Updating the SAP system landscape: Automated update triple

Like other SAP user companies, the Leonhard Kurz Foundation uses automation to accelerate recurring SAP system operation and maintenance tasks.
processes or work steps. Recently, increasingly when updating(ing) the SAP system landscape.

With around 5500 employees, Kurz is the global market leader in the field of thin-film technology and supplies products for surface finishing, decoration, marking and anti-counterfeiting. Over 3000 SAP users (named users) work in 7×24 operation at more than 30 locations worldwide with the various SAP applications (40 SAP systems in total). All of them are operated on-premises in highly available and redundant data centers. Kurz relies on the SAP Hana database and the Suse-Linux operating system (SLES for SAP Applications) for all SAP systems; the switch from the SAP Business Suite to SAP S/4 Hana is currently underway.

Planned sequential procedure

With regard to the operation of the SAP systems, Kurz attaches particular importance to two key aspects: On the one hand, ensuring the availability of the SAP systems in accordance with the defined requirements and, on the other, using SAP systems that are as up-to-date, secure and stable as possible. As Thomas Bauer, from the IT ERP Systems and Servers department at Kurz, explains, "it is of course essential for us to regularly update our SAP system landscape. Our aim is to significantly reduce the workload in SAP Basis and SAP system operation through targeted automation. A uniform approach with continuous quality improvements in the processes and a possible optimization of downtime times is important to us."

Updating the system landscape

Last year, a comprehensive automation project for SAP Basis was initiated under the title "Updating the SAP system landscape". This project focused in particular on the automated updating of central system components, including the Hana database, the SAP kernel and the Linux operating system. The aim was to make routine processes more efficient, minimize sources of error and sustainably optimize system maintenance. The implementation was to be carried out in a sequential manner or in several connected steps. This means that the Hana DB was to be updated first, followed by an update of the SAP kernel and finally an update of the Linux operating system (server OS).

Recognize deviations at an early stage

The plan was to check within a clearly defined period of time whether the new updates were working as expected or whether adjustments or optimizations were required. The aim was to identify possible deviations at an early stage and ensure system performance through targeted readjustment or tuning. Two weeks were therefore scheduled between the update of the development/test, consolidation and production systems.

When planning the updates, a clear differentiation was made between development/test, consolidation and production systems. While the updates for development/test and consolidation systems were carried out automatically according to fixed schedules, for example at two o'clock in the morning, the updates for the production systems were carried out during individually agreed downtimes, usually at weekends. Security patches and bios or firmware updates were not part of the automation project.

Automated updating

The plan was to implement the project with apps or solutions from the SAP Basis automation suite called Epos from automation specialist Empirius. The reasons for this: "We have come to appreciate the quality of the products and the excellent support from Empirius over the years. We initially opted for BlueCopy, a tool for the automated creation of SAP system copies. We also use the Epos app to update the SAP kernel. As the suite also included apps for SAP Hana updates and OS updates, it was only logical to use it to implement our automated update of the SAP system landscape," reports Thomas Bauer.

During implementation using the Epos apps SAP Hana Update, SAP Kernel Update and System Maintenance including OS System Upgrade, the three "automation tasks" were first defined. At the same time, a sequential scheduling of the tasks was defined. Parallelization of SAP systems was also defined depending on possible downtime.

Cluster updates were carried out on the test systems, i.e. several SAP systems were updated simultaneously per automation task. In the production systems, one Automation Task was implemented for each SAP system; parallelization was also carried out using several tasks. In addition, individual and customer-specific Epos adjustments were made in the form of user exits in order to adapt the tools even better to the requirements of the system landscape.

"Only possible with automation"

As Thomas Bauer from Kurz-IT summarizes, "with Epos, we have found a combination that supports us in automatically solving relevant update tasks in the complex SAP system environment". Updates outside of regular working hours, coupled with downtime optimizations and additional assurance of consistent quality based on a traceable procedure - all of this is only possible with automation, he emphasizes.

A total of eight employees at Kurz are responsible for operating the SAP systems, including server support and performing SAP Basis tasks. All of them were involved in updating the SAP system landscape. The aim is to continuously shorten the update intervals through automation. The plan is to carry out a monthly system update to ensure that the systems are more efficient and up-to-date.

Epic apps

Automation specialist Empirius has created the Epos Suite, a platform specifically for SAP Basis/SAP infrastructure teams. Unlike agnostic solutions, for example, all apps take into account the specific SAP features. Epos currently comprises around 20 apps. Important tasks and activities can be automated advantageously via an easy-to-use Web GUI according to the "click instead of program" principle: from the automated creation of SAP system copies and the generation of SAP sandboxes to the automated starting/stopping of databases (Hana/AnyDBs) and SAP systems, the management of SAP security notes and SAP certificate handling, automated SAP Hana updates through to automated SAP kernel updates and "SAP OS" updates. There are also several reporting apps that provide important information about the SAP systems and components used at a glance and in detail. They also provide information about automation tasks that have been carried out. All apps in the suite can be used individually or in combination, as shown in the practical example opposite.

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