With a system conversion, a customer takes their existing SAP ERP system and converts it to an SAP S/4HANA on-premise system. The specific steps vary depending on the particulars of the SAP ERP system being converted. Broadly speaking, we can differentiate between the following two different scenarios:
- SAP ERP running on any database
- SAP ERP running on SAP HANA (v 1.0 or v 2.0)
SAP ERP Running on Any Database
For the first scenario, the current non-SAP HANA database is replaced with an SAP HANA database (v 2.0). Afterwards, a conversion of the database model takes place, from SAP ERP to SAP S/4HANA. Finally, a code upgrade is done. SAP S/4HANA code is installed and replaces SAP ERP code.
SAP ERP Running on SAP HANA (Either v 1.0 or v 2.0)
For the second scenario, since the SAP ERP system is already using an SAP HANA database, the first step is to check if the version is SAP HANA v 1.0. If so, it is upgraded to SAP HANA v 2.0. Afterwards, the conversion of the data model and code upgrade is done, the same as the first scenario.
It is important to note that for both scenarios, the database, data, and software are converted in the same technical process. Therefore, only one system downtime is necessary.
For more information on the relevant activities during the preparation and realization phase, watch the following video: