Levaraging 1 HANA Instance for DEV and QA

We all would like to have a 3 tier landscape but in many instances this is not possible due to costs.  HANA is not different and in many of the clients that I have worked with, they only have a 2 tier landscape.  This isn’t a bad thing and there are methods (sometimes not the best) to mimic a 2 tier landscape.  One way I accomplished this at my clients was by using the following process:

Initial Setup for Packages (Modeling content)

• Within the content, creation of a DEV package, which will never be tied to a Delivery Unit
• Creation of a secondary level within the DEV package, which again, will not be tied to a Delivery Unit
• Using the same secondary level structure stated above, create package(s) at the same level as DEV
  • This will represent the QA (UAT) environment
  • We will call this Level 1 QA

Development Process

• During the initial development process, all development occurs in the DEV packages
• After the sign off on the development objects, leverage refactor to move the objects from DEV to Level 1 QA
  • Please note that the DEV objects will be deleted and moved into the Level 1 QA
• During subsequent development on existing objects, copy the object back to the Development area
• Update the necessary development and unit test directly in DEV package
• After approval of changes, manually move the changes into the Level 1 QA views
• During subsequent development on new objects, creation of the development within the DEV package

Lesson Learned

• When executing the refactor, please make sure that you move in subsequent order from Attributes to Analytic to Calculation Views (where applicable)
• Currently SAP doesn’t have another option, such as copy, to allow the objects to exist in the Level 1 QA and DEV packages after the refactor
• The refactor will update all objects even if the attributes that are changing affect other objects that are not ready to move to Level 1 QA

At the end of the day, it is a good process to determine how you would like to develop within a 2 tier landscape.  With the agility within the HANA development life cycle it is very important to make sure these rules are followed and enforced.

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If you want to learn more about this concept as there are a few variations, please comment below and we can further discuss.