Case Study SAP S/4HANA Migration on AWS: Modernizing Tech Infrastructure
How we migrated a technology firm to SAP S/4HANA on AWS, enhancing database performance, security, and analytics capabilities.
The Client
Unlocking agility through enterprise core modernization.
The client is a reputed midsized technology solutions provider. The company manages complex client services, software deployment pipelines, and global support structures. To coordinate their internal resource planning, client billing, and operational reporting, the firm relies on SAP as their core ERP platform.
For years, the client operated on a legacy SAP ECC instance. While this system supported their initial growth, it became slow and difficult to maintain as business transaction volume scaled. Custom code extensions and fragmented databases caused reporting delays, preventing leadership from getting real-time insights into utilization rates and service profitability.
To establish a scalable platform for future expansion, the client decided to migrate to SAP S/4HANA. They partnered with Intelegencia to manage the technical migration, database modernization, and cloud transition to AWS with minimal disruption to their active business operations.
The Challenge
Transitioning to a modern database engine without business disruption.
Before the migration, the client’s legacy SAP ECC system was running on an aging on-premises database. The system suffered from frequent performance bottlenecks, especially during end-of-month financial closing cycles. Critical reports took hours to generate, and database write queues created lock contentions that slowed down operations.
Furthermore, the client needed to enhance their data analytics capabilities to support agile decision-making. Their existing data model was too fragmented to feed modern BI dashboards, requiring manual data exports and spreadsheets. They needed a clean transition to SAP S/4HANA on AWS, but system dependencies and custom code configurations created a high risk of downtime during the cutover phase.
Client wanted to modernize and optimize SAP systems for improved agility, ensuring minimal disruption.
Needed to enhance data analytics capabilities to support better business decision-making.
Legacy database limitations caused slow query times and delayed reporting.
High database dependencies and custom configurations increased migration risks.
What our audit found
Uncovering code compatibility issues and database index bottlenecks.
Our engineering team performed a detailed system assessment before beginning the migration. The diagnostic showed that the client's legacy database had accumulated significant duplicate records and unnecessary tables over a decade of operation. These redundant files increased the size of the database index, slowing down query speeds.
Additionally, we identified several compatibility conflicts between the legacy SAP ECC custom code and the new SAP S/4HANA database structures. Without cleansing the data and adapting the custom logic, migrating directly would cause database query failures and system crashes in the new environment.
Unstructured legacy database tables increased the overall size of the target migration payload.
Code compatibility conflicts between legacy customization and the S/4HANA schema.
Data dependency bottlenecks that risked causing extended business downtime during migration.
Inconsistent data models that prevented accurate analytics and real-time reporting.
The Solution
How we turned it around.
Database cleansing, validation, and migration planning
To ensure a clean migration, we designed an assessment and planning phase. We analyzed the client’s legacy SAP data, mapping out dependencies and identifying custom configurations. We developed database validation scripts to clean and deduplicate records before the transfer, reducing the migration database size.
This phase included a database transformation plan. We restructured legacy data models to align with SAP S/4HANA's column-based database architecture. By mapping and testing data schemas in sandbox environments, we validated data consistency and minimized the risk of corruption.
What we shipped
- Performed detailed system audits to identify custom configurations and dependencies.
- Cleansed and deduplicated legacy database tables to minimize migration payload.
- Restructured legacy data models for column-based S/4HANA databases.
- Built a detailed sandbox simulation environment to test migration workflows.
Technical code conversion and S/4HANA migration
With the database cleansed, we executed the technical transition to SAP S/4HANA. Our team adapted custom code, configurations, and reports to work with the updated database architecture. We converted legacy database queries into optimized SQL statements to prevent runtime errors.
We migrated the systems using AWS Migration Hub to coordinate the replication process. We conducted validation tests throughout the transition, ensuring all custom interfaces and third-party integrations functioned correctly on the new database engine.
What we shipped
- Rewrote legacy custom code to align with S/4HANA database guidelines.
- Configured and deployed the SAP S/4HANA target database environment.
- Replicated databases using AWS Migration Hub to manage the data flow.
- Verified that all external interfaces and billing integrations functioned.
Deploying AWS Cloud Infrastructure and Optimization
To support the updated SAP environment, we designed and deployed a secure cloud infrastructure on AWS. We set up Amazon EC2 instances optimized for memory-heavy SAP workloads and configured Amazon RDS to manage database storage with high availability and automated backups.
We configured the environment with robust AWS security controls, including VPC segmentation, end-to-end data encryption, and IAM access policies. We optimized network configurations between AWS databases and client offices to ensure fast query response times.
What we shipped
- Deployed memory-optimized Amazon EC2 instances for SAP database workloads.
- Structured Amazon RDS to manage transaction data with automated failover.
- Configured security policies, VPC segmentation, and data encryption.
- Optimized network pathways to minimize query latency for remote users.
The Numbers
Outcomes we can talk about.
The migration of the client's ERP platform to SAP S/4HANA on AWS resolved their operational bottlenecks and provided a stable core for future business growth. The transition from legacy databases to S/4HANA enabled real-time data analytics and reporting, allowing management to make faster decisions.
System performance improved across all SAP transactions, with a significant reduction in query response times and system downtime. The use of AWS services and migration tools helped the team handle database complexity and system dependencies, ensuring a smooth, low-risk transition.
Note on Metrics: Due to the client's strict security guidelines and the internal nature of the ERP migration, quantitative performance metrics were restricted from public release. The success of the project was measured qualitatively by the successful migration of all custom business code, the elimination of monthly reporting delays, and the client's ability to run real-time analytics without performance impact.
What We Built
What's Next
Implementing automated predictive analytics and data warehousing.
Following the successful AWS cloud migration, the next phase will focus on scaling the client's data capabilities. We plan to integrate the SAP S/4HANA database with an AWS-based data warehouse, enabling cross-departmental business intelligence.
Additionally, we are exploring the rollout of machine learning models on AWS to analyze historical transaction records, helping the client forecast resource utilization and optimize staffing allocations.
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Project
The questions teams usually ask when they want to run a similar engagement.
AWS offers memory-optimized cloud instances and databases designed specifically for memory-heavy SAP workloads, providing high scalability, reliability, and security compared to on-premises servers.
The Real Numbers
Need real numbers? Let's talk.
We kept the names off the page. The story is real, the outcomes are real, and we're always happy to walk a serious team through the rest of it.
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