Our Company Wants to Upgrade SAP

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Our company wants to upgrade SAP R/3 4.7 to ECC 6.0 EHP6As per my understanding OS 2003 and Oracle 9.2 is not supported for ECC 6.0 EHP6.Our Current Configuration is of Oracle 9.1 and OS as windows server 2003 for R/3 4.7 but we want to upgrade it to Oracle 11.2 and OS as windows server 2008 R2.

SAP Technical Upgrade from R/3 4.7 to ECC 6.0

Introduction

This blog covers details from Technical perspective ( for Team Leads/ Software Engineers/Developers) for doing an upgrade from R/3 4.7 to ECC 6.0. Following are the major points which would be covered :

1. Pre-Upgrade analysis Study the existing landscape & the To-Be Landscape Plan the soft freeze & Hard freeze transport strategy Run the pre-upgrade tool to identify the no. of programs which would be reflected for UCCHECK , Upgrade fixes etc. If you do not have an in-house tool, then you may consider developing one. This tool would have details of Obsolete FM's, search for CALL TRANSACTOIN statement, obsolete ABAP statements etc. Based on such details the tool will search for all the programs which have such FMs/Statements etc & then it will provide a list of impacted objects Number of cloned objects ( Copy of Standard programs which are modified to meet additional requirements) Number of Standard Objects modified ( Core Code Modification done by Customer in standard objects ) Number of objects which would be impacted due to updation of Unicode flag Number of BDC programs Based on the no. of objects reflected, you can plan the technical team size/duration etc. This will help during project planning The Functional consultants can go through the config. settings / level of customization etc. This will help to identify any specific test scenarios & amount of testing required. Identify the number of interfaces/ 3rd party systems interacting with the SAP system Identify the printer/Barcode scanner etc compatibility with the new system Basis consultant may go through the system & identify the need for additional hardware/sizing etc. Based on the inputs from Technical/Functional/Basis consultants you may prepare a draft Project Plan Prepare a landscape document ( AS IS & TO BE ) Also prepare the Technical & Funtional analysis document which can be shared with the team2. Project Plan/Resource planning You may have to schedule meetings with Customer to understand there timelines & project plan. i.e. Overlapping of any other projects, hardware availability, Priority of any other projects etc In consultation with Customer finalize the timelines for each phase incuding the number of mock runs etc Finalize the project plan & share the same with Customer Identify the POC from both sides for each phase/task/activity Prepare the resource plan Start the offshore connectivity setup & onboarding of team members You may share the landscape & other documents with the team members so that they get acquainted with the system.

