SAP retrofit transports

In general, a term retrofitting is referring to an addition of new technology or features to older systems. Given SAP terminology, a retrofit is a process of dual landscape synchronization.

Retrofit comes to a picture in case there is dual landscape deployed. That can be for example a regular DEV1->QAS1->PRD1 system landscape used to maintain exiting productively used SAP applications (maintenance landscape). This landscape is used to maintain the SAP apps. In parallel to that there is another landscape used to develop a new SAP app (development landscape).

As the second landscape is not productively used there are only 2 systems in the landscape: DEV2->QAS2. Commonly speaking developments are performed in the development landscape and corrections/maintenance activities in the maintenance landscape at the same time.

What would be beneficial is to keep both the landscapes in sync from the objects that they share - point of view. Again, the synchronizing of the changes between the two landscapes is called retrofitting. Retrofit helps to synchronize changed objects (customizing and workbench) from maintenance development system to project or upgrade development system in dual track landscapes. Dual landscapes are known as N 1 landscapes)

SAP Solution Manager has some certain features to support automation of retrofitting. There can be an automatic import of corrections done by SOLMAN. See details in help pages.

Now to the dual BW development landscape. Large BW deployments can have several landscapes too. Thus, it is needed that BW specific objects are moved across all the landscapes. The Solman does support also below BW objects for retrofitting: File data sources (ISFS), Transfer rules (ISMP), Transfer structures (ISTS), Data source (RSDS), Transformation (TRFN), Routines (ROUT) and BW formulas (RSFO).

There is one more interesting information about the retrofit concerning one specific BW object type – BW Transformation. There is special OBJVERS type called R (probably stands for Retrofit) for the Transformation. In case particular transformation is deleted, the R version of it is kept in the BW system. The retrofit entry is always generated in the system. Its purpose is to be used for retrofit transport. Anyhow if for any reason one would like to get rid of it there is a SAP standard program provided to delete it: RSTRAN_TRFN_DELETE_R_VERSION

More information:

Solman - Retrofit for BW