Moving SAP to the cloud is less about the cloud and more about the landscape you bring with you. These are the lessons I’d share with any team starting the journey.
1. Size from real data, not the old hardware
Use workload data from ST03N and HANA memory statistics to size VMs. The old servers were almost always oversized.
2. Use certified VM types only
SAP supports a specific list of Azure VM types for HANA. Check the SAP-certified list before you commit to a size — it saves an uncomfortable support call later.
3. Network latency matters more than you expect
Place application servers and the database in the same proximity placement group. A few milliseconds between tiers adds up across thousands of dialog steps.
4. Rehearse the cutover — twice
Run at least two full mock migrations. The first finds the problems; the second proves the fixes and gives you a realistic downtime estimate.
5. Plan operations on day one
Backups, monitoring, patching and access reviews need owners before go-live. The migration project ends; the operations don’t.
