As you know, SAP provides mainstream maintenance for its SAP Commerce Cloud solution. What happens at the end of the mainstream maintenance (EoMM) period? On EoMM, SAP will no longer release any updated patch for the specific SAP Commerce Cloud version.
As a SAP Commerce Cloud customer, you can choose to run the unsupported software or upgrade to the latest or supported version. Unsupported versions can cause problems like:
- Build errors
- Security-related issues
- SAP contract breach
- Upgrade or renewal-related issues
In a recent notification, SAP made an important announcement about their EoMM policies. As per the latest terms and conditions for SAP Commerce Cloud, customers can only use the Cloud Service version that provides the current maintenance and support.
How does EoMM impact your business and how can you prepare for it? Let’s discuss this in this blog.
What is EoMM and how does it impact your business?
For any SAP product or service, the company provides mainstream maintenance after the product version has exited the SAP Early Adopter Care (EAC) program. EoMM refers to the point when SAP can no longer do technology updates or software patches for the specific product version. Post-EoMM, SAP provides support only for product releases that are under mainstream maintenance.
For the SAP Commerce Cloud, the company will apply support restrictions until the version has been upgraded to the current version under the mainstream maintenance program. The table below shows the Commerce Cloud version and the date till they can be deployed.
| SAP Commerce Cloud version |
The date when SAP will stop the support |
| 1905 | 31st March 2023 |
| 2005 | 31st March 2023 |
| 2011 | 31st March 2023 |
| 2105 | 31st August 2023 |
| 2205 | 31st May 2024 |
For SAP Commerce on-premise releases, the dates are as follows
| Release Version | End of Mainstream Maintenance |
| 2205 | No date announced (This version will be supported for customers with an active maintenance agreement until a release of a new SAP Commerce on-premise version is required due to a major component or library update. In this event, SAP will provide six months’ notice prior to the release of the new version and twelve months’ notice prior to this version becoming EOMM. |
| 2105 | August 19, 2023 |
| 2011 | March 31, 2023 |
| 2005 | March 31, 2023 |
| 1905 | March 31, 2023 |
With these details, you can plan your SAP Commerce Cloud implementation or upgrade. There are two possible scenarios:
- Upgrade to the latest Commerce Cloud version 2205.
- Continue running on the current Commerce Cloud version without any patches, bug fixes, or limited support for adding new functionality.
For the best outcome, you should opt for the upgrade option using the following best practices:
- Execute the Upgrade process as any normal project delivery.
- Access the product roadmap to view the potential features and enhancements planned for future releases.
- Make a list of product features that are likely to be deprecated – and how that will impact your business.
- Check for version compatibility with third-party tools that you have installed.
- Assign specific roles and responsibilities to team members to support the upgrade process.
Alternatively, you can adopt the “Hygrade” methodology by Sapours. Let’s discuss this approach in the next section.
How Sapours HyGrade solution can help
HyGrade is a template-based SAP Commerce upgrade solution designed for managing EoMM situations. With this solution, Sapours adopts the following 5-step approach for upgrading your SAP Commerce tool to the next version:
Planning:
This step comprises the following core activities:
- Testing the core module functionalities
- Assessing the “As-is” 2205 features
- Providing specific functionality needs
- Defining the testing plan and strategy
- Identifying the required integration-related changes
At the end of this step, companies get:
- A detailed Project Plan
- Requirement collection checklist
- Test cases
- Cutover plan
GAP Analysis + POC:
This comprises the following core activities:
- Assessment of any deprecated APIs and modules
- Identifying the code changes required to utilize the new APIs
- Performing the POC for the existing OOTB modules
- Estimating the level of code changes
After the GAP analysis + POC, organizations get access to
- Requirement Checklist
- Code estimation and sprint plan
- GoLive checklist
Code migration and deployment:
It comprises the following core activities:
- Refactoring the code of independent function modules
- Unit testing of all the code changes
- Deploying the code modifications
- Preparing the test environment
The code migration and deployment step include the following deliverables:
- Migrated code
- Testing environment
Testing and bug fixing:
Includes the following core activities:
- Setting up a parallel Hybris environment.
- Executing the regression test cases.
- Reporting and fixing bugs.
- Performing integration and stress testing.
- Conducting UAT
- Getting the sign-off from the project stakeholders.
- Migrating the data.
Once this is done, the code is deployed on production, and the migration document is prepared.
Transitioning and Support:
This comprises the following core activities:
- Fixing critical bugs if any.
- Completing knowledge transfer to the existing customer support team.
- Supporting the business with new functionalities.
The objective of this step is to also prepare
- Business user guide
- Transition sign-off document
- Support-related activities
Conclusion
SAP customers must seek to extract the best outcomes from their SAP Commerce Cloud solution. For assured maintenance, they should choose to upgrade their Commerce Cloud solution at the end of the mainstream maintenance.
At Sapours, we offer the template-based HyGrade solution that simplifies the upgrade process for Commerce Cloud. As an experienced SAP partner, we have enabled global companies to maximize their returns from SAP investments. Here is what our customers have to say about us.
Connect with us for answers to any query about SAP Commerce Cloud.