3. SPDD phase During this phase execute the SPDD transaction. The SPDD transaction would return All the Standard Data Dictionary objects viz Data Elements/Domains/ Structures/ Tables/ Append structures etc which have been modified by Customer. The technical team has to decide whether they want to RESET TO ORIGINAL or ADOPT MODIFICATION. This two options are available to fix the objects reflected in SPDD transaction. Here the Technical team has to do a Version comparison of the object & analyze whether they require the custom change. If the custom change is required in ECC 6.0, then select ADOPT MODIFICATION else select RESET TO ORIGINAL ( i.e. you do not require the custom change which was done in the old system. Instead you want the standard version of the object in ECC 6.0 system ). Ensure that you put all the objects in the correct SPDD TR To avoid doing SPDD again in the subsequent systems, you have to release the SPDD TR in a different way Goto SPDD tcode & click on "Select for Transport", place the cursor on the task of the Main TR & then release the Task. Similary place the cursor on the main TR & then click on 'Select for Transport'. This will ensure that the SPDD fixes done in DEV are automatically imported at OS level in the subsequent system. Provide the TR number to the BASIS team & they would ensure to import the SPDD TR at OS level. SPDD activity has to be done only in 000 client. Ensure that you do not do it in any other client. The system would be completely open & it wont ask for access keys to modify standard objects. So be careful while fixing SPDD objects & ensure that you do not touch any other object which is not part of SPDD.4. SPAU SPAU is performed in the normal client i.e. DEV client. Execute tcode SPAU once BASIS gives a go-ahead You will get a list of affected programs. The programs are standard objects which are modified by customer with some custom changes Analyse the changes & identify whether you need the custom changes (Adopt modification ) or you want to go ahead without the custom changes ( Reset to Original ) Ensure that you include all the fixes in a Transport Request - SPAU Provide the TR number to BASIS, so that they can import the same TR in subsequent systems SPAU generally reflects Programs/Includes/Screens/FM's/BADI's/Messages/Classes etc5. UCCHECK Execute tcode UCCHECK This will provide a list of impacted objects. This activity would require 1 to 2 weeks depending on the number of custom objects reflected in UCCHECK Ensure that all the fixes are included under a single UCCHECK TR Testing of the fixed objects have to be done by developer & functional consultant Modlogs & documentation to be maintained in the programs which are modified/fixed6. Custom objects remediation Apart from UCCHECK objects you need to check custom programs which are reflected by the upgrade tool Fix the programs & include it either in UCCHECK TR or another TR which would be imported after UCCHECK TR All the custom program fixes have to be tested Ensure that the documentation/commenting/Modlog etc is properly maintained7. Testing Unit testing to be done as per the Test scripts UAT to be done as per the test scripts If Solution Manager is used, then the tcodes have to be executed from SolMan Results to be documented whereever applicable PDF outputs/Print/Barcode scanning/ Background Jobs/ Workflows / Interfaces etc has to be tested thoroughly 8. Post Upgrade activities There are some activities which cant be included in a Transport request. Such activities have to be manually executed in each system after upgrade. These activities are called as Post upgrade activities. eg. Regenerating ABAP Queries after upgrade - This cant be captured in a TR, hence has to be done in each system Prepare a list of Post Upgrade activities & update the details along with Primary/Secondary Contact, Task details, System against which you can update whether the task is completed or pending. This tracker would help to monitor the status Down time has this activity as well. So ensure that you have documented all the post upgrade activity detail so that you spend less amount of time during PRD post-upgrade activities. Try to automate whereever possible.9. Different trackers required Cloned program modification tracker Custom Changes in Standard program moved to Implicit Enhancements UCCHECK tracker SPDD tracker SPAU tracker Access key request tracker Transport tracker Post Upgrade activities tracker OSS message tracker Unit Testing/UAT tracker Test script preparation tracker10. Common issues faced during Upgrade

WorkflowsQ : Will the upgrade affect open work itemsA : It is perfectly fine to have open work items when upgrading. Any open work items of old version can be executed in the upgraded ECC 6.0 version. Ensure that all the associated notes listed in Note 1068627 are applied in your system. [1068627 - Composite note about workflow upgrade].

Spool SP01Q : Is there any impact on spools created in the old versionA : Yes. All the old spools which are reflected in SP01 in the old version cant be retrieved post upgrade + Unicode conversion to ECC 6.0. Hence the old spools which are required post upgrade has to be either archived/converted to PDF/printed before the upgrade. Please refer note 842767 for additional details.

Obsolete TablesQ : Are any table made obsolete in ECC 6.0 as compared to R/3 4.7A : Yes. Table TVARV is replaced with TVARVC & table TTXER is replaced with TTXERN.Table TVARV is replaced with TVARVC Check if any entries are read from table TVARV in any of the custom programs. If yes then all those custom programs have to be changed to read data from TVARVC. Refer note 557314. Execute program RSTVARVCLIENTDEPENDENT. This program transfers entries of table TVARV to TVARVC (program doesnt have selection screen. Check the number of entries in both the tables before & after executing the program).Table TTXER is replaced with TTXERN Check if any entries are read from table TTXER in any of the custom programs. If yes then all those custom programs have to be changed to read data from TTXERN. Execute program SDTXT1AID to copy entries from table TTXER to table TTXERN. Check the number of entries in both the tables before & after executing the program. Refer note 900607.

Output of program SDTXT1AID. There could be some entries which wont get copied from TTXER to TTXERN. They either would be duplicate or incorrect entries which you can ignore.

Program VariantsQ : Are variants affected due to upgrade.A : Yes, variants are affected after upgrade. After Upgrade, run program RSVCHECK which will list down all the variants which are affected. Run program RSVARDOC_610 with necessary values to adjust those variants. However if a selection screen field has become mandatory for a tcode due to upgrade it has to be addressed by assigning a value to it manually.

