Maintenance Timelines for SAP ERP 6.0

ArneSchmidthals · ‎2022 Sep 20

This blog is meant to refresh your memory on the SAP ERP 6.0 maintenance timelines that SAP communicated back in 2020, explain how to find out your release and enhancement package level, and highlight your options to stay in maintenance.

When will maintenance end?

As described in the SAP Release and Maintenance Strategy (login required) and more detailed in SAP Note 2881788 (login required) and the Product Availability Matrix (PAM) mainstream maintenance for the latest three enhancement packages for SAP ERP 6.0 – namely enhancement packages 6, 7 and 8 – runs until December 31, 2027, followed by an optional extended maintenance phase until December 31, 2030.

However, mainstream maintenance for SAP ERP 6.0 without enhancement package, as well as SAP ERP 6.0 with enhancement packages 1 to 5, will end on December 31, 2025.

How can you find your release and enhancement package level?

The easiest way to find out is to log on to your system and open the system status:

Open the product version details:

Look for the entry SAP_APPL and the release number next to it:

For any SAP ERP 6.0 system the first digit will be 6. The second digit is not relevant here, and the third digit corresponds to your enhancement package level. For example, 616 means that the system is on SAP ERP 6.0 with enhancement package 6.

What are your options to stay in maintenance?

Keep in mind that any transition project can take months or even years, so now is the perfect time to plan your path forward, in particular if you are running a system with end of mainstream maintenance in 2025.

With SAP’s maintenance commitment until 2040 and by now more than 20,000 customers, SAP S/4HANA is the natural destination for your technical transition. Many organizations combine this transition with a move to the cloud, hence opting for RISE with SAP. Please reach out to your SAP account executive or SAP partner to discuss your options.

Regardless of the commercial dimension, we strongly recommend that you start off with the SAP Readiness Check. Included at no extra cost with your maintenance agreement, it provides a comprehensive overview of the most important aspects for a transition to SAP S/4HANA. While primarily targeted for customers considering a system conversion, i.e. a technical transition of an entire SAP ERP system to SAP S/4HANA, it also gives good insights for customers planning a new implementation.

Please let me know your thoughts and feedback in a comment. Also check out other SAP S/4HANA blogs for further information.

samikhan · ‎2023 May 03

Good insight. Your blog was very helpful. What kind of support can we expect as part of extended support? Does SAP help with bugfixes to standard code? Can we enable new functionalities when we are on extended support?

ArneSchmidthals · ‎2023 May 04

Hi Sami,

Thanks for your feedback. The scope of support for the extended maintenance period is similar to the scope of support provided during mainstream maintenance. Further details can be found here.

Regards
Arne

samikhan · ‎2023 May 04

Thanks Arne.

gecanessa · ‎2023 May 18

These dates apply also to Industry Solutions as part of SAP ERP 6.0? If not, where can I find the end of support info for ERP IS-Retail?

ArneSchmidthals · ‎2023 May 22

These dates also apply to IS-Retail as this is part of SAP ERP. Generally, you can check maintenance timelines in the Product Availability Matrix (PAM).

gecanessa · ‎2023 May 22

Thank you very much, Arne.

snunes · ‎2023 Aug 24

Thank you for the informative post, Arne.

The general feeling from some ECC customers is SAP is forcing them to move to RISE even though SAP S/4HANA (On-Premise) has still been an option. While some customers are hesitant to move to the cloud, they are eager to upgrade their ECC systems to S/4HANA and work with hyperscalers (bring your own license model).

It would be great if you write a blog addressed to these customers to give them the tranquility that is also an option, and they can move to RISE or the Public Cloud at a later moment.

Kenji · ‎2023 Oct 04

Hi,

SAP Note 1648480 says SAP has announced to extend the maintenance support period of SAP Business Suite 7 EhP6 by 31st December 2027. So, Customers who are currently using SAP Business Suite 7 EhP6 should plan the transition to S/4HANA by 31st December 2027 with leveraging the current SAP system.

SAP Note also says Supported database/operating system combinations will be published in the PAM successively over the maintenance period.

After confirming the related SAP notes, Kernel 7.54 will be supported by 31st December 2030 for Ehp7 and Ehp8. However, the combination of any OS/DB will be supported by 31st December 2025 for Ehp6.

So, I do not think SAP can support the maintenance of SAP Business Suite 7 EhP6 by 31st December 2027.
I appreciate if you could let me know the information of OS/DB combination which is able to support SAP Business Suite 7 EhP6 by 31st December 2027.

Best,

Ken

ArneSchmidthals · ‎2023 Oct 04

Hi Ken,

There will definitely be a kernel that can be used beyond 2025 without restrictions. Whether kernel 722_EXT will remain in maintenance beyond 2025 is not yet decided. However, this will be decided so that customers have enough lead time.

Regards,
Arne

ArneSchmidthals · ‎2023 Oct 04

Hi Sasha,

Thanks for your feedback. SAP strongly recommends to move from ECC to RISE in one step. However, as SAP S/4HANA (On-Premise) will be supported and receive new releases until at least 2040, there is also the option to move in two steps.

Regards,
Arne

Kenji · ‎2023 Oct 05

Hi Arne,

Thank you for the tips. It is very helpful for me. I will circulate it to my customer.

Best,

Ken

former_member239894 · ‎2023 Oct 18

Hello Sir,

Can you confirm that if I am on SAP_APPL 605 that my end of maintenance support will be Dec 31st, 2025? There is no option for extended maintenance on that version?

Thank you

ArneSchmidthals · ‎2023 Oct 18

This is correct - Extended maintenance is available for EhP 6 to 8.

t_wenzel · ‎2023 Nov 21

Hi Arne,

in the link to the scope of the extended maintenance I find the following: The scope of support for the extended maintenance period is similar to the scope of support provided during mainstream maintenance.

It is not clear to me exactly what the differences are here compared to regular maintenance, as simular is not identical. Where can I find the exact details described here.

Thank you very much!