Homogeneous System Copy to New Server (Windows/Oracle)

[ecnirp]

Hi

I am looking at upgrading our current ERP 6.0 EHP3 to ERP 6.0 EHP8.

Currently the ERP 6.0 EHP3 is running on Windows 2008 R2/Oracle 11.2.

I am looking to take a copy of our current Production System to create a new sandpit system I can then test the upgrade process.

On the sandpit System we have installed Windows 2008 X64 R2 to match the current landscape, I have downloaded and installed the Oracle 11.2.0.3 (51042334) to match our current environment. I have restored the SAPDATA DB files from the Production backup, but the Oracle install has not setup the environment for the listener.ora, tnsnames.ora, sqlnet.ora etc. I have followed OSS Notes:

445769 - Net8 configuration with the Net8 configuration assistant

562403 - FAQ Oracle Net

and managed to create the Oracle Network setup, also had to use ORADIM to create the Service, I have created PATH requirements/Env Variables, now I have manged to start the Oracle Datbase, but it was abit trial and error, so now I am planning to use SWPM to install NW7.0 SR3 using the System lifecycle Options -> System Copy -> Oracle -> Target System -> Central System

I am using Guide:

System Copy for SAP Systems Based on the Application Server ABAP of SAP NetWeaver 7.0 to 7.03 on Windows which states:

You can choose between the following methods:

Database already recovered, continue with database-specific post activities

You have already performed backup/restore with Oracle-specific methods. In this case, the installer does not need to perform the backup/restore. You just have to ensure that the restored Oracle database on your target system is up and running.

I was just wondering if there is a specific guide/note on performing a System Copy on ABAP/Oracle Systems to a new clean Windows Server , as the guide does not mention any specific tasks like setting up the TNS/Services/Paths/Variable etc, I have fixed issues as I have ran into them, but I would like to verify my DB Setup before i try and use SWPM to install the target ABAP Copy System?

in the past I have mainly refreshed existing Oracle Systems, like overwriting a QAS, so I did not have to setup the Oracle Environment etc

Thanks for any help.

[Reagan]

Having done this hundreds of time and still doing it for our ongoing EHP8 upgrade on Oracle, here are few things you need to consider.

1 - The database host can run on Windows Server 2008 R2 version but the SAP should be running on Windows Server 2012 R2 or else when you start the upgrade tool it will complain unsupported OS for EHP8. As you have Oracle still on 11G you need to upgrade the database to 12c.

2 - If you have a standalone system and not a distributed setup (DB and SAP on separate hosts) then you need to have the sandpit setup on Windows 2012 Server because of the 1 point.

You can perform the Oracle database software installation on the new Windows server, perform restore and recover the database and finally open it. After this step, you can copy the Oracle SQLNet files from one of the old servers and adapt the port, hostname and SID.

The oracle installer won't set the environment variables, it is the sapinst tool which sets the environment variables for the <SID>adm user. Instead of waiting for the sapinst to set the variables, you can set it up in advance so things are quite easy.

TIP: There are third party tools (portable ones) available online for setting environment variables for any user.

Below are the Oracle environment variables for the <SID>adm user

DBMS_TYPE=ORA

DBS_ORA_SCHEMA=SAPSR3

dbs_ora_tnsname=SID

NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA.UTF8

ORACLE_HOME=C:\oracle\SID\12102

ORACLE_SID=SID Path=F:\oracle\SID\sapexe;C:\oracle\SID\12102\bin

SAPDATA_HOME=P:\oracle\SID

SAPEXE=F:\oracle\SID\sapexe

Once you have the database up and running, you start the sapinst tool for ERP 6.0 EHP3 - System Copy - Target System. Here you need to run the Global Host preparation and then the Central Instance execution. You can skip the database installation part as it is about making a mess with the database recovery and stuffs like that. If you do that in advance and the recover the database the normal way it is not required. Bear in mind that you need to also set the SSFS parameters if the system is currently using SSFS mechanism as the old installation media still relies on the OPS$ mechanism.

rsdb_ssfs_connect=1

RSEC_SSFS_DATAPATH=P:\usr\sap\SID\SYS\global\security\rsecssfs\data RSEC_SSFS_KEYPATH=P:\usr\sap\SID\SYS\global\security\rsecssfs\key

After completing the sapinst, start the installation of Oracle 12c and upgrade the database

Cheers

RB

[ecnirp]

Hi RB

Thanks for the detailed reply, good to hear from someone who has done similar.

I am looking at upgrading our current ERP 6.0 EHP3 to ERP 6.0 EHP8.

