SAP HANA Revision and SPS Upgrade Checklist (hdblcm, step by step)
This checklist walks through updating SAP HANA 2.0 to a new revision or SPS with hdblcm, from choosing the target revision to updating clients on every application server. Tick it off in the browser and export it to PDF or Excel as a change record.
0 of 37 items complete
10 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.
1. Planning
2. Preparation
3. Execution
4. Post-update checks
5. Rollback and documentation
Critical items block go-ahead. Verify parameter names and hdblcm options in the SAP HANA Server Installation and Update Guide for your target SPS.
Get your HANA update plan reviewed
Send your current and target revision, OS and applications and we will check compatibility and the update sequence.
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How to use it
Work through the groups in order and do not start execution until every critical item in planning and preparation is ticked. The planning group is where most failed updates start: an application that does not support the target SPS, or an operating system release that is not supported for it. Preparation proves you can go back, with verified backups and a recorded starting version. Execution covers both a standard update and the near-zero downtime approach with system replication. Post-update checks include the HANA client on application servers, which is the step most often forgotten and causes errors days later. Export the finished list as evidence for change management.
- Run it once on a sandbox or QA system before production
- Keep the hdblcm logs with the change record
- Record the revision in both SYSTEMDB and tenants
Revision strategy and compatibility
SAP Note 2378962 describes the SAP HANA 2.0 revision and maintenance strategy: SPS releases bring features, and maintenance revisions within an SPS bring fixes. Production systems usually move to a maintenance revision of a recent SPS rather than the first revision of a new one. Before choosing, check application requirements: S/4HANA and BW releases have minimum and supported HANA SPS levels in their notes and in the Product Availability Matrix. SAP Note 2235581 lists the supported operating systems for each HANA release. An unsupported OS combination is a hard stop, and may mean an OS upgrade has to happen first, in its own window.
Running hdblcm
The update runs as root with hdblcm, either from the extracted SAP_HANA_DATABASE directory of the new media or with the resident hdblcm in /hana/shared/<SID>/hdblcm. hdblcm --action=update starts the interactive update, where you choose the components to update; the graphical and web interfaces offer the same flow. Update server, client and add-on components (such as AFL and LCAPPS) together so their revisions match. With system replication, the secondary may run a higher revision than the primary, which is what allows the near-zero downtime sequence: update the secondary, take over, update the old primary and re-register it. Log files of each run are written under /var/tmp.
Gotchas after the update
The HANA client on ABAP application servers is installed separately from the server, usually under /usr/sap/<SID>/hdbclient, and must be updated with its own installer from the client SAR. Check the secure store with hdbuserstore LIST. Run the mini checks from the SQL statement collection in SAP Note 1969700 before and after, so new warnings stand out. Take a fresh full backup because recovery across a revision change follows rules in the guide. A HANA update cannot be uninstalled: rollback means restore or snapshot, which is why preparation matters most.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the SAP HANA revision upgrade steps?
Choose the target revision per SAP Note 2378962, check application and OS support, take and verify a full backup, download and extract the SAR files, run hdblcm --action=check_installation, then hdblcm --action=update as root. Afterwards verify the version, run mini checks, update clients on application servers and take a new backup.
How do I upgrade the HANA client in SAP?
On each ABAP application server, extract the SAP HANA client SAR and run its installer (hdbinst or hdbsetup) into the client directory used by the system, typically /usr/sap/<SID>/hdbclient. Check hdbuserstore LIST still works and restart the application server so the work processes load the new client libraries.
Can I update HANA without downtime?
With system replication you can reduce downtime to a takeover: update the secondary first, take over, then update the former primary and register it as the new secondary. Applications see a short interruption during takeover. Without replication, a standard update needs a restart and application downtime.
Can I roll back a HANA revision update?
Not in place. hdblcm does not downgrade a database. Rollback means restoring the pre-update data backup and logs or reverting a storage or VM snapshot taken before the update. With system replication, keep the not-yet-updated side until the updated side is validated.
If you want your Basis team to ask HANA about versions, alerts and update readiness in plain English on your own servers, we can set that up.
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