The term 'systemic migration' refers to the gradual, organized process of transitioning or upgrading a system in several phases to minimize risks and ensure consistency.

Systemic migration in several stages refers to a gradual, structured process where individuals or systems relocate or transition through multiple phases. It is often driven by economic, social, or environmental factors. Each stage typically involves adaptation and integration into changing environments.

Quote from: RoyJones on Sep 07, 2022, 07:30 AMThe migration of SAP systems is a difficult and meticulous process that requires coordination from all participants for success, especially when done in a short time frame. Some clients may be hesitant to undergo migration due to the lengthy and complex process, the risk of system downtime, or uncertainty about the benefits they will receive. However, some exceptions exist.



In this article, we will discuss the challenges faced by clients during the migration and maintenance of SAP systems, debunk stereotypes, and share a case study of how Runibex Technology migrated a client's systems to new infrastructure in just over three months.

SAP systems hosting is now more commonly implemented on cloud infrastructure due to outsourcing models and the cloud services market. The scalability of resources, reduced non-core competency development, improved risk management, and cost savings for high availability and DR scenarios are some of the reasons why customers choose cloud hosting for SAP.

However, changing SAP hosting providers can be daunting due to the complexity of the migration process and potential pitfalls, such as inconsistency with the level of service, limited resources, lack of flexibility, bureaucracy, technical limitations, and low competence of support specialists. Clients may only realize these issues after signing multi-page contracts and experiencing suboptimal service levels, which may lead them to consider alternative options.

The move to Zabbix unified hardware, OS, and SAP, while Grafana dashboards proved useful in collecting data. When alerts go off, Zabbix can start Jira for incident management and duplicate information in a Telegram channel. The team also set up a DNS server cluster, a separate file server, and Gitlab for storing configurations and HashiCorp Vault for sensitive information.

The migration process involves project dоcumentation preparation, negotiations with the current provider, new equipment purchase and installation, test migration, and combat migration. For a project that fell over the new year, our engineers had to speed up the process and sacrifice their holidays to ensure the operability of vital enterprise systems. Non-critical systems first moved over to the new infrastructure before the productive ones, with a cutover plan detailing tasks, completion time, and responsible persons. By following this plan, the combat migration was smooth.

It's essential to note that the delivery time of certified SAP NAHA hardware can take 10-12 weeks and potentially longer due to seasonality. However, working closely with vendors and distributors for accelerated deliveries helped the team meet their deadlines.

Great insights on SAP migration! Choosing the right strategy—cloud hosting, phased migration, standby options—can dramatically reduce downtime and maintain continuity during transitions in complex environments.