Currently the ERP 6.0 EHP3 landscape is running on Windows 2008 R2/Oracle 11.2, as the OS/DB does not support ERP 6 EHP 8, I need to migrate/upgrade them.

I am looking to take a copy of our current Production (Standalone) System to a new server Sandpit (standalone), on Windows 2008 R2 & Oracle 11.2.0.3 (I have limited access to PRD, so wanted to take my own copy that matches PRD for easy testing), which is what I am doing now. Creating the Oracle environment on new OS was tricky, so I just wanted to see if there was a reliable document out there to follow, as usually a refresh has Oracle/Environment already installed on the target, so it's just a restore of the DB and realign users etc..

Once this Sandpit system is built, I am planning to Install Oracle 11.2.0.3 to a new Windows 2012 Server, System copy from the Sandpit, then upgrade to Oracle to 12.1 on the WIndows 2012 Server, then Upgrade SAP to ERP 6 EHP8, so I end up with SAP ERP 6 EHP8 running on Windows 2012/Oracle 12.1, which is supported on the PAM.

I am installing Oracle 11.2.0.3 using the SAP Oracle DVD 51042334, restoring the DB from a PRD Netbackup, then using SWPM to install NW 7.00 SR3 --> life Cycle Options --> System Copy --> Oracle --> Target System --> AS ABAP --> Central System then using the DB installation Method Homogeneous System Copy (Backup/restore) to Install the SAP System using the restored DB.

Does this sound ok? I could not find any reliable documents to show if it is possible to install Oracle 12.1 and restore a backup from Oracle 11.2 into it, so i decided an Oracle upgrade would be safer.

Thanks,

Paul.

[Reagan]

Looks OK. This is what you need to do. Like I said before, the SWPM installer should take care of setting the environment variables especially the ORACLE specific variables. In case you need any help just come back here and update the details and I will look into it, for sure. By the way Windows 2016 is supported by SAP and I just setup few systems on Windows 2016 (ongoing). So far it looks much better than the previous versions and even fast.

[ecnirp]

Thanks, I did look at Windows 2016 as it recently became certified on PAM as the latest release, but it was going to be an extra step on the upgrade path as I would have to migrate from Windows 2012 to 2016 as an extra last step, as Windows 2016 does not support ERP6 EHP3, so there was no direct path from Windows 2008 to 2016.

System outage time is an issue, so adding the extra step just to get to Windows 2016 would not be a go, the business just wants ERP6 EHP8 for the functionality, the underlying OS is not important for them, as is, Windows 2012 R2 is supported until 2023, so we can tackle that as a seperate task in the future, probably when they want a newer EHP!

[tan_michael]

Hi Paul,

In my understanding, you have installed the oracle 11g then you have restored the backup from production and run the SWPM?

based on my experience when I doing a homogenous system copy into new windows OS host. I will first install the Oracle 11g then run SWPM ... then during SWPM it will stop and produce and error in phase 11 or 12 which is Oracle Backup/Restore database, in this case you have to minimized the SWPM and log to <SID>ADM and restore the database, I suggest you to use BRTOOLS. Once done with the restoration you have to continue the SWPM.

In this process I dont have to setup any environment variables all I have to do is copy the init<SID>.ora & init<SID>.sap from source to target host.

[JamesZ]

Hi Paul，

You decided to install oracle during SWPM installation, right? Then this is better than installation oracle manually.

The main steps are following SWPM, but SWPM will stop at some phase and clearly tell you to do what. I think your major concern is to restore the system, the simple way is to use ORABRCOYP tool, which will generate all the files for target (like control file), then what you ONLY manually steps are:

1. put the generated files to the correct directory as mentioned in the guide
2. put the oracle source data files to the target correct directory, I am copy screenshot here:

3. then SWPM will do all the recover, change db name, for you automatically

Best regards,
James

[patelyogesh]

Hello Paul Clinton,

What I understand is you already know how to perform system copy but wanted to know how to setup Oracle instance for SAP installation

I would suggest you to go through SAP note below

1524205 - Oracle 11.2.0: Database Software Installation

936441 - Oracle settings for R3load based system copy

I think when you upgrade your system you need to upgrade your Oracle DB (Min. 12.1) You also need to upgrade your OS to 2012

Please look in to PAM prior any upgrade. Link is as below

https://apps.support.sap.com/sap/support/pam?hash=s%3DERP%26o%3Dmost_viewed%257Cdesc%26st%3Dl%26rpp%...

Thank you

Yogesh