With the release of the 2023 version of SAP Global Trade Services, edition for SAP HANA, the option to co-deploy on top of an SAP ERP system was re-introduced. It will undoubtedly become a popular deployment option. The co-deployment option will provide significantly lower TCO than a standalone implementation by letting the SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA ride-share on the same infrastructure as SAP S/4HANA. The primary target group for co-deployment is, however, small and medium-sized businesses with a limited number of users.

Let us look at some details and considerations you need to make before going with that option.

1. Why was it not possible before?

Previous versions of SAP GTS, for instance, SAP GTS 11.0, could be installed as an add-on on top of SAP ECC/SAP ERP. It could, however, not be installed as an add-on on top of SAP S/4HANA.

When the SAP GTS edition for SAP HANA 2020 was introduced, it could also not, despite running on the same SAP HANA Foundation, be co-deployed on top of SAP S/4HANA. SAP GTS and SAP S/4 HANA must use different and distinct sets of application objects. Unfortunately, conflicts existed between the two solutions, making co-deployment impossible and leaving customers with only one option: a standalone deployment.

With the 2023 release, efforts have been undertaken to establish a clear separation by renaming affected objects in SAP GTS. As an example, Database table /SAPSLL/LCLIC was used both in SAP S/4HANA and SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA. It has now been renamed in SAP GTS to /SAPSLL/LICHD. The database table /SAPSLL/LCLIC no longer exists in SAP GTS. Please be aware that only the name changed, not the table definition itself.

In addition, the name of the software component had to be changed from SLL-LEG to GTSCORE.

Also, the Application Component Hierarchy was changed from SLL-LEG * to FT-LEG*, and namespace /ECRS/ was turned into namespace /ECRG/ in SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA.

Custom Code will show a syntax error after conversion in case old objects are used, so this has to be taken care of by the conversion project. The change of the software component from SLL-LEG to GTSCORE is, therefore, modeled as a conversion. This means the old component is uninstalled, and the new one is installed.

As GTSCORE does not include the old database tables anymore, a SUM phase has been introduced to copy the content from the old ones to the new/renamed ones during the conversion.

Other objects not containing content, like data elements, have been replaced by semantically identical ones with a different name (often with *_N)

2. What are the prerequisites for co-deployment?

The minimum requirements for co-deployment are:

• SAP S/4HANA 2022 on SAP S/4HANA Foundation 2022 SP02
• SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA 2023 on SAP S/4HANA Foundation 2022 SP02

Co-deployment is available for both on-premises and Private Cloud edition installations of SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA. Co-deployment on earlier SAP S/4HANA versions than 2022 SP02 is not possible.

3. Are there any functional differences?

There are no functional differences between the two deployment options. This means that also, when co-deployed, SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA, can work as a hub, being connected to multiple ERP systems simultaneously.

4. Co-deployment vs. Embedded

Please be aware that there is a difference between co-deployment and an embedded solution. A co-deployed solution is installed as an add-on on a host system in a separate client. As a consequence, there are no integration simplifications. A co-deployed SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA must be integrated the same way towards SAP S/4HANA as if it were a standalone deployment. It can, however, and as already mentioned, also be connected to multiple ERP systems like SAP ECC or even non-SAP ERP systems.

5. Does Co-deployment introduce dependencies?

Yes, the co-deployment option introduces dependencies between S/4HANA and SAP GTS, edition for SAP S/$HANA  regarding upgradability and service packs. Due to the nature of SAP GTS, with frequent changes in legal regulations, a more frequent software update scheme than usual for an S/4HANA instance may be required.

Even though the SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA from the 2023 release has a release cycle that will be synchronized with SAP S/4HANA, it is less likely that you can skip the service packs in GTS than in S/4HANA due to mandatory legal changes imposed by customs authorities.

An upgrade of SAP S/4HANA and/or the underlying SAP HANA Foundation will also trigger an upgrade of the SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA.

6. What about operational interference?

You also need to be aware of the potential mutual interference between S/4HANA and SAP GTS when performing resource-intensive processes in either of the systems. This must, therefore, be reflected when performing system sizing of the common instance. No additional infrastructure is automatically provided when choosing the SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA PCE co-deployment option. If required, it can be ordered separately and will still offer a significantly lower TCO.

7. Possible Ways to Co-deployment

Customers running SAP ECC and SAP GTS as an add-on (for different clients) directly convert to SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA, on top of an SAP S/4HANA 2022 SP02 or higher version.

Customers not yet running SAP GTS can make a new installation on top of SAP S/4HANA 2022 SP02 or higher versions.

Existing SAP GTS Standalone customers can install SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA, on top of SAP S/4HANA 2022 SP02 or higher, with DMLT Services (Data Management and Landscape Transformation Services) for the migration of data from the existing SAP GTS (11.0 or earlier).

For more details on transition paths, please see How to Make the Transition from SAP GTS 11.0 to SAP Global Trade Services, edition for SAP HANA 2023

8. Consequences for SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA 2020

The 2020 release can not be supported on a SAP S/4HANA Foundation higher than 2021. The reason is that SAP S/4HANA Foundation 2022 is a prerequisite to trigger the conversion process in SUM to rename the tables. If a customer starts the upgrade from 2020 to 2023 release with SAP S/4HANA Foundation 2022 already installed, the SUM phase will not be executed, leading to a data loss.

For more information on SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA, and how to get it running, please check out the blog here.