Overview of the Dual-Stack Split Tool
As you might already have heard, SAP recommends you to move away from dual-stack SAP systems where possible – SAP Business Suite 7i2011 is the last SAP Business Suite release with dual-stack support:
- That is, as of SAP Business Suite 7i2011, it will no longer be possible to upgrade a dual-stack SAP Business Suite system to a higher release.
- Please be aware that also SAP NetWeaver sytems that have SAP Business Suite components deployed might be treated as SAP Business Suite systems in this regard.
- Already as of SAP Business Suite 7, you can no longer install dual-stack SAP Business Suite application systems.
- For more information, see SAP Note 1816819 (SMP login required) and especially the PDF file attached to the SAP Note with tables providing detailed information about supported deployments. Below, you can find an example screenshot from this PDF file (for the latest version, see the SAP Note):
The same applies for SAP NetWeaver 7.31: you won’t be able to upgrade optional dual-stack SAP NetWeaver systems to SAP NetWeaver 7.4 and as of SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Enhancement Package 1, you can no longer install optional dual-stack SAP NetWeaver application systems – for more information, read the roadmap document SAP NetWeaver Discontinues Dual-Stack. And only in very few cases, dual-stack is still mandatory – such as for SAP Solution Manager and for SAP NetWeaver Process Integration systems.
Now, what can you do with the existing optional dual-stack systems in your landscape? First of all, existing optional dual-stack systems are still supported as an exception in their current releases. And SAP NetWeaver Process Integration as mandatory dual-stack system will stay supported also in higher releases, such as in SAP NetWeaver 7.4 (although, starting with SAP NetWeaver 7.3, there is an additional Java-only offering for main process integration capabilities called Advanced Adapter Engine Extended that covers ~95% of a classical SAP NetWeaver PI dual-stack environment, so that customers are recommended to migrate their SAP NetWeaver PI content to single-stack objects). But if you want to prepare the upgrade or update of optional dual-stack systems or plan to adapt your system setup to the recommendations from SAP, take a look at the dual-stack split procedure provided by SAP as option of software provisioning manager 1.0.
The dual-stack split procedure looks as follows:
- The separation of the Java stack of a dual-stack source system into a new SAP system with the dual-stack split procedure
Dual-stack split is based on SAP system copy technology performed with SAPinst – the split procedure supports the copy of the Java stack of a dual-stack system into a new Java-only system. For the technical split, two options are offered:- Keep DB option (MCOD), where a new Java system gets installed without additional database – instead, also the new Java system is re-using the existing database via MCOD (Multiple Components in One Database).
- Move DB option (non-MCOD), where the new Java systems gets installed with an own additional database
- The execution of post-split activities to adapt the configuration of the systems, such as re-establishing the connectivity between the separated SAP NetWeaver ABAP and Java system – automated for certain use cases
- Removal of the Java stack from the source system, reducing it to an ABAP-only system
The following figure shows an example of the offering of the dual-stack split procedure with the move DB option:
Please note that the dual-stack split procedure does not touch your ABAP stack in the source system. The only thing changed on the source system during the export that directly belongs to the ABAP stack is one ABAP instance profile parameter (rdisp/j2ee_start = 1 → 0).
With the latest version of dual-stack split, the following scenarios are supported:
- Split of dual-stack SAP Business Suite systems based on SAP NetWeaver 7.0x and 7.3x
- Split of dual-stack SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse 7.0x and 7.3x systems
- Split of optional dual-stack SAP NetWeaver 7.0 and 7.3x systems that run only stack-isolated applications without direct dependencies to applications running on the other stack
All details about current coverage, supported releases and restrictions are listed in SAP Note 1797362 (Dual-Stack Split for Systems Based on SAP NetWeaver – SMP login required).
The procedure is available for many platforms and scenarios already today. It is provided as option of software provisioning manager 1.0 that is available via Software Logistics Toolset 1.0 – if you are interested in getting more information about Software Logistics Toolset, please see the blog The Delivery Channel for Software Logistics Tools: “Software Logistics Toolset 1.0” from my colleague Boris Rubarth.
If you want to get more information about how to perform the split procedure, take a look at the guide Dual-Stack Split Tool <Release> for ABAP+Java Systems on <Platform> available on SAP Service Marketplace at: http://service.sap.com/sltoolset → Software Logistics Toolset 1.0 → Dual-Stack Split (SMP login required).
You can actively influence the future of the dual-stack split procedure by creating ideas for new features or by voting on existing ideas in the SAP Idea Place for this tool – please use this opportunity to provide your requirements directly to the responsible development team at SAP!
Due to an extension of covered scope, I updated this blog end of August - as of now, also the split of optional dual-stack SAP NetWeaver 7.0 systems that run only stack-isolated applications without direct dependencies to applications running on the other stack are supported!