ABAP QueriesQ : After upgrade, the query dumps when we try to execute itA : ABAP Queries are affected due to upgrade. We need to regenerate the queries post upgrade. We can re-generate the queries using FM RSAQ_GENERATE_PROGRAM which uses work area, query name and user group as input. If the queries are more in number we can write a small program using above FM and table AQGQCAT- for global query and table AQLQCAT- for local/client specific query

Q : ALV layouts previously created from SAP queries no longer function correctly after upgradeA : Refer note 725468

SPDDQ : There are many objects reflected under DELETED OBJECTS node. How do we fix this?A : Objects reflected under DELETED OBJECTS should be ignored & need not be fixed.

Q : How to handle the transport of SPDD as BASIS wants the SPDD TR to be imported at OS levelA : Ensure that all the fixes wrt SPDD are captured in a single Transport. Multiple transports are not acceptable for SPDD fixes. While releasing the task of your SPDD TR, click on SELECT FOR TRANSPORT button which is in SPDD tcode 2nd screen. System will prompt to confirm the TR for subsequent system. Confirm the TR number & proceed. The SELECT FOR TRANSPORT step is extremely important else your BASIS team wont be able to import the SPDD TR at OS level in the subsequent system.

SPAU/ fixing core code modificationsQ : Can the Enhancement framework be used to fix SPAU objectsA : Yes. SAP has introduced Enhancement framework along with ECC 6.0. For all the core code mods reflected in SPAU, check if there exists a possibility of moving the core code mod to an implicit enhancement. If yes, then remove the core code mod & paste it in the new enhancement. Custom code which is inserted at the start and end of a INCLUDE or a SUBROUTINE can be moved to implicit enhancements. This will help during subsequent upgrades & will save an object from core code mod.

Third Party objectsQ : How to handle 3rd party SAP programsA : Check with the 3rd party vendor for the programs of ECC 6.0 version. Normally all the 3rd party SAP certified vendors maintain the set of programs for each version. So once you upgrade to ECC 6.0, you need to contact your vendor & ask him to provide the set of programs for ECC 6.0 version. Vendor would have a team which would take care of making the 3rd party objects in your system Unicode compatible for ECC 6.0.

Obsolete TransactionsQ : Are there any obsolete transactions in ECC 6.0A : Yes. E.g. VOTX is replaced by VOTXN in ECC 6.0. Goto table PRGN_CORR2 & check list of old & corresponding new tcodes against your SAP Version.

Obsolete FMsQ : How do I know if any of the custom programs are using obsolete FMs?A : Table TFTIT would reflect obsolete FMs. Please use following steps to get the list of obsolete FMs. You may create a small program to check all your custom programs for usage of obsolete FMs. Such FM calls should be replaced with appropriate replacement FM.

Usage of Internal SAP FMs in Custom programsQ : What if my system has some custom programs using FMs which are not released to customer?A : As per SAP, any objects which are not released to customer can be changed by SAP at any point of time. Such objects need not be backward compatible. The output of programs using such FM can vary. SAP wont be taking any responsibility nor will provide any note/solution if customer has used a non-released (internal SAP) object. Any kind of data loss or any other impact would be sole responsibility of customer. E.g. FM SO_OBJECT_SEND is internally released for SAP use & should not be used in any custom programs. If its used by customer, then they need to replace the call to this FM with another FM SO_DOCUMENT_SEND_API1. PDF files created using SO_OBJECT_SEND cant be opened in ECC 6.0 as the FM has undergone some changes in ECC 6.0. Hence all the custom programs which are using SO_OBJECT_SEND should be replaced with appropriate FM.Customers should create a tool to identify a list of custom programs where non-released (Internal SAP ) FMs are being used. Programs which are calling such FMs should be modified to point to suitable replacement FM.If a FM was released to customer in old version (say 4.7) & later on was changed to Internal SAP only, then in such case SAP would provide a note.

