SAP Dual Stack Split Overview

What is SAP Dual Stack Split?

Separation of the Java stack of a dual-stack source system into a new SAP system with 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 will be the last SAP Business Suite release with dual-stack support. 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. But if you want to prepare the upgrade or update of these dual-stack systems or plan to adapt your systems setup to the recommendations from SAP, take a look at the dual-stack split tool provided by SAP.

Dual-stack split procedure looks as follows:

1. The separation of the Java stack of a dual-stack source system into a new SAP system with the dual-stack split tool
   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
2. 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
3. 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 a dual-stack system with SAP ERP 6.0 and SAP NetWeaver Portal
• Split of a dual-stack SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse system based on SAP NetWeaver 7.0
• Split of an optional dual-stack SAP NetWeaver 7.0 system that runs only stack-isolated applications without direct dependencies to applications running on the other stack

All details about current coverage and restrictions are listed in SAP Note 1685432 (Central SAP Note - Dual Stack Split Tool 2.0 SP1 - SMP login required).

The tool is available for many platforms and scenarios already today.  It is provided with Software Logistics Toolset 1.0 SPS03 and higher - 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 the tool and how to use it, take a look at the Dual-Stack Split Tool <Release> for ABAP+Java Systems on <Platform> guide available on SAP Service Marketplace at:http://service.sap.com/sltoolset → Software Logistics Toolset 1.0 → Dual-Stack Split (SMP login required).

With future versions, we plan to continuously extend the scope of the dual-stack split procedure (extended platform support, further automation of the split procedure and support of further applications). Nevertheless, you can also actively influence the future of the dual-stack split tool 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!

Post by Boris Zarske SAP

EXTRA INFO :

SAP Dual-Stack Strategy & Dual-Stack Split Tool [PDF]

Tags:  Dual Stack Split, SAP Dual Stack Split Overview,  SAP Dual Stack Split Tool, SAP Dual Stack Split Steps