SAP Database Refresh: Backing Up Users

When a SAP database refresh needs to be performed, you want to make sure you back up your users in the target system so that they can be restored after the database copy. Otherwise, once you copy production to your QA or Test system, you will have all of your production users and will have to manually delete those users and then create and setup all of your QA or Test users. This can be quite an effort if you do not make sure you have a process in place to backup and restore those users. Below is a process I have used over the past 10 years to ensure we can easily restore our users.

Exporting Users

To backup/recover users for a Database Refresh, one option is to create a client in your DEV or SANDBOX instance and then you would perform a Remote Client Copy using the SAP_USER profile. Here are the steps that you would need to follow to set this up.

On the Destination System: (Dev/Sandbox)

1. Using transaction SCC4, create a client for this remote client copy

2. Using transaction SM59, create an internal IP connection from your Destination System to your Source System. Test this connection and make sure it works.

3. Logoff and Log back onto the new client in your destination system. SAP* password should be 06071992.

4. Go to transaction SCC9. It should look similar to the screen below:

· Use the drop down list to select the SAP_USER profile

· Use the drop down list to select the Source Destination, this will be the same as the RFC setup

5. Click Start Immediately

This process usually takes a few minutes.

Restoring the Users

Note: You will need to make sure there is a RFC Connection between the new DB Copy System and the system you copied the users to. This needs to be done before starting to restore the users.

1. Logon to the appropriate client in your new DB Copy System.

2. Go to transaction SCC9

3. Select the SAP_USER profile from the drop down list

4. Select the source system, which should be the same as the RFC Destination

5. Click “Start Immediate”.