# 2 – Reduce defects, ease remediation, and improve workflow of SAP change
**How do you reduce defects, ease remediation, and improve flow into production?** Adopt approaches that improve flow of changes into production, which allow refactoring, fast feedback on quality, and bug fixing. These accelerate beneficial changes entering production, limit issues deployed, and enable rapid identification and remediation of issues introduced through deployment activities.
[\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/wellarchitected/latest/sap-lens/design-principle-2.html)
For more details, see the following links and information:
+ AWS Video: [Design with Ops in Mind](https://youtu.be/uh19jfW7hw4?ref=wellarchitected)
+ AWS Documentation: [AWS Developer Tools](https://aws.amazon.com/products/developer-tools/?ref=wellarchitected)
+ AWS Documentation: [AWS Launch Wizard for SAP](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/launchwizard/latest/userguide/what-is-launch-wizard-sap.html#:~:text=AWS%20Launch%20Wizard%20for%20SAP%20is%20a%20service%20that%20guides,deploy%20SAP%20applications%20on%20AWS.)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [DevOps for SAP – Driving Innovation and Lowering Costs](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/devops-for-sap-driving-innovation-and-lowering-costs/)
# Best Practice 2.1 – Use version control and configuration management
Configuration Management systems reduce errors caused by manual processes and reduce the level of effort to deploy changes. Doing so supports tracking changes, deploying new versions, detecting changes to existing versions, and reverting to prior versions (for example, rolling back to a known good state in the event of a failure). Integrate the version control capabilities of your configuration management systems into all your procedures across SAP – the infrastructure, the database, the application, and SAP custom code and developments (for example, ABAP, Java, and UI5/JavaScript).
Consider different version control systems for each type of configuration, but consolidate metrics into a central release planning tool. Consider how non-transportable configuration and binary versioning is managed across your environments (for example - how do you know that your SAP Kernel versions are aligned across your landscape?).
**Suggestion 2.1.1 - Implement SAP change control or other third-party tools for managing your SAP development code and versioning**
Ensure you implement change control for all development approaches and custom code that support your SAP applications - ABAP, Java, UI5/JavaScript, and any other extensions or scripting areas. Consider all your SAP applications and how you will orchestrate code deployment across multiple SAP deployment patterns (for example, how will you simultaneously release related developments hosted on AWS and SAP Business Technology Platform).
+ AWS Service: [AWS CodeCommit](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/codecommit/latest/userguide/welcome.html?ref=wellarchitected)
+ AWS Video: [Introduction to AWS CodeCommit](https://youtu.be/46PRLMW8otg?ref=wellarchitected)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [AWS DevOps tools for SAP, Part 1: Cloud Foundry](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/aws-devops-tools-for-sap-part-1-cloud-foundry-apps/)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [AWS DevOps tools for SAP, Part 2: SAP Fiori Apps](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/aws-devops-tools-for-sap-part-2-sap-fiori-apps/)
+ SAP Documentation: [SAP Change Control Management](https://help.sap.com/viewer/8b923a2175be4939816f0981b73856c7/LATEST/en-US/2b614e1cb8204f35b477eac703073589.html)
+ SAP Documentation: [Best Practices for SAP BTP - Lifecycle Management](https://help.sap.com/viewer/df50977d8bfa4c9a8a063ddb37113c43/Cloud/en-US)
**Suggestion 2.1.2 - Implement configuration management systems for your SAP applications**
Implement configuration management tools for ABAP, Java, and other SAP technologies and consider how non-transportable configuration and binary versioning is managed across your landscape (for example - how do you know that your SAP Kernel versions are aligned across your environment?). Use SAP Solution Manager to plan and implement configuration and version changes to your SAP applications.
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [Maintain an SAP landscape inventory with AWS Systems Manager and Amazon Athena](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/maintain-an-sap-landscape-inventory-with-aws-systems-manager-and-amazon-athena/)
+ SAP Documentation: [Enhanced Change & Transport System (CTS\$1)](https://support.sap.com/en/tools/software-logistics-tools/enhanced-change-and-transport-system.html)
+ SAP Documentation: [SAP Solution Manager: Planning Landscape Changes](https://www.sap.com/germany/documents/2016/08/8ea1d93a-857c-0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.html)
**Suggestion 2.1.3 - Implement configuration management systems for operating systems**
Use AMI baking or in-place configuration management software such as Ansible, Chef or Puppet to align configuration management across your SAP workload operating systems. Consider security focused configuration management tools which will alert you to vulnerabilities and prompt you to keep your operating systems patched and hardened.
+ AWS Documentation: [AWS Systems Manager - State Manager](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/systems-manager-state.html)
+ AWS Documentation: [Configuration management in Amazon EC2](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/WindowsGuide/configuration-management.html)
+ AWS Documentation: [What is Amazon Inspector?](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/inspector/latest/userguide/inspector_introduction.html)
**Suggestion 2.1.4 - Implement configuration management systems for databases**
Work with your database software vendor to understand configuration management approaches for your database.
