Important Update: Changes to the Free Tier Option for SAP BTP ABAP Environment

[Burcu_Karlidag]

Dear free tier users of the SAP BTP ABAP Environment,

Please be advised of an important upcoming change affecting the free tier option for SAP BTP ABAP Environment.

Summary

Change effective April 3, 2024: Introduction of a 90-day limit for the free tier option for SAP BTP ABAP Environment

Starting from April 3, 2024, the free tier option for SAP BTP ABAP Environment will be subject to a 90-day time limit. This change is being implemented to align with SAP’s service policies and ensure the efficient utilization of resources.

Key points to note

During the first 90 days:

• Usage purpose: The free tier option is designed for small proof-of-concept development projects. It can also be used for the piloting of a remote ABAP Test Cockpit scenario against on-premise systems in the Custom Code Migration app. As part of this change, we are delighted to announce that limitations on the number of 500 repository objects and 10 ATC (ABAP Test Cockpit) runs will no longer apply.
• Seamless transition to standard plan: Within the 90-day period, users have the option to seamlessly transition to the standard plan without any risk of data loss, ensuring a smooth continuation of their SAP BTP ABAP Environment usage. To update the ABAP environment to a paid service plan, entitlements and quotas for the ABAP environment need to be configured first. At least the following entitlements need to be assigned to the subaccount:
  • service plan standard
  • 1 abap_compute_unit
  • 2 hana_compute_unit

You can also use system hibernation to optimize the costs according to the actual uptime of the system. 

• Automatic instance stoppage: Instances under the free tier option will be automatically stopped each night. Users will need to restart the instance using the Landscape Portal when needed. 
• Backing up your development objects: To ensure the safety of development objects before the end of the 90-day period, we recommend to use abapGit and export the objects in a git repository of your choice. Please refer to the abapGit documentation.
• Community support only: Free tier service plans will continue to receive community support only and will not be subject to Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

After the 90-day period:

• System access restriction: After 90 days, the system cannot be started anymore as a free tier system with the Landscape Portal. Users will receive a popup message informing them of this change. To regain access to their instances, users need to transition to the standard plan either to back up development objects or to continue using the system. Please note that the service plan standard is charged.

The following screenshot shows the message users will encounter after 90 days when attempting to start the free tier system using the Landscape Portal.

• Final deletion of SAP BTP ABAP Environment instances: Instances for the free tier option will be permanently deleted 30 days after the end of the 90-day trial period. Users should ensure to back up all important data before this period ends. Only the SAP BTP ABAP Environment free tier instance will be deleted; the global account, S-User, and other SAP BTP services remain unaffected.

Notification about the trial period:

• Email notifications to system administrators prior to the trial period and 30 days before the trial period expires
• Notification in SAP Fiori Launchpad with a title “This service instance expires on dd.mm.yyyy”
• Notifications in ABAP Development Tools as System Message in the Feed Reader

The following screenshot shows the title starting on April 3 2024, which refers to the upcoming expiry of the trial period in SAP Fiori Launchpad.

The following screenshot shows the system message within the Feed Reader starting on April 3 2024, providing information about the expiration of the trial period in ADT.

Important note: All SAP BTP ABAP Environment instances, both existing before and created after April 3, 2024, will be affected by this change. The initial suspension of systems is scheduled for July 2, 2024, with deletion occurring 30 days later. Please plan accordingly and take the necessary actions to avoid any disruptions.

We understand that this change may impact your trial usage, and we appreciate your understanding as we strive to enhance the overall user experience.

If you prefer not to transition to a standard service plan after the 90-day free tier trial period, there are alternative trial options available to try out ABAP, including the SAP BTP ABAP Environment shared-trial and the ABAP Platform trial.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to sap_btp_abap_environment@sap.com.

Thank you for your continued use of the SAP BTP ABAP Environment.