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Author's profile photo Maneesh Kumar

SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) Transport Guideline

Lifecycle management in SAP Analytics Cloud is a bit different than in traditional on-premise systems, because SAP is responsible for software, hardware, and infrastructure updates. Read this guide to start planning your deployment.

Object Transport Approach

Option 1: (legacy) manual ‘Deployment-Export/Import

  • Unlike Content Network:
    • Can be used for transporting between a mixture of SAP and non-SAP data centers (between NEO and CF)
    • Sharing settings are included
  • ‘Unit’ files needs to be manually manage: source downloading and target uploading
  • Has limitations on file size
  • Security concern may arise in case SAC objects can be access from non-client network

Option 2: Content Network (Recommended)

  • Unit files are hosted in the Cloud
    • Can be organized into folders including with folder security options
    • Processing occurs in the background
    • No need for any manual download/upload
  • Unlike (legacy) manual deployment option:
    • Sharing settings are not included
    • Supports a greater number of object types
  • Will only show Units that can be imported into the Service
    • Older units that are not supported can still be imported, but a warning message is shown
    • Same version will support units

Connection Transport Approach

Connections

No ‘connections mapping’ or ‘dynamic connection switching’ concept available in SAC currently

Approach 1

  • Connection Movement via Package/ Export file from Development to Quality and Production landscapes
  • With simple change in connection details within the system as one-time manual step by basis team, which will keep connection ID same
  • Connection name in this approach will remains generic like CONN_S4H_LIVE_ProjectName etc.

Approach 2

  • Create 3 connections in Development system one for each systApproach%202em (dev, qa, prod)
  • Switch the connection before transporting new model version
  • Switch the connection back after creating the
  •  transport unit (which will be tedious task)
  • Connection Name can be System specific like DEVBW, QABW etc.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Approach 2 (credit: self)

Approach 3 (Hybrid of both approaches which can be recommended)

  • Connection Movement via Package/ Export file from Development to Quality and Production landscapes
  • Rather changing the connection configuration in Quality or Production landscapes, connection configuration can be edited in development landscape itself before moving to further systems.
  • Post transport of connections to further systems, edit back to original configuration i.e., development system as one-time manual step, which will keep connection unique ID same across the systems.
  • Connection name in this approach will remains generic like CONN_S4H_LIVE_ProjectName etc.

 

Summary

There are multiples ways to Transport SAC Objects and Connection, we can chose which will be the best option as per the project requirement.

But recommendation is to go via “Content Network” for all SAC objects export/import.

Please share your feedback or thoughts in a comment section and follow my profile for similar content.

 

Helpful Links:

SAP Analytics Cloud Topic page.

Post and answer questions about SAP Analytics Cloud.

Read other blog posts on SAP Analytics Cloud.

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      7 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Jef Baeyens
      Jef Baeyens

      Thanks for the summary!

      I'm wondering, is there any complete list of SAC objects that still cannot be transported, which require manual actions?

      • Story Custom links
      • Object Share settings for teams
      • Data Access Control Read/Write columns
      • ...etc.
      Author's profile photo Maneesh Kumar
      Maneesh Kumar
      Blog Post Author

      Yeah Jef, there is no list published as such anywhere. But I will try to consolidate and I have taken your pointers as well.

      Author's profile photo James Longstaff
      James Longstaff

      Hi Maneesh,

      I migrated in Q1 2021 from NEO to Cloud Foundry.  For this scenario Content Network was not available as tenants had to be on the same data center.

      I therefore used the legacy deployment export/import described in option 1.

       

      Regards

      James Longstaff

      Author's profile photo Maneesh Kumar
      Maneesh Kumar
      Blog Post Author

      Yeah James due to limitation or project specific requirement, we may have to go with Option 1 as well. Thanks for sharing your scenario here.

      Author's profile photo Rupali Karbhari
      Rupali Karbhari

      Hi Maneesh Kumar ,

       

      Thank you for sharing this nice blog. Can you pls help to get more details upon connection ID setup by Basis team for other SAC tenant integration. what are the input parameters required to set.

      I have tried to check this option into SAC tenant under connections --> data source type ; however under Live data could not found SAC tenant option.

       

      Best Regards,

      Rupali Karbhari

      Author's profile photo Maneesh Kumar
      Maneesh Kumar
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Rupali,

      Can you please help me more with the requirement and the driver for this.

      Author's profile photo Katja Ortmann
      Katja Ortmann

      Dear Maneesh Kumar,
      thank you so much for this great blog post. We somehow have made the experience that the connection name, not ID is relevant for a successful transport between Dev -> Prod.

      But maybe I can ask another another question?

      Do you have some tips, tricks or experience in integrating DWC and SAC in terms of lifecycle management / deployment?

      Kind regards
      Katja