Your way to SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA (on Premise or Cloud)

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With the introduction of SAP Global Trade Services, edition for SAP HANA, customers look for a conversion path from SAP GTS 11.0 which fits to their individual needs, timeline and cloud strategy. Additionally, the latest release SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA 2023 offers a co-deployment on top of SAP S/4HANA which might be a valuable option for some.

This blog provides an update to a previous post (LINK) and covers four important topics. First, the deployment scenarios for SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA will be outlined. Secondly, a high-level comparison of the major transition approaches to SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA is done. The third chapter describes four different transition scenarios depending on the SAP GTS 11.0 deployment. Finally, we will provide you with approaches to move your SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA into Cloud.

Deployment Scenarios for SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA

With SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA 2023 SAP now offers four different deployment options:

• Standalone, on Premise
• Standalone, Private Cloud Edition (PCE)
• Co-deployment, on Premise
• Co-deployment, Private Cloud Edition (PCE)

The standalone deployment of SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA most probably has been the most used deployment in the past. Wether it is on-premise or in a Private Cloud edition, a standalone deployment still offers full flexibility for customers. This future-proof concept of course leads to a larger system landscape with higher total costs of ownership (TCO).

A co-deployment is available starting with SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA 2023, with a minimum requirement for SAP S/4HANA 2022. It can be provided on Premise or in a Private Cloud Edition (PCE). Since this deployment enables SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA to be run on the same instance like the S/4HANA system, it is perceived as a favorable option by many, especially those looking for reduced infrastructure costs and lower TCO. However, the following options are possible:

• Usage of SAP S/4HANA and a co-deployed SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA, running on the same system instance
• Usage of SAP S/4HANA in system instance A, and a co-deployed SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA on a system instance B

The second option can be seen as a valid option to benefit from a co-deployment in SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA, while your SAP ECC system has not been converted to SAP S/4HANA yet.

Hint: When looking for a co-deployed SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA it is mandatory to align with any S/4HANA project, especially with S/4HANA conversion from SAP ECC. Once SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA is co-deployed on an S/4HANA system, it is not possible to follow a conversion (brownfield approach) from SAP ECC into the identical target S/4HANA system.

Major transition approaches for SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA
Depending on the chosen transition scenario, one or more implementation approaches are available. We differentiate between three different approaches:

• Greenfield Approach
• Selective Data Migration
• Brownfield Approach

A conversion (brownfield approach) is the most used approach so far and allows you to achieve the transition to SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA in less time to value. The Greenfield Approach really starts on a green field, allowing you to setup your processes and data from scratch. In a selective data migration you will keep your processeses but start with a refreshed system, which of course raises complexity in the transition project.

Four transition scenarios to SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA
Depending on the deployment of the existing SAP GTS 11.0 installation, the following four scenarios can be described:

• Scenario 1: ECC Add-On Installation to Standalone
• Scenario 2: ECC Add-On Installation to Co-deployment
• Scneario 3: Standalone to Standalone
• Scenario 4: Standalone to Co-deployment

Scenario 1: ECC Add-On Installation to Standalone
In the past it has been possible to install SAP GTS 11.0 as an Add-On Installation in SAP ECC. For those installation types, if the target deployment of SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA should be a standalone deployment, the transition approach contains two steps. First, a carve-out project will separate SAP ECC from SAP GTS 11.0 Add-On installation, which will result in two standalone systems. Secondly, one of the major transition approaches can be performed on the SAP GTS 11.0 system. By example the following figure shows the conversion approaches.

Scenario 2: ECC Add-On Installation to Co-Deployment
For the installation type of an SAP GTS 11.0 Add-On Installation in SAP ECC, if the target deployment of SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA should be a co-deployment, the transition approach is very straight forward for all major transition approaches. As shown in the below figure, a conversion (brownfield approach) is fully supported by SAP Upgrade Manager (SUM).

Scenario 3: Standalone to Standalone
The conversion from and to a standalone deployment is the most easiest one. All of the major transition approach can be applied. The SAP Upgrade Manager (SUM) fully supports a conversion (brownfield approach) as shown in the below figure. If the current SAP GTS 11.0 is not running on HANA database, the Database Migration Option (DMO) can be added to the SUM conversion process (then called SUM DMO).

Scenario 4: Standalone to Co-Deployment
Starting on a standalone SAP GTS 11.0 installation, there are two ways to move to a co-deployed SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA.
The first option (Scenario A) describes an approach with an indirect path, using an intermediate system. First, the transition from SAP GTS 11.0 to SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA is performed in the existing landscape, using one of the major transition approaches. After the successful transition, in a second step the system will be migrated into a co-deployed SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA. This step will require that DMLT teams from SAP and migration tools are involved. DMLT stands for Data Management and Landscape Transformation and is a set of services provided by SAP.

The second option (Scenario B) describes an approach with a direct path. The transition from SAP GTS 11.0 to SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA is performed as a full data migration and conversion project. There are two starting points: an existing SAP GTS 11.0 on premise installation, and a greenfield SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA co-deployed on S/4HANA. During the transition, data is directly migrated between these two systems. In this case, the project must also make sure that the data is not only migrated, but also converted according to the simplification items and changes coming with SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA. Therefore this approach will require that DMLT teams from SAP and migration tools are involved.
Looking for more information about DMLT? Please find it here: https://www.sap.com/services-support/service-offerings/data-mgmt-landscape-transformation.html

Move into Cloud with SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA

As already shown in each transition scenario, a transition can be combined with a move into a Private Cloud Edition (PCE). This is what we call an “All-in-1 Approach”. The approach provides a straight-forward transition and cloud-move path with SAP Enterprise Cloud Environment (ECS) and is therefore recommended for all conversions (brownfield approaches) with a clear focus on a cloud deployment.

In case you are not clear yet about your successful path into SAP’s cloud portfolio, you can perform the move of SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA into a Private Cloud Edition (PCE) also at a later point in time. This is meant by “Convert first, cloud secondly”.

Conclusion
Independent of your current SAP GTS version and deployment model and independent of the desired end state with SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA, there are several options for a successful transition. Start your transition now and enable the full potential of your SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA installation.
If you are looking for more information, help and advisory from SAP, please reach out to your SAP counter part.

Credits
This blog post would not have been possible without the work of my fellow colleagues Volker Mohr, Christian Stadler and Steffen Schulz.