Best Practice 4.1 – Understand and plan for lifecycle events of your SAP workload

SAP workloads are highly reliant on SAP to provide new software and vulnerability patching, operating system and database kernels, and escalation for support. SAP regularly publishes information about SAP software releases: Release types, maintenance durations, planned availability, and upgrade paths in their Product Availability Matrix (PAM) and SAP Notes. You should obtain specific details each of your SAP applications and track these locally to understand if your SAP software is current, supported and when it will be end of life from a maintenance perspective.

The PAM also offers information about platform availability and compatibility: including database platform and operating systems supported which should guide you in patching and upgrading these underlying components of your SAP workload. Operating System vendors also have their own patching and support lifecycle which should be taken into account when planning SAP maintenance and lifecycle events such as upgrades.

Suggestion 4.1.1 - Create an operational roadmap for your SAP applications taking into account key support and lifecycle dates

List all of your SAP software applications, kernel versions. operating systems, and database versions in a central register and consolidate with PAM information on supported versions and maintenance windows. Use this list as a consolidated view to plan patching, upgrades and platform changes in all components required to keep SAP current and within support.

Suggestion 4.1.2 - Maintain a calendar for expiring of credentials, certificates and licenses

Alongside the major SAP lifecycle events and patching mentioned previously, ensure you have an operational calendar which plans minor system events. Examples of these maintenance events could be expiry of system credentials, expiry of certificates (for example, for STRUST integration between systems) and any license renewal work or updates required (for example, temporary SAP or database licenses for migration, development or POC purposes).

Suggestion 4.1.3 - Plan for upgrades or alternatives before SAP software becomes end of life

Create an SAP landscape roadmap visualizing your key SAP lifecycle events and operational upkeep - patching, software upgrades, migrations and re-platforming if required. Communicate this lifecycle calendar to business and technical stakeholders. Plan investment to fund these SAP lifecycle activities/projects. Plan in advance with your business stakeholders where maintenance windows can occur and downtime or restarts will be required.

Suggestion 4.1.4 - Stay up to date and subscribe to key SAP notes for support advice

Subscribe to key SAP notes and Knowledge Base Articles (KBAs) for your SAP workload such that you will be notified upon any changes or updates to supportability and advice. Use “Favorite” SAP notes functionality to keep a list of frequently accessed and important notes for your SAP workload to make them easily accessible and comparable.