End of November: updated due to extended scope and available roadmap document for dual-stack support of SAP NetWeaver
Hi Boris,
We are doing an upgrade from BI 7 to 7.3. I have a question on dual stack split.
Our basis consultant says after dual-stack split the BI Java port number will change. This will have an impact on all BI Users.
1. If the port number changes then BI Portal link will change
2. The BI favorites/bookmarks will not work.
3. The URL/BI Java link from company intranet will have to be changed.
4. The URL link or references have to be checked and be corrected as well.
We wanted it to be a technical upgrade without affecting users.
After split both the stacks will remain on one server.
I would like to get some confirmation on this and if there are alternatives available.
If this is the only way then SAP should have mentioned in some document that after upgrading to 7.3 your BI Web Portal's URL will change.
Is there any document which says that the Java port has to change and there are no alternatives if both the stacks run on a single server.
I did some search but could not reach any right link. Not sure if my search was right. I will post it in the forum as well. Could you please throw some light.
Regards,
Sujit.
Updated the blog, as the latest version of the dual-stack split tool available with SL Toolset 1.0 SPS07 now also supports the split of systems based on SAP NetWeaver 7.3x.
Updated due to integration of dual-stack split procedure into software provisioning manager 1.0.
In preparation to moving our BW 7.3 system to BW on HANA I need to perform a dual-stack split but are unsure of what method would best support this. Would I use dual-stack split MCOD, non-MCOD or just a Java removal? Could this be explained a little more?
Hello Arnie,
There are further considerations available from the SAP NetWeaver BW colleagues on the page SAP NetWeaver BW Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). Their standard guidance is: if you are using the BI Java system only for standard reporting use cases (as frontend) and did for example not extend it by own Java developments, they see the removal of the Java stack and the re-implementatoin of a new Java system (if still needed at all) as the prefered solution for most customer cases. But again, please take a look at the referenced section in the SAP NetWeaver BW space. If this should not answer your question, please get back to me and I can try to make the direct connection to the experts from SAP NetWeaver BW.
Best regards,
Boris
what about the third party applications which are already installed on Dualstack system on JAVA, i see it is removing those applications after the split.
in my case we are using teradata (TVAS) on SEM- BI 7.02 (ABAP+JAVA) when we split we observed the TVAS application was removed /not exists on the new JAVA instance which is build using the dual stack split.
Hello Kishore,
With the move database option, the dual-stack split procedure creates an export of the Java schema from the previous dual-stack system and uses this export to install a new Java system - with keep database, the Java schema is only adapted in the previous dual-stack database. Which option did you use (keep database or move database)?
Anyhow, if an application was deployed with SAP means before on AS Java, it should be part of the resulting system (either it stays in the database or is part of the corresponding export). Maybe the application consists of more parts (Java parts, ABAP parts, standalone executables) and is not a pure Java application - then, parts might be missing in the export or a reconfiguration might be required. Unfortunately, I am missing details about Teradata VAS - would you have more details here?
If this should not apply, we should dig deeper into the issue. For this, it would be great if you could raise an incident (component BC-INS-DSS) and inform me so that I can look out and discuss the details with development.
Thanks,
Boris
Hello Boris ,
we are planning to split our BI 7.01 server with move database option .In Dual stack split ,With move database option it will create a export of java schma .So can we use this export and build a NW 7.4 java system .As we need to do upgrade our landscape in our next steps .So ,Can we do the both at same time .
Please guide me .IS this option will work.
Hello Ratna,
As already written by email: Unfortunately, this won’t work, as SUM requires a running system and performs an in-place upgrade. Also, I would recommend that you separate both procedures – first, perform the split, validate that the system is running again, clean up the ABAP system (meaning: remove former Java parts), perform the upgrade.
An alternate approach especially for SAP BW could be: if you use the BI Java system only for SAP BW, you could consider to delete the Java part from the former dual-stack system, upgrade the ABAP system and re-install from scratch a new BI Java system on basis of SAP NetWeaver 7.4 and re-connect both parts. Might this be an option for you?
Best regards,
Boris
Hello
We are planning to upgrade our NW7.0 dual stack system to NW 7.4
Note: ABAP is NUC and JAVA is UC in our case
Since dual stack upgrade to NW7.4 is not possble we are proceeding as below approach.
1. Dual stack split
2. ABAP NUC to UC conversion
3. UPgrade of ABAP and JAVA to NW7.4
Here are my quires.
1. We are planning to do dual stack split with KEEP DB option. So is it possible to
install java system on same host of source dual stack host? instead of choosing different server for JAVA.
2. Is it possible to install JAVA system on same host of dual stack with same SID?
If Yes,is there any extra file system is required ?
IF NO, any extra file system is required on same host for different SID?
3. Is it possible to do upgrade both JAVA and ABAP system at same time?
Here our concern is both are sharing same DB host.
Can someone help me out on this.