How to perform System Refresh activity in SAP ?

This article answers following queries:

 How to perform system refresh activity in SAP?

 What are the steps involved in system refresh of SAP system?
 What is the SAP system refresh procedure?
 Explain post system refresh activity steps
 What are the pre refresh activity steps?
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System refresh is nothing but copying an SAP system to another.

Let us say the system from which copy is being done is called as source system
and system in which data to be copied as target system.

System refresh activity comprises of following 3 phases

 Pre refresh activity
 Refresh activity (Database restoration)
 Post refresh activity

Note : Please click on Red links to understand more details of that step

Pre-refresh Activity:

Before performing system refresh, following steps need to performed

1) Export of user master and authorizations from all SAP clients on the target
system (SCC8)

This step is required because once the source system data is replaced in the target system,
the user and authorization details of target system will be overwritten by source system
user master. So, in case we need to retain target system user master, we have to take
backup of the same using SCC8 tcode.

2) Please take snapshots of

 Client settings (SCC4)

 Logon groups (SMLG)
 Processing groups (RZ12)
 AL11, SE03 and SM61
 Printer details (SPAD)
 Operation modes (RZ03, RZ04 and SM63)
 RFCs (SM59)
 Partner profiles (WE20) and ports (WE21)
 Logical systems (BD54)
 Services that are active (SICF)

These screenshots are to be captured because after system refresh, we need to check and
maintain the same settings in target system
3) Using SE01 transaction, create transport request for backing up of AL11, SE03,
SMLG(Logon Groups), RZ12(Processing Groups),SM59(RFC’s), SM69, SPAD, SM61,
RZ03

Refresh activity (Database restoration)

1) Please stop the target sap system and handover to database team

2) Database team will restore the data from source system to target system and validate

3) Once everything is fine, database team will handover system to SAP Basis team

Post refresh activities:

 1)  Disable batch processing (by setting batch work processes as 0 at Os level)

 2)  Start sap system and login with sap* user

3) Install SAP license

SMSY is the transaction code used to generate a solution manager key for installing a new SAP system or
upgrading an SAP system.
4) Prevent batch job from running by setting all jobs from released to scheduled
(using SM37)

 5)  Delete/recreate TMS for target system using SE06

 6)  Configure SAP transport system (using STMS)

 7)  Import user master for all clients (which was done as part of pre-refresh steps)

 8)  Import transports related to AL11, SE03, SMLG, RZ12, SM59, SALE and SM69  
      backup (which was done as part of pre-refresh steps)

 9)  Execute BDLS transaction

10) Remove entries from few listed tables using SE14 transaction

 11) Delete old SAP profiles and import new profiles using RZ10 transaction

 12) Perform spool consistency check using SP12 transaction

 13) Delete old update records using SM13 transaction

 14) Delete/Reorganize transaction RFC’s using SM58 transaction

 15) Delete batch job logs by executing RSBTCDEL report using SE38 transaction

 16) Delete Old spool requests by executing RSPO0041 report using SE38 transaction

 17) Create/modify necessary partner profiles using WE20 transaction

 18) Modify necessary ports using WE21 transaction

 19) Perform mail configuration using SCOT transaction

 20) Delete old mail related entries using SOST transaction

 21) Execute SGEN transaction or run RSGENINVLAS report (no variant is required) using
      SE38 transaction

 22) Make necessary services active through SICF transaction