Configuring the SAP S/4HANA Cloud Deployment Options

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Outline how to configure the SAP S/4HANA Cloud deployment options

Overview of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Configuration

SAP S/4HANA Cloud Configuration Terms

Configuration in a New Implementation: Public Cloud

SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition Configuration with SAP Central Business Configuration

SAP Central Business Configuration is a new tool that will make it possible to configure business processes spanning multiple SAP cloud solutions from one central place.

SAP Central Business Configuration currently supports the system provisioning and configuration of SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition. The long-term goal is to support implementation of all solutions in SAP's Intelligent Enterprise to enable seamless end-to-end business process configuration from one single SAP Central Business Configuration system, meaning solutions such as SuccessFactors Employee Central, Ariba, Concur, and others would be provisioned and configured from SAP Central Business Configuration, just as SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition is currently provisioned and configured.

SAP Central Business Configuration Capabilities

  • Project Experience
    • Manage your SAP Cloud solutions (currently only SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition).
  • Scoping
    • View and select business scenarios to activate from SAP Best Practices.
    • Select the countries/regions in which to activate each SAP Best Practices scenario.
  • Central Configuration
    • Define core finance settings
    • Build the organizational structure
    • Enter data in the configuration activities to configure business scenarios selected during scoping.
    • Transport business configurations from SAP Central Business Configuration to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition.

You can also easily find support and resources with the embedded user assistance and Conversational AI chatbot.

Configuration in a New Implementation: Private Cloud

Deploying SAP Best Practices for a New Implementation

The tool for deploying SAP Best Practices in the private cloud or on premise deployments is the SAP Solution Builder. The focus of the Solution Builder is on solutions.

A solution contains a set of SAP Best Practices scenarios, which are predefined process flows for a particular line of business or business area.

Scenarios consist of one or more building blocks, which are self-contained and reusable entities that include customizing settings and/or master data steps. Best Practices are only activated once in the development system.

Transports are used to provide the quality and production systems with the business configuration defined in the development system.

Tools for Managing Business Processes

Signavio Process Manager and SAP Process Collaboration Hub by Signavio are included in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition package. Signavio Process Manager enables you to document, model, and simulate business processes, and the Collaboration Hub provides transparency and a centralized location for managing your processes.

Alternatively, if a customer already has a license to SAP Solution Manager, their SAP Best Practices business processes live in the central library, Solution Documentation. Customer-specific content and supporting documentation is also created and maintained in Solution Documentation.

Methods of Configuring SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition

  1. Use SAP Activate Methodology and SAP Best Practices content.
    • We strongly recommend that you use SAP Activate and SAP Best Practices as this will simplify both the initial implementation process and future updates of your software.
    • The SAP Best Practices content configures a client with automatic content activation, and contains only essential configuration settings for the selected scope.
    • This option is required if you want to use the Enterprise Management Layer from SAP (provided by SAP Best Practices content).
  2. Use SAP Activate Methodology and SAP Best Practices content as templates for your system configuration, then make changes using the Implementation Guide (IMG).
    • This allows you to adapt the SAP-delivered configuration settings to your specific requirements.
    • If you choose this option, the automatic content upgrade to the next release will not be possible with Solution Builder.
  3. Use only the Implementation Guide (IMG) to configure your system.

    Transaction SPRO is used.

Responsibilities for System Configuration

  • For new implementations, SAP will activate SAP Best Practices content as part of the RISE with SAP services in one system. The SAP Best Practices Questionnaire must be completed by a consultant and provided to SAP.
  • Customer or implementation consultant is responsible for tasks such as configuration and customization of the solution business processes and applications.
Note
Refer to the Roles & Responsibilities document for details.

Configuration in a System Conversion: Private Cloud

Configuration in System Conversions

A system conversion involves many different components. For SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, SAP performs the technical tasks of the conversion that cannot be performed by the customer or partner. This includes activities in SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, such as tasks in Client 000 (the main admin client where the system is installed/upgraded). The technical conversion activities executed by SAP require standard scheduled downtime to implement. 