Post Upgrade ActivitiesQ : Will there be any manual activities involved post Unicode conversionA : Yes. While doing the upgrade on Development system, you would come across few fixes which cant be captured in a transport request. Such task has to be documented in a Post Upgrade Activity Tracker & such activities have to be carried out in all the subsequent system post Unicode conversion.E.g. 1. Execute program SDTXT1AID as per note 9006072. Execute FM "RSAQ_GENERATE_PROGRAM" for all the queries to regenerate them

Ensure that you get authorization to necessary tcodes before hand as there would be a very small window to perform Post Upgrade activities on Production system. In order to reduce the entire downtime, documenting the post upgrade activity tasks & providing necessary authorization, keeping the related notes handy would definitely help.

Cloned ProgramsQ : Do we need to fix cloned programs as well?A : Well there would be some cloned programs which have few standard includes & few Z Includes which are copy of standard includes. If these standard includes have undergone some change / deletion / modification etc, then there is a possibility of the cloned program giving dump/error. Hence as a preventive step, all the cloned programs should be validated (syntax check) & tested. There is a possibility of the Main program undergoing lot of changes due to upgrade. Customer has to take a call to decide if they want to create a clone program of the upgraded version of std. program or would like to continue with the old version of the cloned program.

Objects to be ignored for UCCHECKQ : Which objects can be ignored for UCCHECK?A : Following objects can be ignored for UCCHECK:- All the $TMP Objects Objects which exist in development system but not yet transported to Quality. If you fix these objects, you might end up including it in the UCCHECK transport which would be forwarding such type of objects to subsequent systems without testing/UAT/sign-off from customer. Objects under Local Workbench TR Inactive Objects/Objects having error in old system (E.g. A custom program which is having error in R/3 4.7 system need not be fixed in ECC 6.0 for UCCHECK)

Checkbox declaration to be changedQ : Do we need to change parameter declaration of TYPE CHECKBOX A : Yes. In SAP 4.6c version TYPE CHECKBOX used to create a checkbox on the left hand side with the corresponding text on the right hand side. But after upgrade the same code is creating Checkbox on the right hand side with the text on the L.H.S.Few users prefer to have the same selection screen, the way it was in the earlier version. Hence modify the custom programs to replace TYPE CHECKBOX with AS CHECKBOX.You may identify all the programs using TYPE CHECKBOX with the help of search string program RPR_ABAP_SOURCE_SCAN.

EDIFCT custom table entriesQ : While upgrading to ECC 6.0, custom entries in table EDIFCT are deletedA : Yes, the upgrade deletes the custom entries from EDIFCT table. Before upgrade take a backup of EDIFCT table entries as per note 865142

Replacing WS_DOWNLOAD FMQ : WS_DOWNLOAD FM should be replaced with GUI_DOWNLOAD FM?A : Yes, the new replacement is FM GUI_DOWNLOAD. While replacing check if the MODE parameter is passed with value A in the program. If yes then you need to ensure that for FM GUI_DOWNLOAD APPEND parameter is set to X.Similarly check if the FIELDNAMES is assigned to any internal table. If yes, then in GUI_DOWNLOAD pass the same internal table to FIELDNAMES.

This is a huge project and not straight off reading documentation will help. You need experienced consulting and SAP guidance to do this migration especially depending on the complexity (modules implemented, custom programs and custom tables, etc.) of your system.

As Dammah says, this is huge. As things stand right now, SAP will allow you to do the technical migration in-house, but the data migration from Classic to New GL must be handled by them or an approved SAP partner. They won't let you handle that bit in-house, as it's very tricky with room for disaster. You need to approach SAP as soon as you can so they can help you define the project plan and time line.

Hi, Ramakrishnan - There is mention here of New G/L, but is your client requiring a move to new G/L? Is this just a technical upgrade (make what works in 4.7 work in 6.0) or is there a functional upgrade going on as well? You can go to 6.0 without configuring new G/L.

Testing is always the largest job. For a technical upgrade, in my opinion, the entire project is more about testing plans than anything else. Use SAP information about what transactions and processes are used in the FICO area - Basis can help with usage statistics. Then design the test plan to ensure that everything that worked in 4.7 is still functioning in 6.0. Fix and retest accordingly.

