Compare classical migration with the SAP database migration option (DMO)

Completed

Classical migration

With the Classical Migration option, SAP’s Software Provisioning Manager (SWPM) is used as the Software Logistics (SL) tool and is exclusively for database migrations. SWPM exports data from a source system and imports it to a target system where the target can be any DB (SQL server, Oracle, DB2, etc.). This method in particular uses a file-based approach.

SAP database migration option (DMO)

DMO facilitates both an SAP upgrade and a database migration to the SAP HANA database via one tool. As both steps are handled at once, the DMO process is often referred to as a one-step migration. In comparison, Classical Migration uses a heterogenous system copy approach (thus garnering it the title of a two-step migration or "lift and shift" migration) with the first step being that of a migration followed by a second step facilitating an SAP upgrade.

Classical Migration vs DMO

Parameter

Classical migration

DMO

Purpose/Use case

Migration only

Upgrade + migration new DMO version available for migration-only option

Downtime optimization flexibility

High

Medium

Migration

Manual

Automated

Migration expertise

OS/DB certification is mandatory

OS/DB is not mandatory, but highly recommended

Data consistency

Manual

Automatic

Options for data transfer

Socket mode option Net exchange mode option FTP mode option to transfer data

Memory pipes filesystem dump

Migration check service

Migration check service required for classical approach on productive systems

No migration check service required for DMO on productive systems.

Monitoring progress

Distribution monitor and migration monitor tools available

Built-in SAPUI application for monitoring progress

Post-migration consistency check

Process is manual and requires MIGCHECK tool and the time analyzer tool to generate reports

Built-in feature in DMO

Table splitting

Dedicated table splitting and package splitting tools available – R3TA, R3ZCHECK

Table splitting is built-in and tuned

Import and Export Table Splitting

Table splitting for export and import can be changed on the fly

Table splitting and sorting requires adjustment as part of uptime (not on the fly)

DDL statements

Manual process to generate all DDL statements prior to migration

Built-in process for DDL statement calculations and deployment

SWPM, MIGMON, DISMON

SWPM, Migration Monitor (MIGMON) and Distribution Monitor (DISTMON) can be started and stopped manually Not recommended to run from remote desktops for MIGMON tools

No such option available in DMO No such restrictions in DMO

Export/import

Ability to add multiple application servers to run the export/import

Only one application server can be used

R3 load process limit

No limits

Limit of 999 R3 load processes

Table splits limit

No limit on number of table splits

Limit of 200 table splits

Target DB

anyDB (e.g. SAP HANA, SQL server, Oracle, DB2, etc.)

Only SAP HANA, AS (other databases are available upon request)

SAP recommendation

SAP recommended option if no software change is involved

SAP recommended option if SAP upgrade is in scope