SystemCopy with local/domain SIDADM issue

[former_member404908]

We are doing a System copy here as follows:

System Source (A), a physical system with EP running on it.

System Target (B), a virtual machine on vSphere tech.

1. The migration has a upgrade of the Operational System and SQL (Win 2003 SQL2005 to Win 2008R2 SQL 2008 R2). That's OK, this is a Homogeneous systemcopy, we are confortable with it.

2. The A and B system must coexist, the strategy is that, the B system will be created with BHostName, we are going get this machine on domain, log with the A System SIDADM to get all the user parameters THEN we will remove it to another vlan in order to change the BHostName to AHostName and the we will follow the Import migration process.

The point is: When executing the systemcopy, the interface asks if the user is Local or from Domain, at this point what is your advise?

What should I care of?

If I say to use the Local Domain, what problems I would have to face when I take this system to the Domain?

If I say to use another domain and insert the domain "domain.corp", will the systemcopy check if the user really exist on the domaing? What I regard here is if the systemcopy will check inside the domain, since the system will be out of domain until the "Go-Live".

Best regards,

Gabriel

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

Hi Gabriel,

I think you're going to find that the best means of cleanly achieving the host rename is the aptly named "System Rename Tool" that SAP offers as part of SWPM. Read more about it at . The tool can also handle changing from local to domain installation and vice versa, I believe.

That said, I would recommend, if possible, that you install your target B as a domain installation, using temporary domain user and group accounts until you rename it. It may help to avoid issues later when you switch it to use the existing domain accounts. Yes, the user accounts and group do need to exist -- SWPM will check this during the installation (via system copy). If they don't exist, SWPM will attempt to create them, which will fail if you don't have domain user creation privileges on your network. So, I'd recommend getting them created in advance.

Also, if you are able to get some downtime for this, I wouldn't take the new system out of the domain while you wait for cutover. Since it will have a different hostname and SID at that point anyway, it won't hurt anything for it to be there, and it will make your administration of it easier. At cutover time, you take down the source A and then run the rename procedure on the target.

Alternatively, just practice the system copy on a sandbox system so you understand all the issues involved, then when cutover time comes around, just do the 'real' system copy... export the original system, take it down, and bring up the new system with the final, intended hostname and SID.

Cheers,

Matt

[former_member404908 · Accepted solution]

Matt you got the point!

Thank you so much.

But if I do it as I said on the reply to AKCINAR, get SIDADM created on the B system yet inside the domain, so I will have the SIDADM on the machine, then remove it from the network and start systemcopy, during the systemcopy, when I set the domain AND the user is created there do you tink I will still have problems?

Best regards,

Gabriel

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

The hostname is the only issue for the two hosts residing on the same network at the same time. And, in most cases, the hostname is not a critical part of the SAP operation, at least it's not as critical as the SID. So, at this point I would suggest that you bring up your new host B with the new hostname (and whatever IP address -- that's even less important than the hostname, as long as your DNS system is functioning well), get the OS and DBMS installed and patched and configured, etc, so it's all ready to go.

Then, on cutover weekend, use SWPM to export your system from A and import it to B (which will install the application on B as part of the process). Do this using the same SID from A (shut down application A after finishing the export), so it uses the same sidadm and SAPServiceSID users that already exist from A. By the way, logon to the host B as a different user with local Administrators permission to run the import, don't logon as sidadm.

This way, the SID (A) will not actually be present in two places at the same time, but instead will migrate from host A to host B. That's fine. No change to SID for your landscape.

Your hostname has changed, however. It is possible to use the System Rename option in SWPM after the import is finished to change the hostname back to A if you must, or you can just leave it as B. You'll need to fix RFC destinations in other SAP systems that reference it, and JCo for portals, etc, and of course the SAPLogon configurations of your users, but this may not be such a daunting task. Depending on how you rolled out your SAPGUI, it may be easier than the System Rename. But, if that is too much, then, yeah, shut down host A and use System Rename to change host B's name to A.

[former_member404908 · Accepted solution]

Very nice!
The way you described here seem to be the most out-of-trouble way to do so, also I really want to keep the hostname of the source, so I will probably do the System rename with SWPM tool.

Do you happen to have any reference guide from SAP in hands?

I am concerning about the rename, will the tool change the hostname itself or i manually need to change the name of the host on the Computer properties?

Best regards,

Gabriel

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

You can find lots of documentation about linked within that document (which I did link for you earlier as well). is documented well at that link. In general, all of these topics are well-covered in the space. The official guides are found at http://service.sap.com/instguides -> SAP NetWeaver -> <version, e.g. SAP NetWeaver 7.4> -> Installation -> 2 - Installation - SAP NetWeaver Systems -> System Copy: Systems Based on SAP NetWeaver 7.1 and Higher (or System Rename: Systems Based on SAP NetWeaver 7.1 and Higher).

[former_member404908 · Accepted solution]

Matt,

One more thing.

After the Systemcopy and systemrename, is there any trouble in changing the IP?

Do you happen to know about it?

Regards,

Gabriel

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

In most cases that is a non-issue. You will need to keep it up-to-date with the system information you record on the Service Marketplace, for support connections, and possibly you need to adjust the routing table for SAProuter, but otherwise this is mostly handled by DNS. Internally, your SAP systems will work from the hostname, usually, and not the IP address, so it's not really a concern.

[former_member404908 · Accepted solution]

I found this note supporting your answer.

403708 - Changing an IP address

Solved!

[yakcinar]

Hello Gabriel,

This picture is taken from the installation Guide.

You can find it in section 3.6 of Installation Guide.

As you can see domain is recommended for distributed or HA systems.

Local is recommended for standart systems that run on a single machine.

For changing local to domain you must perform system copy.

Can you explain you last question? I could not get the idea?

Regards,

Yuksel AKCINAR

[former_member404908]

Yuksel AKCINAR,

Thank you for the reply.

I have the difference between the Local and Domain installations as per Installation Guide.

The system will be Distributed so we gotta use Domain, but as per network/domain issues, I cant have both machines with same Hostname/IP on the same Network so we are thinking to do as I wrote up there.

The A and B system must coexist, the strategy is that, the B system will be created with BHostName.

Then we are going get the B ssytem on domain, login with SIDADM from the SOURCE(A) to get all the user parameters and else to the B system.

THEN we will remove B system to another vlan in order to change the B system HostName to A system HostName, so we will have 2 systems, A and B, but both with same Hostname and IP, but in different networks.

So far so good, because this way, we won't change the Hostname during the Systemcopy, what is good and safe.

After that we will start the Systemcopy process. gonna Export all the instances from Source(A) and then gonna Import it on Target(B) system, that have the same Hostname of A(Source) system.

During the systemcopy, it will ask if the SIDADM,

My question at this point is: IF I set the domain "Use different domain"( Since the B System will not be inside the domain as I wrote up there), will the sapgui try to connect into domain?

Thank you!

Best regards,

Gabriel