there is a good scope for resource optimization and scaling when you need to. The SAP landscape remains the same. However, in some cases, you may have to revisit the required SAPS (SAP Application performance Standards), OS compatibility, DB upgrade (combine with HANA migration) and other pre-requisites.

There are SAP / HANA migration tools with options. The choice depends on many considerations. In case of HANA migrations, we sometimes recommend the approach in two stages. We migrate the workload to the cloud as-is and then perform the HANA migration. An additional step to consider is data archiving. The design must also consider the cloud provider’s offerings and contractual obligations. During this stage, the strategy and approach are finalized.

3. Build

This stage involves setting up of the infrastructure on the cloud provider environment as per the given design that includes the computer, storage, networking, security and connectivity to the customer environment. All SAP Standards and compliances are addressed before moving to the next stage.

4. Migration of non-PRD 

This step entails shifting of non-critical workloads with minimal effect on ongoing projects. Downtimes are planned for after-work hours so that there is no impact on production systems. During this period, the hybrid environments will be operational with non-PRD workloads on the cloud and PRD workloads running on-premise. This is a very safe and prudent approach. It ensures that the new environment is tested and used before delivering critical workloads.

5. Migration of PRD

Migration of PRD starts with trial runs in similar environments to determine the downtime and rehearse the steps involved with the highest accuracy. Even with the best plans and expertise, we must have a plan B. The productive workloads are migrated in a phased manner based on the usage, size, and criticality.

6. The RUN

This phase will continue supporting the operation of the new cloud environment and the decommissioning of old environments. The system copies and back-ups are shifted to the new environment. All automation and monitoring should be fully functional before signing off the migration project.

Case study 60 Days to Cloud is a recent migration for one of the KCloud customers with round the clock operations in multiple locations.

KCloud managed SAP HANA IaaS provides managed cloud infrastructure to host SAP ECC or HANA applications enabling customers with innovative ways to build, operate and consume technology.

The KCloud project team handles cloud migrations like a migration factory. With our long experience in this field, we were able to optimize the plans and utilize accelerators. Since KCloud HANA grid is tailor-made for HANA deployments, the deployment stage of infra is much faster. The template-based automation and monitoring enable quick turnarounds.

Key points:

• 5000+ users, 10+ locations, 24×7 operations
• ECC, SRM, CRM, EP, SOLMAN, BPC, BI/BO, WPB, PI, Gateway (All on HANA)
• 70+ Instances
• Heterogeneous environment
• 10+ TB data
• Ongoing projects
• 12 hours permissible production downtime

SAP Cloud Migration Plan

Challenges:

• VPN connectivity establishment to multiple sites
• Data shipment,  we also employed physical data shipment for the database and system copies of back-ups.

Cloud platform enables greater flexibility and reliability to enterprises. However, you need migration expertise with strong skills and experience. The project team must have a good combination of SAP Platform / HANA experts with experience in SAP operating system/database upgrades, infra experts with cloud architecting and deployment experience using SAP optimized virtual machines and HANA, networking and cloud security specialists with exposure to SAP application related requirements. You must consider supplementing your core IT team with external specialists to ensure a safe trip to the cloud.

To learn more about SAP Cloud Migrations and their suitability for your organization, fill this form or send us an email at info@kaartech.com.