Productivity tool for SAP Basis tasks

Automation software solves a bundle of infrastructure challenges

SAP Basis or infrastructure departments have to deal with the following permanent tension: on the one hand, the processing of a wide variety of activities or tasks, such as importing updates on many SAP systems, adjusting SAP profile settings, rolling out various authorization objects on all existing SAP systems, or even the provision of SAP system copies and sandboxes. And there a latent lack of personnel or an actually unjustified use of capacity and resources for SAP Basis tasks and activities.

In order to get a grip on this area of tension, various automation software systems have proven themselves as solution levers: Modern and smart frameworks and tools take over routine tasks and activities in an automated manner, regardless of how many SAP systems are in use. Furthermore, they can be installed in a short time and can be worked with intuitively via web GUI, so that even less qualified specialists can handle them. On top of that, they represent significant time and thus cost savings as well as a consistently high process quality.

Info apps and maintenance apps

In order to achieve the highest possible productivity gains and to make life easier for SAP Basis and infrastructure departments, these tools or software systems follow the systems management concept of managing, monitoring, controlling and controlling or managing systems. 

Ideally, they provide information and data as a system management framework by means of info apps or of current states in overview and in detail of important system components with threshold values. For example, information about the databases used (Any-DBs and/or SAP HANA), about the SAP application components used with versions, but also about the servers or VMs used including the operating system. Recommendations for action regarding possible interventions are also shown here and information from previous system versions can also be used. 

At the same time, they contain so-called maintenance apps for automation. They are workflow-triggered and sustainably relieve the SAP basis of many (partly manual) routine activities and tasks. Included is always the fact that the issue is displayed in a context menu. There is also a system list that shows what automated tasks are to be performed and in what way. For example, the automated import of SAP kernel updates, checking of SAP profile parameters with automatic distribution to all or selected SAP systems, and much more. It is also possible, for example, to perform SAP kernel updates automatically using scheduled jobs and schedulers. For example, on a specific day and at a specific time in order to use resources in a time-optimized manner.  

SAP system copies in a very short time

It also makes sense for the maintenance apps to include the task field of creating SAP system copies and generating SAP sand boxes. In order to carry out this important must-do field of work from a central location. 

This is because departments are increasingly demanding that an SAP system copy be created or generated "on the fly" or ad hoc; a training or test system for SAP S/4 HANA use, for example, or a copy of an FI system, a BW system or an HCM system.

Although SAP system copies are still performed manually/manually using script creations, these days are increasingly numbered. Finally, the use of a smart automation tool for the professional creation of SAP system copies and the associated benefits are too convincing: short installation times, easy handling, consistently high process quality, tracking/transparency, generation instead of days in hours, personnel/resource conservation or cost savings. 

Of course, SAP Basis automation tools as well as a system management framework should cover a high degree of functionality or tasks. And, by the way, they should support both "SAP classic" with any DBs and SAP S/4 HANA environments and, on top of that, hybrid cloud computing. However, this is not always and everywhere the case. 

Only software suppliers with comprehensive SAP infrastructure knowledge and SAP Basis experience are in a position to provide SAP customers with smart, productivity-enhancing solutions and, if necessary, consulting services.

Innovations in EPOS and BlueCopy

The automation specialist Empirius is permanently developing the EPOS (Empirius Planning and Operations Suite) and BlueCopy product lines. For one thing, starting in 2023, both the EPOS system management framework and BlueCopy for creating SAP system copies will feature new versioning, for example 23.03 (year.month). According to the company, new apps will be added to EPOS in Q1. For example, DB patches for Oracle and IBM DB2. Furthermore, the handling (import with consistency check, use) of S-Notes (security) from SAP can then also take place.

A major focus of the SAP system copying solution BlueCopy (V23.3) is BDLS extensions, after the previous version focused on SAP HANA extensions. Well over 100 mid-sized and large SAP user companies rely on Empirius' SAP Basis automation expertise and solutions. These include well-known companies such as Stihl, Voith and KURZ. In addition, SAP managed service providers such as NTT Data Business Solution or q.beyond.