Is CSV useful to move 30GB SAP Data?

[Former Member]

Would you suggest to use csv file format to move a 30GB SAP DB from one cloud system to another one? The DB contains all the typical data types used in SAP ERP, (SD, WM, MM, FI, CO, PP, QM)

[Jelena · Accepted solution]

Short answer is "no, I would not suggest that".

Not sure if any Basis folks would chime in on that (looks like you might have picked a wrong tag). It's rather laughable and unprofessional IMHO of the current provider to just offer you a CSV file.

You might want to clarify though what exactly are you calling "cloud system" and what SAP product are we talking about.

[pokrakam · Accepted solution]

Totally agree with Jelena. I would confirm with your provider if that is really their final answer and whether they like the negative publicity that such an attitude could generate.

If they don't cooperate, please name and shame (or do it anyway 🙂

That's beyond unprofessional and deserves all the bad publicity they can get.

[SimoneMilesi · Accepted solution]

Maybe matt.fraser can give some hints?

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

Sorry for coming late to this party. In our shop we have yet to do any SAP activity in any sort of "cloud" or hosted environment (unless you count some VMware instances that we host ourselves in our own data center). The only externally-hosted solutions we have to date are non-SAP. So, I can't speak to this from personal experience.

But, in general, I would agree with Simone that 30 GB would probably be too large of a CSV file to load into something like Excel, but perhaps it's within the realm of possibility to simply use it as a mechanism for data transfer. That said, I have a hard time understanding how an entire SAP database could be configured into a single CSV. Perhaps a CSV per table, but not for the entire DB. Can they not take a database backup and provide that to you? Failing that, SWPM (SAP tool) is perfectly capable of providing complete database exports, as that's a standard mechanism for system copies.

A cloud hosting contract that leaves no provision for getting your data back out upon termination is not a very good contract, and should never have been signed. But, I've seen my own executive management sign contracts before without understanding what they were doing, with the result of obligating us into ridiculous clauses, so I can perfectly well imagine that some manager somewhere didn't take the time to read through and comprehend all the particulars. Still, I'd say that this could constitute some grounds for legal dispute -- who owns the data, you or your hosting provider? The standard answer should be that you do.

Short of a legal dispute, you could also talk to your SAP account rep about the situation, and get them to help you out. After all, as a certified SAP partner, I would think it's in your provider's best interest to maintain that certification, which means maintaining their good reputation with SAP. A well-placed complaint from SAP themselves might loosen a few things.

What does your new cloud provider suggest? If they're reputable, they probably have all sorts of standard procedures for migration.

Cheers,
Matt

p.s. I added "Cloud" as a secondary tag to this discussion.

[SimoneMilesi · Accepted solution]

Thanks for accepting the shout out Matt! 🙂

i think your comment could be a good userguide and contains many suggestions for the ones without an internal basis team (like me! 🙂 ).

Again, thanks!

[SimoneMilesi]

Hi Cinzia,

i find REALLY hard to move 30GB of data via a CSV file!

Why do not you take a snapshot of your DB/Machine and move it to the other system?
Or you are talking about to migrate into an existing and live system?

You should give us more information about your scenario, but really, 30GB data on CSV sounds a bit on the impossible side of things to me!

[Former Member]

Thanks Simone.

We need to move our SAP Installation from one cloud provider to a new one: same operating system, same SAP version, ecc.

The current cloud provider is available to give us our data only in csv format.

Our DB is 30-40GB: 2 years of operational data

We too believe to have data in a CSV file format is a big problem: it's to say "I don't want to give you your data" in a different way

And the currente cloud provider ia "a certified sap partner"

Guys, any other suggestion?

[SimoneMilesi]

Ask to your providers to take a snapshot of the machine (i guess you are using a virtual machine in old provider) at a given moment and then the new one will upload it.

We are planning to do the same in some months and both our providers are working toward that direction.

I cannot believe a company doing SAP hosting (the basic of the basic of the service you could ask them) is unable to provide any other solution!

30-40GB via file is totally crazy! (sorry for the term but i cannot find anything else)

[Jelena]

It does not matter what they "want". There should be a signed contract that states the provider's responsibilities. I seriously doubt any IT manager in their right mind would sign something that does not have a decent exit strategy. Look in the contract.