2115525 - SuccessFactors Customer Service Request: Test - Preview Migration FAQ

This KB article provides answers to common questions raised regarding the Instance Migration Process

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Q. How do I migrate my test instance to the Early Release Preview?
A. The Test to Preview Migrations are now a Paid Service

• Please contact your Customer Success Manager/Customer Engagement Executive/Sales Representative prior to opening a support case.
• Customer Success requires the proper paid service documentation to be completed and attached to the case. Failing to do so may cause delays.
• You may address any concerns about the fee with your Customer Success Manager/Customer Engagement Executive/Sales Representative.
• This also applies to stand-alone (non-integrated) LMS instances.

NOTE: Once proper documentation for the paid engagement is created, please create a support case using the format below, and ATTACH the required documentation.

Description: [Instance ID] Preview Migration

I am submitting this case to start the migration process to migrate my test instance to the new Early Test Release/Preview environment. I understand we are required to have a 1:1 call with a consultant to start the process. I can be reached at the following (insert contact details for your company).

Q. What is the migration process?
A. Please review Migration Overview 2017 in the ATTACHMENTS section

• NOTE: We will adapt to the 8-day (Sunday to Monday) migration cycle in 2017
• Schedule an overview call with your migration consultant for more details

Q. How do I perform a Data Center to Data Center migration?
A. This project does not cover Data Center to Data Center migrations. Please process a regular support case to pursue this with Product Support.

Q. I have LMS-BizX integration. Can I migrate just the LMS instance?
A. LMS-BizX Integration should be migrated together, otherwise the integration will not work.

Q. What if I don’t know my test instance information?
A. The Customer Success team should be able to provide test instance information.

Q. What if I don’t have a test instance and I want one now?
A. Please contact your account manager, who can help you understand if you qualify for a test instance and can begin the request process.

Q. I am a Professional Edition (PE) customer and I don’t have a test instance. Can I have one?
A. PE Customers do not receive a test instance as part of a standard contract. You will need to work with your Account Manager to upgrade to a contract type that includes a test environment.

Q. What if I want to have my Early Test Release instance cloned to match my production instance? (This would include configuration or data + configuration)
A. If you want your Early Test Release instance cloned to match production, this will be handled separately after the migration. If interested, please contact your account manager, who can help you schedule this service and advice of any cost.

Q. I am a DC4/Arizona, DC2/Amsterdam, DC8/Ashburn or DC12/Rot customer and received communications that I would be migrated via 1:1 engagement--what does this mean?
A. Some of our customers have complicating factors such as implementations occurring at the same time as test release, certain products that need special handling, or multiple test instances. A migration team will be working with these customers to ensure that the migration does not adversely impact these complicating factors. If you are a DC4 customer and have been told that you fall into this category, please submit a support case/incident with “Early Test Migration” in the subject and our migration team will follow up with more details.

Q. What is the release schedule?
A. All release information can be found on the help.sap.com site.

Q. Will my test instance URL be changing after migration?
A. Yes. See the table below:

Data Center New URL for Early Test

Release Instance:

• DC4 https://hcm4preview.sapsf.com
• DC8 https://hcm8preview.sapsf.com
• DC2 https://hcm2preview.sapsf.eu
• DC10 https://hcm10preview.sapsf.com
• DC12 https://hcm12preview.sapsf.eu
• DC60 https://hcm17preview.sapsf.com
• DC18 https://hcm18preview.sapsf.com
• DC Culpepper Test TBD
• DC2 Sales Demo TBD
• DC4 Sales Demo TBD
• DC8 Sales Demo TBD

Q. Will my production instance URL be changing?
A. No. This change does not affect your production instance location.

Q. Will this affect how I use and test in the mobile environment?
A. You will need to re-register mobile devices, using your new test instance URL.

Q. How is Jam different?
A. Nothing is changing with JAM. Jam will continue with the current release cadence and those updates will be applied to your test and production instances simultaneously, with Preview obtaining the Preview Release and Production the Production release. Even though there is a single location for your test and production instances, the product is developed in such a way that, after migration, you will receive an Early Test Preview for your Test Instance while Production will stay on the Production release schedule.

Q. I heard that there’s a “black-out” where I can’t migrate configuration from test to production. Why? When is that freeze in effect?
A. During the time each quarter that your Early Test Release instance has the Preview of the upcoming release and your Production instance has the current release, you will not be able to migrate configurations from your Early Test Release instance to production. Note this only applies after your test instance has been migrated to the Early Test Release stack and only applies to migrations between Early Test Release and production instances.

Q. Can we make provisioning changes and configuration changes to Production during the blackout?
A. You can make any changes in either your Early Test Release instance OR production during the blackout period, but you can’t migrate anything from your Early Test Release instance to production during this period. With a different code-base between test and production, it's very risky and in some cases not feasible (specifically with new features) to move between your Early Test Release instance and production during this time.

Q. I heard that there’s a one-time data freeze related to the migration
A. Correct. We will take a snapshot of your current test instance and this is what will be migrated to your Early Test Release instance.

Q. I heard that there is downtime related to the migration
A. Correct. While your test instance is being migrated, there will be one week during which you will not be able to access your test instance. The dates for this downtime will be communicated to you as part of the migration process.

Q. Are these the same?
A. No. The Blackout, Freeze, and Downtime are distinct.

Q. How long will the black-outs be?
A. These “blackouts” will last for the month between test instance updates and production instance updates

Q. What happens if I experience an issue in my Early Test Release instance?
A. Submit a support case if you find an issue in your Early Test Release instance. Note there are no P1’s allowed in test, as it’s not a Production issue. All other SLA’s are treated equally between test and production. Please check your SuccessFactors contract for specific information about your SLAs.

Q. What if I have a complicating factor?
A. Customers with complicating factors such as the ones listed below will be sent communication by email asking them to submit a case for 1:1 migration support.

• More than 2 instances, indicating more than one test instance
• Employee Central or Analytics
• Still in implementation or working on configurations during the automatic migration

Q. What if I don't want to make this change?
A. You are not required to make this change, but we think it is huge advantage if you do. Please note that, if you don’t migrate your test instance by the program end dates of September 30, 2016, then there will be a cost to migrate your instance to Preview. Please consult with your SAP SuccessFactors Account Team regarding that cost, if you’d like more information.

Q. What if I am using Single Sign-On?
A. Please see SSO.zip in the attachment section

Q. What are the new application URLs and IP address?
A. Please see URL and IP Information for Early Test Release in the attachment section

Q. Do I need to update my Integrations?
A. Please see Cheat Sheet for Integration updates for Preview migrations in the attachment section

Q. I have instance sync. Is there anything I need to do before migration?
A. Please provide us with an admin account that has the appropriate permission (review InstanceSync Changes for Customers in the attachment section) for Instance Sync

Q. What if I want to create cases on my newly migrated site, but it does not appear as a choice within Launchpad?
A. Please have the CSM/CEE/Sales Representative create an ITDirect ticket. They will manually make the update to include the new tenet.

Q. What if the latest release info is not updating in LaunchPad?
A. Please have the CSM/CEE/Sales Representative create an ITDirect ticket. They will manually make the update to refresh the latest release information.

SAP SuccessFactors Release Information

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