If this is to be a full functional upgrade as well, then there is no cookbook to tell you what to do. Based on the requirements for the new functionality, everything will need to be tested, but you have no road map for the new functions and you don't know what the new functionality will do to existing processes that worked before and may not work now. The testing is much more complex, and I would recommend working with a consulting team that has done functional upgrades.

As is always the case, the more customized the system is, the more the possibility of something not working in the next release. There are tools available from different vendors that will look at a system and make some pretty good predictions about what will work in the next release and what won't. You can make use of what those products tell you to fashion your testing plans.

Good luck!

SAP Upgrade8/3/2007 by ITtoolbox Popular Q&A Team for Toolbox for IT as adapted from SAP-PROJECTMANAGEMENT discussion group Summary:I am about to start in a new job as the general manager for a small/midsize company in the seafood manufacturing business. They have implemented SAP five years ago, and it was now mentioned that an upgrade was necessary quite quickly. I have experience from ERP implementation, but never worked with SAP, or with an ERP upgrade. Can anyone give me some advise what to be aware of in terms of deciding when to do the upgrade and for the process of doing it? Full Article:

Disclaimer: Contents are not reviewed for correctness and are not endorsed or recommended by ITtoolbox or any vendor. Popular Q&A contents include summarized information from SAP-ProjectManagement discussion unless otherwise noted.

1. Adapted from a response by syednaqi.hyder on 5/31/2007 We are about to start the Upgrade of SAP R/3 4.6c to mySAP ERP ECC 6.0 for one of our clients. Since you are new to SAP, I suggest you to identify a good SAP Partner in your area. The partner would provide you all necessary advice and the approach to be adopted for upgrading your current version to mySAP ERP ECC 6.0.

2. Adapted from a response by syednaqi.hyder on 5/31/2007 Here is a typical upgrade project plan so you can have an idea as to what all happens in an upgrade project. These are very typical steps, but they may differ in your case due to the Hardware/OS/Database that you are currently using. Please do not assume that all upgrade projects can happen in this time itself. A SAP partner has to understand your current systems and suggest the approach and timelines.

*Preparation Phase* *6 days* Kick Off Meeting 1 day Upgrade Project Procedures Preparation 1 day Prepare Upgrade Project Plan 1 day Technical Requirements Assessment 3 days Assess Training needs of Key-users & End-users 1 day Prepare Detailed Basis Activity List for DEV, QA & PRD 1 day

*Business Blueprint Phase* *6 days* Develop System Landscape Upgrade Plan 1 day Functional Requirement Checklist 1 day ABAP Development check list 1 day Develop detailed Training Procedures & Documentation for Key Users & End Users 1 day Identify Testing Scope & Scenarios 1 day Identify Authorizations Conversion to Roles for SAP ECC 6.0 2 days Develop Documents as per Basis Activity List 1 day Develop Authorization Matrix for Activity Groups to Roles Conversion 2 days Prepare Upgrade Deliverables Checklist 1 day

*Realization Phase* *28 days* Installation of Solution Manager 3.2 System 1 day Creation of New Development System for Upgrade Project (Homogenous System Copy - PRD) 2 days Upgrade to AIX & Oracle 10g, SAP ECC 6.0 on New Development Server 3 days Upgrade Frontend Software 4 days Perform SPAU & SPDD Corrections 5 days Perform ABAP Development & Corrections 10 days Perform Authorizations Conversions and corrections after upgrade 8 days Perform Upgrade Testing for each Application Module 7 days Perform Unit & Integration Testing 6 days Perform Training to Key Users & End Users (Generic & Specific) 3 days Upgrade to AIX, Oracle 10g, SAP ECC 6.0 on Quality System 1 day Homogenous System Copy of PRD to New Quality & Upgrade to AIX, Oracle 10g & SAP ECC 6.0 2 days Perform Testing in Quality System 3 days Testing by end users on Quality System 1 day

*Production Realization & Go-Live Phase* *6 days* Upgrade to Production System Operating System to AIX (after close of business hours - 23:00) 1 day Oracle Upgrade to 10g (after close of business hours - 23:00) 1 day SAP Release Upgrade to ECC 6.0(Downtime Minimized - Downtime occurs in non-business hours) 2 days User Acceptance Testing 1 day Production System Go-Live 1 day

