Unicode conversion in situ

[Former Member]

Hi SCN,

I'm looking at the possibility of running a Combined Upgrade & Unicode Conversion (CUUC) in-situ; i.e. without a migration to new hardware.

However in all my years of SAP Basis projects any Unicode conversion I've seen has involved a migration to new hardware (which makes good sense as the process is the same as an OSDB migration with R3load/MigMon).

What I want to know is - has anyone ever run one in-place. I.e. keeping the same server and running the CUUC entirely inplace?
This seems logically problematic as you need a target system to import to.

I can imagine a process along these lines though...:

1. Take SAP layer offline

2. Run full backup of system

3. Export system

4. Drop database* (to make clean ready for new import)

5. Run SPUMG/SUMG/SAPINST to setup Unicode database ready to receive import...

6. ....and continue to run import into that database

7. Complete Unicode conversion process

However the big issue here for me is

(a) *dropping the live production system is far from attractive.... I'm presuming everyone would do as I've always seen and combine this with a migration to new improved hardware, so that a backout to the old system is simple

(b) I'm not sure at what point with the SAP tools (SPUMG/SUMG/SAPINST) this process would become convoluted with it all being in-situ on the same box. I.e. I'm not sure if it's something the SAP tools are really designed to cater for.

Any input/discussion on these points would be very welcome.

Regards, doonan_79

[Former Member]

FYI Community. Feeling after reading and research is to use a temorary server to import unicode converted system data into; then swing disks back to the original host. Making all required hostname updates during the process.

Allowing for parallel export/import, but going back to the original configured host to complete the process.