How does transferring from SAP R/3 to SAP ERP 6.0 work in principle? What updates do you need? How is data exported from the old system and imported to the new? What do you need to think about when switching from 32 bits to 64 bits? Such questions are on the minds of CIOs at companies that are currently planning a software upgrade to SAP ERP. Upgrades are often triggered when a company undergoes modernization or gets new server hardware, because more powerful processors with several computational kernels, larger working memory, and faster hard disks become available.

However, it is often the case that the old system works as it always did, and with its known weaknesses, such as a process chain that isn’t digital from end to end and custom-built modifications. In such cases, companies should be aware of the fact that the end of SAP R/3 maintenance is on the horizon. Furthermore, an upgrade brings with it very many of the benefits that companies need to remain future-proof.

In part one of our series – see the article DIY: Upgrade SAP R/3 to SAP ERP 6.0 – we had a look at the software upgrade process in general. In part two, we’ll now take a closer look at the following steps:

• 1. Old 32-bit system: Setting collation *BIN2 for SQL Server 2000
• 2. Old 32-bit system: Applying SAP Support Packages and 1:1 backup copy
• 3. New 64-bit system: Installing Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition
• 4. New 64-bit system: Settings for the network and paging file
• 5. New 64-bit system: ECC 6.0 upgrade CDs and installing SQL Server 2005

Again, we’re showing you all the updates and settings using the example of the ITU in Geneva, which was one of the first companies in Switzerland to switch to the latest ERP software, including enhancement packages.

Read on: Setting collation *BIN2 for SQL Server 2000