SAP HANA Cloud Forced Upgrades & Scheduled Maintenance Windows
- VIVEK SAHU
- Mar 7
- 3 min read
Maintenance Windows
SAP HANA Cloud undergoes weekly scheduled maintenance for optimal performance and security. Major upgrades occur during designated windows, minimizing disruptions. Essential tasks include patch installations, security updates, and performance tuning, which don't always cause downtime. This proactive approach keeps the cloud infrastructure robust, secure, and up-to-date, ensuring reliability for users. Find out more information here.
Forceful Upgrade of SAP HANA Cloud Instance
A forced upgrade is a process where SAP automatically upgrades a HANA database version to a more recent release.
Expected Behaviour:
During a forced upgrade, an in-place upgrade is executed, leading to a restart of the affected instance. As the system re-establishes its in-memory structures, a performance ramp-up period is expected. This process does not facilitate an off-place upgrade or utilize a shadow process, commonly referred to as a near-zero downtime upgrade, despite these modes being configured in SAP HANA Cloud Central. Consequently, this enforced upgrade approach results in complete downtime, contrasting with more seamless upgrade methods.
Primary Objectives:
Security: Enhance protection against vulnerabilities.
Functionality: Introduce new features.
Efficiency: Improve performance and workflow.
Scheduling and Notification:
Maintenance Window: Automatic upgrades occur within a predefined maintenance window.
Notification: Customers are informed in advance about the maintenance window.
Tool: Use the Cloud System Notification Subscriptions tool (CSNS) to configure notifications regarding forced upgrades as well as planned and unplanned downtimes
Use of MUW: SAP typically schedules forced upgrades during the regular major upgrade window (MUW).
Exceptional Cases:
Severe Incidents: SAP may deviate from the MUW schedule for immediate action in case of critical issues affecting customers.
Out-of-Maintenance Versions:
Upgrade to New QRC: SAP will perform a forced upgrade for instances running on out-of-maintenance Quick Release Cycle (QRC) versions during a MUW.
MUW Selection: The specific MUW will be chosen based on the overall maintenance load.
No Guarantee: An immediate upgrade in the next MUW after the end of maintenance is not guaranteed.
Customer Responsibility:
Proactive Upgrades: Customers are advised not to rely solely on forced upgrades and should proactively upgrade their systems in advance. Upgrading in a regular cycle provides several benefits:
You can choose the date of the upgrade.
You can choose to upgrade without the need to restart the instance (you can avoid downtime using the option of a near-zero downtime upgrade).
You can test new features and changes introduced in the new QRC version in advance.
You can keep your instances up-to-date with the latest security patches and bug fixes.
Update Releases and System Support
Release Cycle:
- New version of SAP HANA Cloud released every three months.
- Releases occur at the end of every quarter.
Version Identification:
- Quarterly Release Cycle (QRC) reference used for identification.
- Format: QRC <Quarter>/<Year> (e.g., QRC 1/2024).
- Technical version number format: <Year>.<Calendar Week>.<Patch Number> (e.g., 2024.2.3).
Maintenance Period:
- Each QRC update is maintained for seven months.
- Software patches for bug fixes and improvements are available during this period.
Patch Installation:
- Patches can be installed by administrators at their convenience.
- Patches are accessible from within SAP HANA Cloud Central.
Support After Maintenance Period:
- After seven months, a QRC is still supported but no longer maintained with patches.
- To use an actively maintained version, customers must update to a newer QRC version.
- SAP will continue to provide the support defined in your contract for all available QRC versions, including those that are out of maintenance.
I hope that the information provided will serve as a valuable guide for the seamless operation of your SAP HANA Cloud instance, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted experience.
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