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Overview of SAP system refresh workflow with SnapCenter

Contributors netapp-nbauer kevin-hoke
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SnapCenter provides workflows that allow you to manage clones of data sets from any existing Snapshot backup. This cloned data set, a FlexClone volume, can be used to rapidly provision a HANA data volume from a source system and attach it to a target system. It is therefore a perfect fit for executing system refresh operations for QA, test, sandbox, or training systems.

The SnapCenter cloning workflows handle all required operations on the storage layer and can be extended using scripts to execute host-specific and HANA database-specific operations. In this document, we use a script to perform HANA database recovery and shutdown operations. SnapCenter workflows with further automation using the script handle all required HANA database operations but do not cover any required SAP post-processing steps. SAP post processing must be performed manually or with third-party tools.

The SAP system refresh workflow with SnapCenter consists of five main steps as shown in the below figure.

  1. A one-time, initial installation and preparation of the target system

    1. The SnapCenter HANA plugin must be installed on the new target system and the HANA system must be configured in SnapCenter

    2. The target system must be stopped, and the HANA data volume must be unmounted

  2. The SnapCenter clone create workflow

    1. SnapCenter creates a FlexClone volume of the selected Snapshot of the source system

    2. SnapCenter mounts the FlexClone volume at the target system

    3. Recovery of the target HANA database can be automated using the sc-system-refresh script as a post-script or can be executed manually

  3. SAP post processing (manual or with a third-party tool)

  4. The system can now be used as test/QA system.

  5. When a new system refresh is requested, the SnapCenter clone delete workflow is used to remove the FlexClone volume

    1. If the target HANA system has been protected in SnapCenter, the protection must be removed before the clone delete workflow is started.

    2. The HANA system must be stopped manually or stopped automatically using the sc-system-refresh script as a SnapCenter pre-script

    3. SnapCenter unmounts the HANA data volume

    4. SnapCenter deletes the FlexClone volume

    5. A refresh is restarted with step 2.

Figure showing input/output dialog or representing written content

In most cases, target test/QA systems are used for at least a couple of weeks. Since the FlexClone volume is blocking the Snapshot of the source system volume, this Snapshot will require additional capacity based on the block change rate at the source system volume. For production source systems and an average change rate of 20% per day, the blocked Snapshot will reach 100% after 5 days. Therefore, NetApp recommends splitting the FlexClone volume either immediately or after a couple of days, if the clone is based on a production source system. The clone split operation does not block use of the cloned volume and can therefore be performed at any time while the HANA database is in use.

Note When splitting the FlexClone volume, SnapCenter deletes all backups that were created at the target system.
Note With SnapCenter and Azure NetApp Files, the clone split operation is not available, since Azure NetApp Files always splits the clone after creation.

The refresh operation including the clone split consists of the following steps.

  1. A one-time, initial installation and preparation of the target system

    1. The SnapCenter HANA plugin must be installed on the new target system and the HANA system must be configured in SnapCenter

    2. The target system must be stopped, and the HANA data volume must be unmounted

  2. The SnapCenter clone create workflow

    1. SnapCenter creates a FlexClone volume of the selected Snapshot of the source system

    2. SnapCenter mounts the FlexClone volume at the target system

    3. Recovery of the target HANA database can be automated using the sc-system-refresh script as a post-script or can be executed manually

  3. The FlexClone volume is split using the SnapCenter clone split workflow.

  4. SAP post processing (manual or with a third-party tool)

  5. The system can now be used as test/QA system.

  6. When a new system refresh is requested, the cleanup is done with the following manual steps

    1. If the target HANA system has been protected in SnapCenter, the protection must be removed.

    2. The HANA system must be stopped manually

    3. The HANA data volume must be unmounted and the fstab entry from SnapCenter must be removed (manual task)

    4. A refresh is restarted with step 2.

      Note The old data volume, which was split previously, must be deleted manually on the storage system.

Figure showing input/output dialog or representing written content

The section “SAP HANA system refresh with SnapCenter” provides a detailed step-by-step description of both system-refresh workflows.