¶ Backup and Restore in SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Data availability and business continuity are critical priorities for any enterprise running SAP solutions. In the context of SAP S/4HANA Cloud, backup and restore processes are essential to protect business data, enable disaster recovery, and minimize downtime in case of data loss or system failures.
This article provides an overview of backup and restore strategies in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, highlighting the key mechanisms, responsibilities, and best practices for maintaining data integrity and availability.
¶ Backup and Restore: Overview
Backup refers to creating copies of data at a given point in time to secure it against loss, corruption, or accidental deletion. Restore is the process of recovering data from backup copies to bring a system back to a known good state.
In SAP S/4HANA Cloud, these processes differ from traditional on-premise SAP systems due to the cloud service model and shared responsibility between SAP and the customer.
- Automated Backups: SAP, as the cloud service provider, performs regular automated backups of the entire system landscape, including database snapshots, application data, and configuration settings.
- High Availability: The platform includes built-in disaster recovery measures such as geo-redundant data centers and failover capabilities.
- Data Retention: Backup copies are retained according to SAP’s internal policies and service level agreements (SLAs).
- Data Export: Customers can export critical business data and reports using tools provided in the SAP Fiori interface or APIs.
- Custom Backup: For specific use cases, customers may use integration tools to replicate or archive data externally.
- Data Protection: Customers must ensure proper data management and secure access within their scope.
- System Restore: In case of system-wide failures or data corruption, SAP performs system restores from backup copies as part of its operational support.
- Point-in-Time Recovery: SAP can restore data to a specific point in time depending on the backup frequency and retention.
- Customer-Initiated Restores: Customers cannot directly perform system restores but can recover data using available data export and recovery options.
- Support Requests: Customers raise support tickets with SAP to initiate restore actions when required.
| Tool / Feature |
Description |
| Backup Management (SAP side) |
Automated backups and data center redundancy |
| Data Export Tools |
Export master and transactional data via SAP Fiori apps |
| APIs and Integration |
Extract and archive data externally |
| SAP Support Portal |
Request restore and disaster recovery assistance |
¶ Best Practices for Backup and Restore in SAP S/4HANA Cloud
- Understand SLAs: Know the backup frequency, retention, and recovery times guaranteed by SAP.
- Regular Data Exports: Periodically export critical data and documents as an additional safety net.
- Implement Data Archiving: Archive older data to reduce storage and improve system performance.
- Test Recovery Scenarios: Coordinate with SAP support to understand restore procedures and test data recovery options.
- Ensure Security: Protect exported data with encryption and secure storage.
- Maintain Documentation: Keep records of backup schedules, export routines, and restore requests.
| Aspect |
On-Premise SAP Backup |
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Backup |
| Backup Control |
Customer responsible |
SAP responsible |
| Backup Frequency |
Customer-defined |
Predefined by SAP |
| Restore Execution |
Customer executes |
SAP executes upon customer request |
| Infrastructure |
Customer managed |
SAP cloud infrastructure managed |
Backup and restore in SAP S/4HANA Cloud operate under a shared responsibility model where SAP ensures automated, reliable backups and system availability, while customers focus on data management, exports, and archiving. Understanding the backup landscape and best practices enables organizations to safeguard critical business data, ensure regulatory compliance, and maintain operational continuity in the cloud.