Responsibility for other conversion activities, such as the SAP Readiness Check, custom code optimization, and functional or integration testing are the responsibility of the implementation partner and customer. 

Prepare Phase System Conversion Tools

Simplification Item Catalog

This tool allows you to search and browse simplification items online. Each simplification item details the steps that need to be taken for the conversion from a business and technical point of view. Access the Simplification Item Catalog

SAP Readiness Check

This tool analyzes your SAP ERP 6.0 system and highlights important aspects of the conversion to SAP S/4HANA, such as identification of relevant simplification items, high-level custom code analysis, add-on compatibility, sizing, and more.

Although not mandatory, completing the Readiness Check is highly recommended.

Maintenance Planner

The maintenance planner tool needs to be run as the first step in the conversion process. It checks your system components, add-ons, and business functions to ensure compatibility with SAP S/4HANA, and creates the stack file used for the actual conversion process (done by the Software Update Manager tool).

This step is mandatory, because the Software Update Manager requires the stack file for the conversion process.

Simplification Item Check

These checks identify important steps you need to take to make sure your system can technically be converted and that your business processes can start running directly after the conversion process has been completed.

This step is mandatory and will be triggered by the Software Update Manager (SUM). Ideally, this check is run early in the process so the information provided by the checks can be used for planning.

Custom Code Migration

The custom code migration tool checks your custom code against a list of simplifications developed for SAP S/4HANA.

While not mandatory, this step is highly recommended.

Realize Phase System Conversion Tools

Software Update Manager (SUM)

When the prepare phase steps have been completed, the SUM can begin. The SUM does the database migration (if required), the actual software update, and the data conversion.

Migration of application data usually happens during release upgrades or updates while the system is down. SAP provides the Silent Data Migration Infrastructure (SDMI) to allow migration of application data after the upgrade during business operations.

Configuration of the SAP Fiori Launchpad and Apps: Private Cloud

SAP Fiori Launchpad & SAP Fiori Apps

The SAP Fiori launchpad and SAP Fiori apps are an essential component to the SAP S/4HANA user experience. After installation, there should be no need for general business users to have to use the SAP GUI Easy Access menu to complete their job tasks through transaction codes, as all apps to complete daily business tasks will be available in the launchpad based on the user's assigned business role.

For both new implementation and system conversion scenarios of SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, the SAP Fiori launchpad and apps must be configured separately.

Note
For SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, the SAP Fiori Lauchpad is delivered ready-to-run with apps already available. No specialized configuration is required.
Note
  • Refer to the results of the SAP Readiness Check to find the recommended SAP Fiori apps and business roles to activate in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition system.
  • Find more information about SAP Fiori apps, including implementation-specific details in the SAP Fiori Apps Reference Library
  • Learn how to use all features of the reference library in the SAP Help Portal

SAP Fiori Launchpad Deployment Options

Embedded deployment (recommended)

SAP Fiori front-end server is deployed into the AS ABAP of a back-end system.

Hub deployment for single back-end systems

  • A dedicated AS ABAP front-end server with SAP Fiori front-end server is deployed in a standalone system in front of the back-end system, either behind or in front of the firewall.
  • Existing apps continue to run against the SAP Business Suite back-end systems while the newly installed SAP Fiori applications need to be configured to run against the SAP S/4HANA system.

Responsibilities for SAP Fiori Configuration

  • SAP Fiori Launchpad enablement for one client (client 100) is completed by SAP (new implementations only). This includes activation of predefined sample SAP Fiori apps to validate the setup of the launchpad.
  • Customer or implementation consultant is responsible for non-technical activities, such as enabling and configuring the relevant SAP Fiori apps for customer business processes.
Note
Refer to the Roles & Responsibilities document for details.

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