SAP S/4HANA On-Premise Release Upgrade Checklist
This checklist covers upgrading SAP S/4HANA on-premise from one release to a newer one, for example 2021 to 2023, using Maintenance Planner and the Software Update Manager. It is not a conversion from ECC; it focuses on the delta between your current and target release.
0 of 33 items complete
9 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.
1. Planning
2. Custom code
3. Technical preparation
4. Execution with SUM
5. Post-upgrade
This is a release upgrade within S/4HANA, not an ECC conversion. Check names of check variants and SAP Notes for your target release; release specific details are published in the Upgrade Guide on help.sap.com.
Get your upgrade plan checked
Send us your current release, target release and add-on list and we will flag the prerequisites most likely to delay the SUM run.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use it
Start planning a few months ahead: the Simplification List, add-on compatibility and HANA revision can each force earlier work. Work through planning and custom code in parallel, run at least one full trial on a production copy, then schedule the production run with the measured downtime. Export the checklist per system so DEV, QA and production each have a signed record. The critical items are the ones that most often stop or delay a SUM run.
Where this lives in the system
Maintenance Planner on the SAP Support Portal builds the stack and stack.xml. The simplification item check runs as report /SDF/RC_START_CHECK in SE38 on the source system and lists items for the chosen target release. ATC (transaction ATC, often run centrally) uses the S4HANA_READINESS check variant for the target. SUM is run via its browser UI on the primary application server. SPDD, SPAU and SPAU_ENH are standard modification adjustment transactions; BTCTRNS1 and BTCTRNS2 are reports that suspend and release background jobs.
- /SDF/RC_START_CHECK: simplification item check.
- ATC: custom code readiness.
- SUM: the upgrade itself.
Worked example
An S/4HANA 2021 system with a hub Fiori front-end server is upgraded to 2023. Maintenance Planner flags one partner add-on that is not released, so the vendor ships a new version first. The simplification check reports two relevant items for the delta. ATC with the 2023 readiness variant finds 140 findings, but usage data shows only 30 are in code that runs. The trial run on a production copy gives a downtime of about one weekend, and the team schedules the production run accordingly.
Common mistakes
Forgetting the HANA revision prerequisite, discovering an unreleased add-on late, leaving jobs running into downtime, and skipping SPAU follow up in QA. Another frequent issue is the Fiori front-end server: an upgraded backend with an old FES can break apps, so plan the order with the compatibility information for your release.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the steps for an SAP S/4HANA upgrade?
Plan with the Upgrade Guide and Simplification List, build the stack in Maintenance Planner, check custom code with ATC, run /SDF/RC_START_CHECK, prepare the system (backups, queues, jobs), run SUM including SPDD, then do SPAU, post steps, Fiori updates and regression tests.
Where is the upgrade guide for SAP S/4HANA 2023?
On help.sap.com under SAP S/4HANA for the 2023 release, in the Upgrade and Conversion Guide documentation, together with the release information note. Use the guide for your exact target feature pack stack.
Do I need the simplification item check for a release upgrade?
Yes. Simplification items can be introduced between S/4HANA releases, and the check must pass before SUM continues. Run /SDF/RC_START_CHECK with the target release selected and fix errors before the trial run.
How long does an S/4HANA release upgrade take?
Projects often run a few months including testing, while technical downtime depends on database size, add-ons and the SUM options used. Measure downtime in a trial on a production copy rather than relying on estimates.
If you want your Basis and development team to ask questions about upgrade logs, ATC findings and simplification items in plain English on your own servers, we can set that up.
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