Optimizing Technical Downtime with Tools from SAP

With the Technical Downtime Optimization (TDO) Application, SAP offers a tool to evaluate the runtime of a completed maintenance event with Software Update Manager (SUM). At the end of a SUM run, you are asked to provide feedback to SAP. The feedback includes the statistical data on the SUM run, encapsulated in a file called UPGANA.XML and, in case of conversions, also APPLANA.XML.

The application is available through SAP for Me. The tile is located in Services & Support → Diagnostics, Reporting & Analytics. It is named Technical Downtime Optimization. You can access the application also using the direct link: https://me.sap.com/app/downtimeoptimization.

After statistics, XML-files of a SUM run have been provided to the TDO 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 runtimes of SUM are available.

The Compare feature compares two SUM runs that have been uploaded to the TDO app. Additionally, TDO app offers Simulation features to estimate the potential downtime savings in case any downtime-optimization option is utilized. 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 SUM 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.

Find out more about the Technical Downtime Optimization application in the following blog post in the SAP Community: https://blogs.sap.com/2020/09/16/downtime-optimization-get-insights-using-the-new-tdo-app/

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

ZDO Preliminary Checks of the SUM 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 SUM 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 Business Warehouse ZDO does not support updates/upgrades on systems where embedded Business Warehouse (BW) with the use case of data warehousing is active and used. Only if the use case Embedded Analytics is active, ZDO is possible. The check shows all 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 DictionaryInconsistent 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 provides a consistency check of missing DB objects and DB objects that are not defined in DDIC.
• HANA_CONTENT - Check Deploy Ability and Consistency of HANA ContentHANA content needs to be deployable during the ZDO procedure. This check validates the consistency of all HANA content deployed by HTC, HTA or HDI.
• Nametab - Check Consistency of Active NametabsInconsistent nametabs might have 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 triggersThis 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 (that is, ZDIMPA­NA.ZIP), which can then be used by SUM for Impact Analysis or for manual execution of Impact Analysis with SUM Toolbox). Take 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 table statistics from production and table classification from any SUM 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 SUM phases, such as the Smart Switch (SUM Phase EU_SWITCH_ZDM) of the Zero Downtime upgrade procedure.