If your SAP ERP system has been running for an extended period, your database has probably grown several terabytes in size. This presents a double challenge: managing such a large volume of data is complex, and transitioning to SAP S/4HANA can lead to significant downtime.
To unlock the digital transformation capabilities of the SAP Business Transformation Center (for more information, see [Everything about using SAP Business Transformation center for SDT S/4 HANA Conversion 2023 from ECC]), your target system needs to be manually prepared, as explained in [Creating the Shell System for SAP Business Transformation Center: A Practical Approach].
If these challenges sound familiar, you’re in the right place!
With Support Package 45 (SP45) of Software Provisioning Manager 1.0, a new scenario called “Shell Copy” is now available. Similar to the traditional “System Copy” process – where you use Software Provisioning Manager to copy or migrate an existing SAP ABAP system, the Shell Copy assists in system copying, but with one key difference: it significantly reduces the volume of your new target database.
The Shell Copy scenario keeps the skeleton of your system, along with all your custom configurations and developments, such as cross-client customizing, dictionary, and repository data, while leaving out the application data (see item 1 in the diagram below).
If needed, after performing a shell copy, you can use remote client copy (using the SAP_UCSV profile) for all clients except 000 (see item 2 in the diagram below). A remote client copy for client 000 is not required as this is delivered during the Shell Copy process.
In numbers, the SAP tables DD002L, DD003L, REPOSRC, and SEOCLASS, which are part of the SAP system and contain important metadata, remain the same in both the source system and the target system. However, another table, AFPO, which contains application-specific data, is truncated:
Source:  Target:
When we tested the Shell Copy scenario on our own small production system, we saw a significant drop in the volume size of the database:
Source: Target:
We expect that the reduction ratio will vary a lot based on how much application data your SAP system contains. At the time of the blog post, the Shell Copy scenario is only available through the product provisioning functionality for ‘EHP8 of SAP ERP 6.0 ABAP’:
The Shell Copy scenario is a homogeneous process, which means it works with the same type of database on both the source and target systems. It supports SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE), Oracle, MS SQL Server, and IBM Db2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows.
Another key difference from the traditional System Copy is that Shell Copy uses a more advanced migration tool called the Database Migration Option (DMO) in Software Update Manager (SUM) 2.0, instead of the old migration monitor.
Thanks to the features of SUM DMO, the Shell Copy process is not only more efficient, but also reduces the overall downtime. For example, the export takes place online with a manageable number of R3load jobs, so you don’t have to shut down the running SAP system during the Shell Copy process. To ensure smooth operation of the productive processes, we recommend that you schedule the export in times of reduced workload.
If your SAP ERP system has been running for an extended period, your database has probably grown several terabytes in size. This presents a double challenge: managing such a large volume of data is complex, and transitioning to SAP S/4HANA can lead to significant downtime. To unlock the digital transformation capabilities of the SAP Business Transformation Center (for more information, see [Everything about using SAP Business Transformation center for SDT S/4 HANA Conversion 2023 from ECC]), your target system needs to be manually prepared, as explained in [Creating the Shell System for SAP Business Transformation Center: A Practical Approach]. If these challenges sound familiar, you’re in the right place! With Support Package 45 (SP45) of Software Provisioning Manager 1.0, a new scenario called “Shell Copy” is now available. Similar to the traditional “System Copy” process – where you use Software Provisioning Manager to copy or migrate an existing SAP ABAP system, the Shell Copy assists in system copying, but with one key difference: it significantly reduces the volume of your new target database. The Shell Copy scenario keeps the skeleton of your system, along with all your custom configurations and developments, such as cross-client customizing, dictionary, and repository data, while leaving out the application data (see item 1 in the diagram below). If needed, after performing a shell copy, you can use remote client copy (using the SAP_UCSV profile) for all clients except 000 (see item 2 in the diagram below). A remote client copy for client 000 is not required as this is delivered during the Shell Copy process. In numbers, the SAP tables DD002L, DD003L, REPOSRC, and SEOCLASS, which are part of the SAP system and contain important metadata, remain the same in both the source system and the target system. However, another table, AFPO, which contains application-specific data, is truncated: Source:  Target: When we tested the Shell Copy scenario on our own small production system, we saw a significant drop in the volume size of the database: Source: Target: We expect that the reduction ratio will vary a lot based on how much application data your SAP system contains. At the time of the blog post, the Shell Copy scenario is only available through the product provisioning functionality for ‘EHP8 of SAP ERP 6.0 ABAP’: The Shell Copy scenario is a homogeneous process, which means it works with the same type of database on both the source and target systems. It supports SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE), Oracle, MS SQL Server, and IBM Db2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows. Another key difference from the traditional System Copy is that Shell Copy uses a more advanced migration tool called the Database Migration Option (DMO) in Software Update Manager (SUM) 2.0, instead of the old migration monitor. Thanks to the features of SUM DMO, the Shell Copy process is not only more efficient, but also reduces the overall downtime. For example, the export takes place online with a manageable number of R3load jobs, so you don’t have to shut down the running SAP system during the Shell Copy process. To ensure smooth operation of the productive processes, we recommend that you schedule the export in times of reduced workload. Read More Technology Blog Posts by SAP articles
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