3 system Landscape of SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition

Understanding the 3-System Landscape of SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition

The SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition operates on a three-system landscape designed to streamline development, testing, and production processes. This structure is essential for organizations to manage their SAP cloud systems efficiently, ensuring uninterrupted operations and optimal performance after each upgrade or continuous delivery. Here's a closer look at the functions and features of each system within this landscape:

Development System

Primary Function: Serves as the foundation for custom developments within the SAP S/4HANA Cloud environment.
Developer Extensibility: Supports developer extensibility, enabling users to execute custom developments. This is one of the three types of extensions in the cloud environment, alongside key user extensions and side-by-side extensions (BTP).
Development Tenant: Dedicated to developer extensibility tasks, this tenant is the space where all custom development work is initiated and carried out.

Test System (Quality System)

Primary Function: Acts as the quality assurance environment where all testing is conducted.
Integration Testing: Following configuration and development in the development system, items can be released and transported to the test system for thorough testing.
Role in Upgrade Process: The test system plays a crucial role in the upgrade process, ensuring that all configurations and custom developments function as expected before moving to the production system.

Production System

Primary Function: The live system where end-users perform actual business transactions.
Operational Stability: Maintains the operational integrity of the live business environment, ensuring that all transactions and processes run smoothly without interruption.

Key Features of the 3-System Landscape

Provisioning by SAP: All three systems - development, test, and production - are provisioned by SAP, offering a streamlined setup process for customers.
Upgrade Management: The three-system landscape facilitates better management of upgrades, dividing responsibilities between SAP (for software upgrades and hot-fixes) and customers (for content upgrades).
Flexibility in Upgrades: Customers can schedule content upgrades according to their timelines, providing more control over the upgrade process.
Enhanced Testing and Development: Separating the development and test environments allows for more focused development activities and comprehensive testing without impacting the live production system.

Benefits of the 3-System Landscape

The adoption of a three-system landscape in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition, brings several advantages:

Dedicated Environments: Distinct separation of development, testing, and production tasks ensures that activities in one system do not interfere with operations in another.
Streamlined Upgrade Process: SAP's management of software upgrades and the customer's ability to control content upgrades result in smoother, more predictable upgrade cycles.
Enhanced Flexibility and Control: Customers gain greater control over their development and testing processes, allowing for more personalized and efficient management of their SAP systems.