What is CI/CD for SAP?
CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION/CONTINUOUS DELIVERY (CI/CD) ENABLES BETTER, MORE FREQUENT DELIVERY OF SAP CHANGEContinuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) uses automation to enable software to be delivered faster, more frequently, and at higher quality. Automation is used to enforce testing in development and preproduction, as well as to move software through the pipeline from development to deployment. This results in shifting quality left, so that developers take responsibility for quality and fix errors earlier in the pipeline. Automated software delivery is a foundational element of most DevOps workflows, providing the safety and efficiency needed to move at speed.
SAP has traditionally been separated from other software development because of its unique technical architecture. However, it is possible to build a CI/CD pipeline for SAP and integrate it with wider CI/CD tool chains using SAP change orchestrator, ActiveControl.
Why Adopt CI/CD for SAP?
Adopting CI/CD for SAP helps to strip the waste from the software development and delivery pipeline. Manual processes for quality control are replaced with automation, enabling faster development, more frequent deployment, and higher code quality.
Faster Innovation
Adopting CI/CD workflows in SAP development enables you to reliably develop new software much more quickly, thanks to automated quality checks. As a result, you can respond more quickly to customer requests or changes in the market. Customers are happier when they don’t have to wait for new features or fixes, and your business is stronger when you can innovate faster.
Less Effort
Traditionally, SAP releases have been infrequent updates, because of the manual work involved in validating the release. With automated software quality checks and delivery processes, manual work is eliminated. This creates a virtuous circle where change can be safely deployed more often, which makes releases simpler, and means there’s even less need for manual work because there’s no longer a need for rework.
Fewer Defects
The promise of CI/CD is that software delivery is faster without compromising on quality. With automation, unit testing can be enforced for every change, and analyzers can run automatically for code quality, dependencies, and security. With less manual effort there are less likely to be errors.
Better Visibility
Adopting a CI/CD pipeline for SAP makes a consolidated view of development possible. It enables the same tools – such as Jira and ServiceNow – to be used to track the progress of SAP change as are used for other software. Business users can easily see and understand the status of all changes, and it’s easier to coordinate changes that span SAP and non-SAP software.
How does CI/CD for SAP work?
To enable a CI/CD pipeline in SAP requires automation software designed especially for the SAP environment. ActiveControl acts as an SAP change orchestrator, enforcing automated testing and connecting to mainstream change requirements and DevOps delivery tools. ActiveControl has out of the box integration with popular tools such as Azure DevOps, Jenkins, and GitLab, as well as APIs and Node-RED compatibility for connecting to other tools.
Using ActiveControl, you can build a CI/CD pipeline for SAP and integrate it with your non-SAP CI/CD pipeline.
Key Features of CI/CD for SAP
To implement a CI/CD pipeline in SAP requires an SAP-specific approach. Using ActiveControl you can integrate with standard tools for change requests and DevOps delivery, and enforce consistent testing to increase code quality.
End-to-end SAP automation
From development to production release, manual processes can be automated. That includes analysis, approvals, sequencing of transports, resolving dependencies, deployment, and reporting. As a result, human intervention is only used where it’s adding value. The result is faster SAP change, with less risk of human error.
Powerful analysis
The automated SAP change process is controlled by more than 70 analyzers in ActiveControl. You can automatically enforce checks for risk, quality, impact, and dependencies. Comprehensive and automated analysis supports a shift-left quality strategy, and dramatically cuts the risk of errors in production systems.
Fully integrated
Most modern organizations already use a change orchestrator to enable CI/CD across their broader IT landscape, but have yet to bring it into SAP. From requirements management, through testing, and into final deployment, CI/CD for SAP, powered by automation, enables you to connect all the tools you need in a robust, repeatable, and reliable automated workflow.
Quality built in
Automated testing is indispensable for an effective CI/CD pipeline. The automation ensures that the testing is consistently carried out, so there is confidence in the quality of code passing through the pipeline. Automated testing also ensures that errors are caught promptly, so bugs can be fixed before software leaves development. The responsibility for quality shifts left, to developers, and manual testing processes (and the associated delay) are stripped away. For a real CI/CD pipeline, testing and quality control are built into a connected, automated workflow.
Cross-application pipelines
When you integrate your SAP change control solution with your DevOps delivery management tool (such as Jenkins, GitLab, or GitHub), you have a single workflow to orchestrate change across multiple systems, including SAP. Without the need for manual updates, there is improved visibility. Having a streamlined, consistent process across SAP and non-SAP development stops SAP from slowing down multi-application updates.
Enables DevOps
Organizations that have a DevOps culture need the automation of CI/CD to enable smooth collaboration across the software development and delivery lifecycle. CI/CD also supports agile processes, where requirements are delivered in smaller sprints, which can be continuously integrated into the codebase.
John Deere Uses ActiveControl to Achieve an Agile SAP Transformation
John Deere partnered with Basis Technologies to bring an SAP DevOps vision to life with a fully integrated, event-driven change process that improves quality, reduces risk and delivers value to customers faster.
How to Get Started
Automation Purpose-Built for SAP
ActiveControl SAP Automation Technology
Implementing agile development for your SAP environments is easier than you might think. The key is having the right tools in place. Basis Technologies’ products, such as ActiveControl, are specifically designed to enable automation and agile development within SAP.
The best way to get started with ActiveControl is to talk to experts who understand agile development and the challenges of SAP. With over 700 years of combined experience with SAP and agile development, our team understands your SAP challenges and is well equipped to help you achieve your business goals.
Learn More About CI/CD for SAP
Bringing CI/CD to SAP: A Step-by-Step Guide
Watch the webinar for a step-by-step guide on how to enable CI/CD workflows in SAP.
Ericsson Implements DevOps for SAP
Read this case study to find out how Ericsson has bridged the gap and fully integrated SAP into the CI/CD pipeline with ActiveControl.
A Practical Guide to DevOps for SAP
Built on the foundations of agile development, discover how to leverage automation tools to enable DevOps for SAP environments.
Yes, You Can Implement CI/CD for SAP
Learn More About How ActiveControl Makes It Possible
