Optimizing Technical Downtime with Tools from SAP

With the Technical Downtime Optimization application, SAP offers a tool to evaluate the runtime of a completed maintenance event with Software Update Manager. At the end of a Software Update Manager run, you are asked to provide feedback to SAP. The feedback includes the statistical data of the Software Update Manager run, encapsulated in a file called UPGANA.XML and, in case of a system conversion to SAP S/4HANA®, also APPLANA.XML.

You can access the application using the following link: https://tdo.cloud.sap/.

After the statistics files of a Software Update Manager run have been provided to the Technical Downtime Optimization app, the respective maintenance event can be accessed in the app. A chart visualizes the duration of uptime and technical downtime, as well as the main phases of the technical downtime. Additionally, recommendations on how to potentially improve the runtimes of Software Update Manager are available.

The Compare feature compares two Software Update Manager runs that have been uploaded to the Technical Downtime Optimization app. Additionally, the Technical Downtime Optimization app offers Simulation features to estimate the potential downtime savings in case any downtime-optimization option is utilized. The following simulations are available (if applicable for the respective maintenance scenario):

• Downtime reduction through data archiving
• near-Zero Downtime Maintenance
• Zero Downtime Option
• downtime-optimized Database Migration Option
• downtime-optimized Conversion

Additionally, a Cutover Plan feature is available. The runtime information from Software Update Manager as well as modifiable blocks for manual activities (such as modification adjustments or ramp-down activities) are presented in an easy-to-consume timeline to serve as a starting point for project planning.

More details on project planning and functional validation will be covered in unit 3.

ZDO Preliminary Checks of the Software Update Manager Toolbox are executed on a system, which is planned to be maintained using ZDO. This collection bundles several checks that you can use to verify the prerequisites of ZDO before the Software Update Manager is started. More information can be found in the section, "Preparing the System for an Upgrade or Update with Zero Downtime Option".

The checks contain the following:

• BW - Check for Active Usage of SAP Business Warehouse

  ZDO does not support updates/upgrades on systems where embedded SAP Business Warehouse (BW) with the use case of data warehousing is active and used. ZDO is only possible when no use case or the Embedded Analytics use case is active. The check shows all SAP BW objects that are not ZDO-compliant and cannot be used during a ZDO upgrade.

• SDMI - Check for Unfinished Silent Data Migrations

  Migration of application data usually happens during the downtime of release upgrades or updates. In contrast, the Silent Data Migration Infrastructure (SDMI) allows zero downtime upgrades and runs after the upgrade in parallel to regular operations. Before starting a zero downtime upgrade, it is essential that all relevant silent data migration classes in all clients from the previous release upgrade have been executed successfully.

• DDIC - Check for Inconsistent Objects in the Data Dictionary

  Inconsistent objects, or objects that are not defined in Data Dictionary (DDIC), might have an impact on the ZDO procedure, especially when tables need to be cloned. Therefore, this check verifies that all active nametabs have a corresponding object in Data Dictionary and on the database.

• HANA_CONTENT - Check Deploy Ability and Consistency of SAP HANA® Content

  HANA content needs to be deployable during the ZDO procedure. This check validates the consistency of all SAP HANA content deployed by HTC, HTA, or HDI.

• Nametab - Check Consistency of Active Nametabs

  Inconsistent nametabs might have an impact on the ZDO procedure, especially when tables need to be cloned. Therefore, this check provides a consistency check if all active nametabs have a corresponding object in Data Dictionary and on the database.

• DBTRIGGER - Check ZDO Compliance of database triggers

  This check validates whether database triggers are used in the system and whether the setup is ZDO-compliant and how these database triggers might have an impact on a ZDO upgrade. This also includes checks of SLT replication triggers, which are supported by ZDO.

This feature exports table statistics to a compressed file (ZDIMPA­NA.ZIP), which is used by Software Update Manager for Impact Analysis, or for manual execution of Impact Analysis with Software Update Manager Toolbox. Please note that data should be exported from production system. Impact Analysis is described in detail in later units.

This is the dialog version of the Impact Analysis. It can be utilized as soon as table statistics from production and table classification from any Software Update Manager run that applies the planned stack with ZDO is available (for example, after a sandbox update or upgrade). Impact Analysis is described in detail in later units.

The Database Table Lock Analyzer tool can be used to find a suitable time interval to run lock-intensive Software Update Manager phases, such as the Smart Switch (Software Update Manager phase EU_SWITCH_ZDM) of the Zero Downtime upgrade procedure.