+ SAP Documentation: [SAP HANA Platform Lifecycle Management](https://help.sap.com/viewer/6b94445c94ae495c83a19646e7c3fd56/LATEST/en-US/571d0bb4b1b2402f8e7caf0fe0290b61.html)
**Suggestion 2.1.5 - Implement configuration management systems for infrastructure**
Use infrastructure as code (IaC) approaches to provision and manage AWS resources supporting your SAP workloads. AWS CloudFormation and AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK) are tools you can use to provision and manage configuration in AWS resources programmatically.
Consider configuration audit and control tools such as [AWS Config: Conformance Packs](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/config/latest/developerguide/conformance-packs.html) that allow you to deploy rules and policies to evaluate your infrastructure periodically to assess compliance and resolve any problems with applicable best practices and standards.
+ AWS Documentation: [AWS Launch Wizard for SAP](https://aws.amazon.com/launchwizard/)
+ AWS Documentation: [AWS Systems Manager Inventory](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/systems-manager-inventory.html)
+ AWS Documentation: [AWS Systems Manager Change Manager](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/change-manager.html)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [Infrastructure as Code Example: Terraform and SAP on AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/terraform-your-sap-infrastructure-on-aws/)
+ SAP Lens [Reliability]: [Best Practice 11.3 - Define an approach to restore service availability](best-practice-11-3.md)
# Best Practice 2.2 – Implement practices to improve code quality
Implement practices to improve code quality and minimize defects. For example, test-driven development, code reviews, and standards adoption. Use SAP Code Inspector tools at a minimum.
**Suggestion 2.2.1 - Implement practices to improve code quality**
For example, test-driven development, pair programming, code reviews, and standards adoption.
**Suggestion 2.2.2 - Use Code Amazon Inspector tools for SAP development and integrate this process into your CI/CD pipeline**
Consider the following tools for automated code inspection and linting in your SAP workloads:
+ AWS Documentation: [Amazon CodeGuru - for AWS Java and Python development](https://aws.amazon.com/codeguru/)
+ SAP Documentation: [SAP Code Inspector for ABAP and SAP-specific development](https://help.sap.com/viewer/ba879a6e2ea04d9bb94c7ccd7cdac446/LATEST/en-US/49205531d0fc14cfe10000000a42189b.html)
# Best Practice 2.3 – Use build and deployment management systems
Use build and deployment management systems. Ensure you are using SAP certified build and deployment systems such as the ABAP Change and Transport System (CTS), Web IDE or SAP tools. These systems reduce errors caused by manual processes and reduce the level of effort to deploy changes.
**Suggestion 2.3.1 - Implement SAP build and deployment systems**
Implement SAP certified build and deployment systems such as the ABAP Change and Transport System (CTS), Web IDE, SAP BTP Continuous Delivery service or other SAP tools.
+ AWS Whitepaper: [Practicing Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery on AWS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/latest/practicing-continuous-integration-continuous-delivery/welcome.html)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [AWS DevOps tools for SAP, Part 2: SAP Fiori Apps](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/aws-devops-tools-for-sap-part-2-sap-fiori-apps/)
+ SAP Documentation: [Software Logistics Toolset - Change and Transport Tools](https://support.sap.com/en/tools/software-logistics-tools.html?anchorId=section_612068808)
+ SAP Documentation: [Deploying Applications to BTP](https://help.sap.com/viewer/825270ffffe74d9f988a0f0066ad59f0/LATEST/en-US/4478283a220b46d9a46bb28d6a9140e8.html)
# Best Practice 2.4 – Use multiple environments
Use multiple SAP environments to experiment, develop, and test your workload. Use increasing levels of controls as environments approach production to gain confidence your workload will operate as intended when deployed. Generally, a three-tier environment for development, test, and production is minimum for SAP landscapes.
**Suggestion 2.4.1 - Use temporary environments for experimentation**
Provide technology testing and developer teams with sandbox or temporary environments with minimized controls to enable experimentation and risk mitigation.
+ AWS Documentation: [AWS Launch Wizard for SAP](https://aws.amazon.com/launchwizard/)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [Infrastructure as Code Example: Terraform and SAP on AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/terraform-your-sap-infrastructure-on-aws/)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [Automate Start or Stop of Distributed SAP HANA systems using AWS Systems Manager](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/automate-start-or-stop-of-distributed-sap-hana-systems-using-aws-systems-manager/)
**Suggestion 2.4.2 - Provide development environments to allow work in parallel and improved agility**
Provide non-production environments to allow work in parallel, increasing development and test agility. Implement more rigorous controls in the environments approaching production to allow developers the necessary means for innovation. Generally, a three-tier environment for Development, Test and Production is minimum for SAP environments.