*Post Go-Live Support* *14 days* Post Go-Live Support 14 days Note: This is high level plan subject to change during Business Blue Print Phase 0 days

3. Adapted from a response by snista on 5/31/2007 There is a good deal of information to be considered before undertaking an SAP upgrade, particularly if the company is moving from an older version of SAP to the latest where there are significant technology differences and could be some infrastructure changes. Also, you need to determine if they Disclaimer: Contents are not reviewed for correctness and are not endorsed or recommended by Toolbox.com or any vendor. Popular Q&A contents include summarized information from SAP Project Management discussion unless otherwise noted.

How to Upgrade from SAP R/3 to SAP ERP 6.0 August 13, 2010 SAP News David VelezThinking of upgrading your SAP software and transferring your data as you move to new hardware? In our new article series, well show you the basics of carrying out an SAP ERP upgrade, right up to the point of going live. For an overview, simply continue reading part one.

There really are two completely different worlds: While private users update the software on their computers nearly every year, companies run thesame programs on their servers for 10 to 15 years. After all, corporate clients have neither the option nor the desire to switchIT systems on a whim. Meeting the short-notice requirements of todays interconnected economy, however, does sometimes demand fundamental changes in companies ERP systems. This, in turn, entails the latest version of the software in question; see our article Preview: EHP 5 for SAP ERP 6.0.It starts with the question of whether the targeted software upgrade will require a new hardware platform. Many companies run dated server hardware that should be swapped out during the transition to the latest generation of SAP software. We cover this later in the series based on the example of an actual company that switched SAP systems in 28 hours. Without sound preparation prior to the upgrade itself and strict adherence to the prescribed sequence of actions, this would not have been possible.This initial installment of our article series delivers anoverview of the entire upgrade process without delving into the details. We then describe the updates legacy systems require; the installation of new servers, including operating systems and databases; the installation of SAP R/3, along with backups of the previous data status; database upgrades, and finally, the actual transition to SAP ERP 6.0, including installation of the latest enhancement package (see also EHP: Keeping SAP Up-to-Date).As has been especially apparent at industry events and special in-house exhibitions, larger companies in particular have recently been considering bolstering their ERP systems. The basic tenor being heard from many IT managers indicates that numerous companies still rely on SAP R/3 4.7200 and the key components FI, CO, FM, SD, MM, and HR. Over the years, these organizations have expanded their live systems and made other constant adjustments to meet current predominant requirements. It should be noted, however, that while maintenance is still offered for all SAP R/3 systems, updates are no longer released for the software.Those interested have the option of making an incremental transition fromSAP R/3 4.7c to SAP ECC6.0 (ERP Central Component), the latest version of the application. In this series of articles, well tell you which basic steps are necessary to upgrade while aiding your general understanding of the process with plenty of screenshots. Meanwhile, the different sections will point you toward the impressive array of documents and guides SAP offers.

ERP-Upgrade: Approach

In the following step-by-step guides, we show you how to switch from your old hardware and software to an all-new system while transferring your data to an up-to-date database.For the sake of our example, thestarting system will be an HP ProLiant DL380 serverrunning on four processors and the Windows 2003 Server SE operating system. Its other software components include a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 database, the 32-bit SAP Kernel 6.40 NUC, SAP ABA/BASIS 6.20 SP64, SAP APPL 4.7 SP30, SAP HR 4.7 SP84, and SAP EA-XX 200 SP15.In the existing system, thecollation *BIN is first changed to*BIN2. This is necessary to facilitate the later transition from Microsoft SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2005. Each collation contains rules for sorting and comparing the entries in the Microsoft database. A full backup is then made for the subsequent homogeneous system copy (HSC) of the SQL database.

