Migration from Subversion to Git in SAP Business Objects (BOE) – BI2025 Release

[HariPrasadChennamadhavuni]

As part of the BI2025 release, SAP Business Objects (BOE) has made a significant change regarding its version management system. Historically, Subversion (SVN) was bundled with BOE as the default version control system. However, in response to evolving security standards, Subversion software will no longer be shipped with the BI2025 release. Consequently, the Version Management application will not function unless an alternative version control system is configured.

Although Subversion will no longer be part of the newer BOE releases, existing Subversion repositories from previous installations will remain intact. To ensure continuity and security, users are provided with two options:

• Migrate from Subversion to Git – This is the recommended approach, offering improved version control, enhanced security, and seamless integrations with modern development tools.
• Set up and configure your own Subversion software – For those who prefer to continue using Subversion, you may configure your own Subversion environment and link it to your existing repositories.

This blog post will guide you through the migration process from Subversion to Git using the migration tool provided by SAP. The tool is available for both Windows and Unix environments and can be found in the Collateral Folder within the BOE installation directory.

Migration from Subversion to Git:

Migrating from Subversion to Git involves setting up Git and running a provided migration script to convert the Subversion repositories into Git repositories. Below are the detailed steps for both Windows and Unix environments.

Prerequisites:

• Install Python: Ensure that Python is installed, as it is required for the migration script to function correctly.

• Install Git:

  • For Windows, download Git from Git SCM.
  • For Unix, use the following command to install Git. 

zypper install git

Install git-filter-repo: This tool is essential for migrating the Subversion repository to Git.

Windows Migration Steps:

• Install Python and Git:
  • Ensure both Python and Git are installed properly.
  • Confirm Git installation by running the following command in Git Bash

git --version

• Install git-filter-repo:

  • Download and install the git-filter-repo tool, which is required for repository migration

 

• Verify Git Check-in:

  • In CMC -> VMS, perform a dummy Git check-in to verify that the system is correctly set up to work with Git. Be sure to select a document that is not part of any Subversion check-ins to avoid conflicts.

• Modify BOE Version Management Settings:

  • Navigate to Central Management Console -> Applications -> Version Management Settings and switch the version control system from Subversion to Git.
  • Restart the SIA from the CCM (Central Configuration Manager)

• Verify Git Check-in:

  1. In Central Management Console -> Version Management System, perform a dummy Git check-in to verify that the system is correctly set up to work with Git. Be sure to select a document that is not part of any Subversion check-ins to avoid conflicts.

Run the Migration Script:

• Download the migration script from the BOE installation folder and place it in a local folder.
• Execute the script:
  • Enter the administrator password when prompted.
  • Enter LCM as the username and provide the corresponding password.
  • Wait for the migration process to complete successfull

./migrateSVNtoGIT.sh <SVN_REPOSRITORY> <GIT_RPOSITORY>
Example:
./migrateSVNtoGIT.sh svn://localhost:3690/LCM_repository /gitrepo3

• 

Unix Migration Steps:

1. Install Python and Git:

   • Install Python and Git by running the following commands

zypper install python
zypper install git

• Prepare the Migration Files:

  • Download and extract the migration package. The package should contain the following files
    • git-filter-repo
    • migrateSVNtoGIT.sh
• Set Script Permissions

chmod 755 migrateSVNtoGIT.sh

• Run the Migration Script

./migrateSVNtoGIT.sh <SVN_REPOSRITORY> <GIT_RPOSITORY>
Example:
./migrateSVNtoGIT.sh svn://localhost:3690/LCM_repository /gitrepo3

• Monitor the Migration:
  • The migration process will begin, and you will be able to monitor the progress. Once completed, verify that the Subversion repository has been successfully migrated to Git.

Following the steps outlined above, you can easily migrate to Git or configure your own Subversion environment. The migration tool simplifies the process and ensures a smooth transition to modern version control practices.

For any further assistance, refer to the migration tool documentation available within the BOE installation folders.