Food for thought for another productive system: until when must the system be identical, keyword: transaction log
Consistency of database disk blocks - stopping I/O activities or executing DATABASE BEGIN ONLINE BACKUP command, flushing cache, etc.
As mentioned above, an SAP system copy created for updates is a special use case of homogeneous system copy. Here, a production system represents the source and a non-production system with a specific long-term task in the SAP system landscape represents the target. The most common update scenario involves updating a QA system in the SAP transport system.
Installation continues until the 'Load Data' phase. Here the program waits for successfully exported packages and starts the import as soon as a package has been exported.
The Refresh
For a long time, manual procedures dominated, supported by SAP (guidelines), in particular by predefined procedures and a large number of checklists. In many places, this was supplemented by scripts created in-house, which, however, only automated partial tasks/processes of an SAP system copy.
"Shortcut for SAP Systems" can considerably simplify and shorten a number of activities within the scope of a system copy or a system refresh. By using this application in conjunction with the information on system-specific tables from the PCA tool, the system-specific data can be backed up and restored after the system copy / system refresh. As a result, many of the activities mentioned here regarding data backup / restore can be performed much more easily; the creation of screenshots and the subsequent manual restoration of the state documented in this way can then be completely eliminated.
For in-house developments and third-party software, check whether there are system-specific tables for the programs that should be backed up.