**Suggestion 2.4.3 - Provide a consolidated test environment that replicates production as closely as possible to improve release quality**
Test and staging environments should mirror as closely as possible the interfaces, security, resilience, and performance characteristics of your production environment to identify architectural and code interaction problems before being released. Consider shutting down secondary resources in clusters or scaling down (both horizontally and vertically) application server performance of this environment when not in use to improve landscape cost efficiency.
**Suggestion 2.4.4 - Use infrastructure as code (IaC) and configuration management systems to deploy environments consistently**
Use infrastructure as code (IaC) and configuration management systems to deploy environments that are configured consistent with the controls present in production to ensure systems operate as expected when deployed. Use tagging and resource groups to label and enhance environment metadata such that it can be used for automation and compliance purposes.
+ AWS Documentation: [AWS Launch Wizard for SAP](https://aws.amazon.com/launchwizard/)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [Infrastructure as Code Example: Terraform and SAP on AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/terraform-your-sap-infrastructure-on-aws/)
+ AWS Documentation: [What are AWS Resource Groups?](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ARG/latest/userguide/welcome.html)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [Tagging Recommendations for SAP on AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/tagging-recommendations-for-sap-on-aws/)
**Suggestion 2.4.5 - Turn off non-production environments when not in use**
When environments are not in use, turn them off to avoid costs associated with idle resources (for example, development systems on evenings and weekends).
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [Automate Start or Stop of Distributed SAP HANA systems using AWS Systems Manager](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/automate-start-or-stop-of-distributed-sap-hana-systems-using-aws-systems-manager/)
# Best Practice 2.5 – Test and validate changes
Changes should be tested and the results validated at all lifecycle stages (for example, development, test, and production). Use testing results to confirm new features and mitigate the risk and impact of failed deployments. Automate testing and validation to ensure consistency of review, to reduce errors caused by manual processes, and reduce the level of effort.
**Suggestion 2.5.1 - Changes should be tested and the results validated at all lifecycle stages (for example, development, test, and production)**
**Suggestion 2.5.2 - Maintain a baseline of testing results across functional testing, performance and resiliency to compare to when releasing change and major projects.**
**Suggestion 2.5.3 - Understand what level of testing is required for differing levels of change. For example, a full suite of testing vs targeted regression testing for minor changes. Agree on test definitions and scope of change testing required to release to production.**
**Suggestion 2.5.4. - Automate testing where possible with third-party tools and test harnesses. Focus on regular change types and frequent releases first.**
# Best Practice 2.6 – Make frequent, small, and reversible changes
Frequent, small, and reversible changes reduce the scope and impact of a change. Although many SAP NetWeaver solutions only support a “patch forward” approach, consider using feature toggles in custom development to allow rollback. This eases troubleshooting, enables faster remediation, and provides the option to roll back a change.
**Suggestion 2.6.1 - Divide development and releases into frequent and smaller changes where possible**
**Suggestion 2.6.2 - Because many SAP solutions only support a “patch forward” approach (and do not allow reversible transports), consider using feature toggles in custom development to allow disablement of features rather than rollback/withdraw**
**Suggestion 2.6.3 - For non-reversible SAP changes, consider additional rollback options, such as whole system snapshots, database backup, and restore options**
+ AWS Blog: [Amazon EBS crash-consistent snapshots](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/storage/taking-crash-consistent-snapshots-across-multiple-amazon-ebs-volumes-on-an-amazon-ec2-instance/)
+ AWS Documentation: [Restoring to a specified time using Point-In-Time Recovery (PITR)](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-backup/latest/devguide/point-in-time-recovery.html)
+ AWS Documentation: [AWS Backint for SAP HANA](https://aws.amazon.com/backint-agent/)
# Best Practice 2.7 – Automate testing, integration, and deployment of changes
Automate build, deployment, and testing of the workload. This reduces errors caused by manual processes and reduces the effort to deploy changes.
**Suggestion 2.7.1 - Fully automate the integration and deployment pipeline from code check-in through build, testing, deployment, and validation**
**Suggestion 2.7.2 - Implement SAP Solution Manager ChaRM, Focused Build or third-party change and release management tools to orchestrate end-to-end build to deployment pipelines for application changes**
+ SAP Documentation: [SAP Solution Manager Change Request Management](https://help.sap.com/viewer/8b923a2175be4939816f0981b73856c7/LATEST/en-US/4c3acb82b50843b4e10000000a42189e.html)
+ SAP Documentation: [SAP Focused Build](https://support.sap.com/en/alm/focused-build.html)
+ AWS Marketplace: [Products and Tools for DevOps](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/search/results?page=1&searchTerms=sap&category=45c68cc2-ccd6-426b-94bd-92a791004dc2)
+ AWS Marketplace: [Products and Tools for Testing](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/search/results?searchTerms=SAP+Testing&category=b1cf3403-729a-4df1-908d-51105b3574a3)
+ SAP on AWS Blog: [AWS DevOps tools for SAP, Part 1: Cloud Foundry](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/awsforsap/aws-devops-tools-for-sap-part-1-cloud-foundry-apps/)