Explaining the Transformation Cycle and Its Key Elements

Execute your data transformation according to the previously defined scope, rules, and definitions.

• Manage the transformation cycles: Create and edit the cycles you want to run for your data transformation project.
• Run your cycles: Your data is migrated from your SAP ECC  source system into temporary tables in the target SAP S/4HANA system. The temporary table structure is identical to that of the source system.
• Finalize the data transformation by postprocessing the participating tables: In this step, the data is transformed and moved into the final structure in the SAP S/4HANA target system.
• View cycle logs: In the Cycle Logs app, you can view events for a given cycle. This allows you to reenact the overall process and view detailed messages in case of errors.

The Manage Cycles app allows you to create, edit, and manage cycles based on a transformation model version. A cycle is the actual data transformation that takes place between the source SAP ECC system and the target SAP S/4HANA system. It contains information from the corresponding transformation model version about transformation objects, their relations, filters, and rules. A cycle has four phases:

• Prevalidation
• Preparation
• Transformation
• Post processing

• Test Cycle: Test cycles are intended for iterative improvements of the transformation settings. They provide the most flexibility. If errors occur in a test cycle, it is still possible to proceed. Such a case results in inconsistent data in the target system, which may be acceptable when testing other parts of the transformation.
• Dress-Rehearsal Cycle: Dress-rehearsal cycles are intended to practice the productive cut over. When performing a dress rehearsal, all relevant parameters such as the target machine must be close or equal to what is planned for the cut over. A dress-rehearsal cycle is restrictive in its status management to ensure that the data in the target system is as consistent as it is in the source system. Errors in such a cycle block all further steps, and therefore cause the process to halt.
• Go Live Cycle: Go Live cycles are intended to perform the productive cut over. A Go Live cycle is restrictive in its status management to ensure that the data in the target system is as consistent as it is in the source system. Errors in such a cycle block all further steps, and therefore cause the process to halt.

Watch this video to see the main view of the Manage Cycle app.

Watch this video to see the detailed view of the Manage Cycle app.

The main controls in the cycle detail view are:

• Edit: Select this button to edit the cycle.
• Refresh: Select this button to update the information displayed in the detailed view.
• Cancel Cycle: Select this button to cancel the cycle.
• Health Check: Select this button to perform SDT-specific connectivity and system configuration checks on the target system.
  Note

  The Health Check option can be used across all cycle phases for the latest system status.
• Related Apps: Expand this dropdown menu to switch to the related apps.

The Run Cycles app executes the data transformation once all cycle creation, preselection and preparation steps have been concluded.

It is divided into three major sections displayed as tabs:

• Transformation Objects: Main and detail view including sub-transformation objects
• Transformation Object Steps: An aggregated view of the transformation object steps
• Transformation Object Run Statuses Chart: An aggregated graphical representation of the progress

The Search field offers the standard search functionality by transformation object names, run status, preparation status in all three tabs. In addition, you can search for transformation objects by sub-transformation object names and their dependent transformation object names and ID. This is applicable only on the Transformation Objects tab.

The Postprocess Cycles app is used to run and resume postprocessing, and to review the current postprocessing item statuses. It only has a main view.

In the postprocessing phase, the migrated data is converted to match the release of the target system by leveraging the ABAP upgrade mechanism.

This app lets you review cycle actions and error messages for troubleshooting. In the Cycle Logs app, you can view events for a given cycle. It allows you to re-enact the overall process and view detailed messages in case of errors.