Why system refresh keeps getting pushed back
The needs are known:
- Testing and development — new functionality, parallel dev systems, integration and UAT, performance testing, and production diagnostics that need real data
- Migration, upgrade, and HA/DR — building additional systems in a configuration and state close to production
- Training and onboarding — accurate, up-to-date environments without putting live processes at risk
Avantra automates the process.
Where does the time go?
A typical system refresh runbook runs dozens of pages, and 50 isn’t unheard of! That effort takes a Basis team days or weeks of work:
- Creating and transferring the database backup of the source system
- Using decorating/masking tools for sensitive production data
- Logical system name conversion (BDLS)
- Transport system configuration and synchronization
- RFC destinations and authorizations
- Spool activation and deactivation
- User and credentials changes
- Encryption keys and certificates
Shared infrastructure between source and target adds another layer. Without careful isolation, a refreshed system can reach back into production interfaces, third-party integrations, or services it shouldn’t be talking to
That’s the kind of potential mistake causing Basis teams pause and deliberate caution. The result are stale systems and refreshed performed less often than the business wants. What if this could be automated?
What Avantra Automates
Avantra includes purpose-built automation for SAP system copy and refresh, drawn from two decades of managing SAP estates at scale.
The bulk of manual post-copy configuration runs automatically.
Avantra runs the rename in parallel, putting otherwise idle compute resources to work — the difference between a serial operation that lasts a day vs parallel one finishing in hours.
The target system is isolated automatically, removing the risk of unintended communication with source-system integrations and services.
Standard pre- and post-steps run the same way every time, with the same outcome.
Lower effort per refresh translates directly into more frequent refresh, which means non-production systems stay closer to production data and behavior.
Workflows: built for the differences between systems
No two SAP systems look quite the same. RFC destinations, third-party integrations, and downstream dependencies all vary. This is why generic refresh automation tends to fall short
Avantra’s Workflows are designed for the most complex SAP estates. Built-in SAP system refresh templates get you started quickly. More advanced teams can leverage existing Ansible integration, even dynamically allocating infrastructure as part of the refresh itself.
Transforming SAP System Refreshes
How Avantra replaces slow, manual runbooks with predictable, automated workflows.
| Before | With Avantra |
|---|---|
| 50+ page runbook of manual steps | Workflow that runs end-to-end automatically |
| Days to weeks of basis team effort per refresh | Hours, mostly unattended |
| BDLS as a serial, multi-day technical process | BDLS runs in parallel, reducing runtime |
| Refresh quality depends on who's running it | Consistent every time |
| Refresh requests constrained by Basis availability | System Refresh becomes an ordinary IT task |
| Refresh frequency limited by cost and effort | Refresh on-demand, as often as the business needs it |
CASE-STUDY
Scotts Miracle-Gro’s Achieves a 95% Faster System Refresh
Managing massive SAP workloads on AWS, ScottsMiracle-Gro’s lean IT team struggled with manual, resource-heavy system refreshes that took 4 days and required 5 staff members. By implementing Avantra’s intelligent automation, they slashed refresh times down to just 4 hours. Today, a single engineer can simultaneously refresh up to five SAP systems, shifting their Basis team from reactive maintenance to high-value cloud innovation.
Trusted, hybrid observability and automation for SAP Ops—from ground to cloud.
