Food for thought for another productive system: until when must the system be identical, keyword: transaction log
Update more efficiently
Normally, therefore, the target system is created using a copy of the production system. The advantages here are: After the initial setup, data is already available, and users receive a completely identical test environment. However, the disadvantages of this procedure are the high memory requirements, the lack of anonymization of the data and the long runtime of the copy process.
If the data stocks become obsolete, they can be updated by another system copy. From a technical point of view, such a refresh corresponds to the initial setup, including the associated costs as well as the load on the productive systems and manual rework. In addition, a refresh also interrupts all processes on the target system. If it is a development system, all newer development objects must be saved and transported back in after the copy. The version history is lost in the process.
Consistency of database disk blocks - stopping I/O activities or executing DATABASE BEGIN ONLINE BACKUP command, flushing cache, etc.
A system copy can be created either with SAP transactions (R3trans, from R4.6C SAPinst) or at file and database level. Costs and effort increase with the size of the system and the requirements for availability and data protection. In addition, administrative rework is often necessary, starting with the system name and extending to printers and interfaces.
In terms of its architectural approach, BSC takes standards into account wherever possible. As a result, the automation tool can be installed with minimal effort, fits very well into the respective system landscape and offers a fast ROI.
SAP system copy is made much easier by the "Shortcut for SAP Systems" application.
Even companies that offer the setup of test systems as a service rarely do this for any SAP dataset.
R3load ensures that tables that must always be unloaded sorted are unloaded sorted.