In this case, the target system is a64-bit Dell RAC 5 server. The system is first configured at the operating-system level; well use Windows 2003 EE x64. The database will be in the 64-bit Unicode version of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and collation *BIN2. Well now install the 64-bit variant ofSAP Kernel 6.40 NUC. All of the necessary SAP components and their service packs will be installed on the new server as they were on the previous configuration; this will involve a fresh installation of SAP R/3 4.7200.Then comes the HSC, in which well restore the database backup from the previous server. TheSTM download takes place onSAP Service Marketplace (direct link).Following the successful configuration of the new system, including the operating system and upgrade from a 32-bit to a 64-bit database, we can begin with the actual transition to the latest version of SAP ERP. Here, good planning and key-user testing that covers all of the business processes and preceding activities involved are especially important; well deal with the latter topic in a separate article. At the end of the overall upgrade process, well have a new SAP ERP 6.0 platform that includesenhancement package 4 . Were now ready to go live!The image on the first page of this article summarizes our basic approach, but in practice, a number of additional steps are needed between these phases. The only way to document them is with a great many screenshots, which we will present in the course of this extensive article series.

Why to Upgrade to ECC6.0Planning ERP installations and their further components for the next decade used to be something of a tradition in companies IT departments. Major changes were a rarity, and when they were made, their scope was often still rather small. However, comparatively old and inflexible ERP systems can no longer keep pace with todays business world. This is why IT managers are weighing the costs and benefits of upgrading their SAP software; for more, check out Enhancement Packages Deliver the Innovations.In the end, its mainly about reducing maintenance costs and enhancing the business processes the new SAP ERP system covers. The latter is particularly key in coping with the increasing complexity of said processes: Obsolete software does not facilitate frequent adjustments and changes, and even slight modifications are relatively expensive. Enter the free updates that have been regularly available since the introduction of SAPs enhancement packages, all of which are currently included in EHP4 (see also From ERP 6.0 to Business Suite 7 and SAP ERP 6.0 at a Fixed Price).Example case demonstrated at ITU in GenevaWe were recently on-location at the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva, Switzerland, to demonstrate our approach to switching from SAP R/3 to SAP ERP 6.0. Founded in May of 1865, the ITU is one of the oldest international organizations and a special entity of the United Nations. It currently comprises 191 member nations and deals with global issues concerning the technical aspects of telecommunication.In the days ahead, well be publishing further articles in this series to give interested readers a solid basis for upgrading their SAP software.via SAP.info

Difference between ECC 6.0 vs 4.7EE - SAP FI / SD / MM / ABAP (Functional & Technical) Labels: SAP FI, SAP FI-New GL, SAP FICO, SAP HELP, SAP MM, SAP SD ECC means Enterprise Central component.

SAP R/3 4.7 is based on the 3-tier architecture. SAP is continuously upgrading the software, which is called as release versions for example SAP R/3 4.6C, SAP 4.7.... Now SAP evolved into using the Internet technology and is called as service oriented architecture (SOA). There are lots of functionalities available in ECC 5.0 and ECC 6.0 compared to R/3 in integrating with other systems. Probably to understand the specific release dependent changes, you can go thro the help documentation. For example to understand the diff between ECC 6.0 and ECC 5.0 please go thro the link:Release Notes for SAP ERP Central Component (English) Click hereSome of the differences in SD Module are:

1. Document Flow

In ECC 6.0, the flow of sales documents is seen much better and improved as compared to 4.6C. Once you look at the screen, you will clearly figure out the difference.

2. Sales Order Look and Feel

There are more tabs in ECC 6.0 for Item Level Details.The Sales Doc. appears as supremely perfect.

3. ECC 6.0 is built on Net Weaver Technology (that possess SOA i.e. service oriented architecture), Hence more reliable and improved as compared to previous one.

