In Simple words, The step-by-step setup of SAP systems like Development, Testing, and Live (Production) is called the SAP Landscape. When someone creates or changes something (like a report or program) in the Development system, it is moved to the Quality system for testing. If everything works fine, it is then sent to the Production system, where real business activities happen.
This movement of changes from one system to another is done using something called a Transport Request (TR) — like a package that carries the changes safely from one server to the next.”
- The Basis team sets up the SAP systems for both ECC and S/4HANA.
- How many SAP systems you have depends on the company size:
- Big companies may have 4 or 6 systems. Sandbox/ Development/ Quality/ Preproduction/ production
- Medium and small companies usually have 3 systems. which is minimum requirement Development/ Quality/ production
- When you start working on an SAP project, your first step is to understand the Landscape — meaning, how these systems are arranged.
- Knowing the Landscape helps you learn:
- Where you can make changes (usually the Development system).
- Where you should test your work (usually the Quality system).
- Which system is live and used by the business (Production system).
- Also, each SAP system can have many clients — think of them like separate mini-workspaces inside one SAP system. Each client has a 3-digit number.
Key Note: Client number can be different from company to company or project to project. i will use client number for the below example.
100 – Development Client, It will be use only by Functional Team to complete the configuration.
101 – Development client, this will be use by ABAP Team to develop the Interface or customization, but all the configuration will be transported from DEV100 to DEV101 to have align both the system that DEV101 will have same configuration as client 100 have.
200 – Quality system will use for perform the SIT and UAT.
300 – this will be use for production system, again client varies based on company or project structure.
Example – We have 3 landscape in our company.
- Development System
- Quality system
- Production system
1. SAP Development System:
Development system i will divide within two clients 100 and 101, which means on 100 functional team will do all the configuration based on received work Package or Business Requirement.
101 client will be use by SAP ABAP team to develop the Interface, Reports, customization in the system.
Key Note; Client number can be different based on Project to project or system to system.
- Client 100: (Development Client)
- This client we call as development client of functional team.
- Functional Team will work only on this client to complete the configuration.
- there will not be any development work on this client
- This client will transport the configuration from Client 100 to 101/200 and after UAT sign-off it will be directly deployed to Cleint 300.
- Client 101: (ABAP Development Client)
- this client we call as Abap development client.
- Only ABAP consultant can do the work on this, but the configuration will be transported from Cleint 100 to 101 to align both the system in terms of configuration point of view.
- this client will use the transport all the development work to Client 200 which is QAS client.
2. SAP Quality System:
After Finishing the configuration and development on Client Dev 100 and 101 then it will be deploy to Quality by transport request.
This client will be use by SAP functional team to perform SIT and then Release for UAT to Business.
Client 200 (Quality System)
- on this client first SAP Functional Team will perform the testing for all the configuration and development is working as expected.
- after SIT then it will be release to Business user to perform the UAT.
3. SAP Production System:
After the UAT is sign-off by the business user then all the configuration and development will be deploy from Dev 100/101 to Prod 300.
then data migration activity will start by functional team.
Key Note: in some Company they also use one more client before the production that’s called Pre production Client its having all the configuration from Dev100/101 and no data, then Functional team start the data migration just to make sure all the data looks fine and balances matched. then they perform the final cutover activity of data migration on Prod 300.