Release Notes for SAP ERP Central Component (English) Click hereSome of the differences ABAP Module side:1. For installing ECC 6.0 you required a solution manager key. With out solution manager key you cannot install ECC6.0.2. ECC 6.0 is called net weaver component here you have ABAP+JAVA stack & for installing 4.6 you don't require solution manager key. It only having ABAP stack.3. ECC6.0 supports UNCODE & 4.6C supports NONUNICODE.4. Major difference is ECC6 is net weaver product having WASJAVA+ABAP - secondly support Unicode apart from this we have other diff. you can get from master guide from service.sap.com/instguides.5. In terms of ABAP some function modules are obsolete in 4.7. e.g. WS_UPLOAD, WS_DOWNLOAD etc. You can find the list of obsolete FMs in the table RODIR. These need to be replaced in the ECC System. 6. Also ECC is very strict in case of EPC Errors. You need to check the EPC and remove the call function interface errors where it says SLIN observes catching of a runtime error. These might work with no issues in 4.7 but will short dump in ECC.7. If you are doing to a Unicode conversion also. You need to check the transaction UCCHECK for Unicode errors. You also need to replace obsolete statements like >< and => , =< etc.8. If you want to know more ABAP changes go to transaction ABAPDOCU and there is a node ABAP Changes by Release. You can see more ABAP Changes version by version here.9. ECC is more towards OOPS concepts, ECC is very developer friendly10. It has new debugger.11. New Enhancement Framework is introduced in ECC.12. It is more efficient to use Adobe forms in ECC.13. 5.0 ECC - Build in Net Weaver Platform & 6.0 ECC - Build in Net Weaver Platform with Solution Manager14. ECC has new options in BADIs where you can create your own badis and implement it.15. You have new concept called Implicit and explicit source code plugins in ECC.16. Has webdynrpo component accessible from SE80 transaction Itself.Some of the differences FI Module side:1. ECC 6.0 enables Business area posting - Segment reporting made easy. 2. Profit center accounting is through new GL.3. Document splitting: Split of entry to post assets and liabilities to respective profit centers. (Balance sheet items)4. Enables commitment of FM, improved CRM feature & Mobile sales feature

Here are the list of Transactions not their in ECC 6.0

QAS1 Download Insp. Specs. (Obsolete)QAS2 Download Basic Data (Obsolete)QAS3 Upload Results (Obsolete)QAS4 Upload UD (Obsolete)

WLF1K Report used to generate WLF1K is: SAPLWLF1O07C Report used to generate O07C is: SSFPSEMAINTCheck the below links to download the PDF files for the release notes of MM Module:

ECC 5.0 - MM Module Release notes

SAP R/3 MM Module Release notesSome of the differences Basis/Technical Module side:If you're "Basis/Technical", focusing on the underlying technical "Basis" or "NetWeaver" versions will help you stay on the right track. Technically, ECC 6.0 is 2 "technology" versions higher. Following is the terminology/version information for the last 3 ERP product versions:

SAP R/3 Enterprise (4.7x)SAP BASIS 6.20

SAP ERP 2004SAP NetWeaver 2004 (BASIS 6.40)ECC 5.0

SAP ERP 2005SAP NetWeaver 2004s (BASIS 7.00)ECC 6.0

The main technology feature delivered with NetWeaver is the integrated J2EE engine (Web Application Server Java).wanted to introduce you all to Panaya, an automated SAP ERP upgrade solution that allows you to clearly see and plan and reduce your SAP ECC6 upgrade time by as much as 40%. Panaya is a Software as a Service so no software is required and set up takes about 2wanted to introduce you all to Panaya, an automated SAP ERP upgrade solution that allows you to clearly see and plan and reduce your SAP ECC6 upgrade time by as much as 40%. Panaya is a Software as a Service so no software is required and set up takes about 2I wanted to introduce you all to Panaya, an automated SAP ERP upgrade solution that allows you to clearly see and plan and reduce your SAP ECC6 upgrade time by as much as 40%. Panaya is a Software as a Service so no software is required and set up takes about 20 minutes.

Panaya isn't just an assessment tool, it's the 1st solution that pinpoints specific problems at the code level and devises a detailed testing plan.

I invite you all to visit Panaya's website at: http://www.panayainc.com and find out more! I wanted to introduce you all to Panaya, an automated SAP ERP upgrade solution that allows you to clearly see and plan and reduce your SAP ECC6 upgrade time by as much as 40%. Panaya is a Software as a Service so no software is required and set up takes about 20 minutes.

Panaya isn't just an assessment tool, it's the 1st solution that pinpoints specific problems at the code level and devises a detailed testing plan.

I invite you all to visit Panaya's website at: http://www.panayainc.com and find out more!