Why Migrate Now?

SAP BW 7.5 (on SAP HANA or AnyDB) is under mainstream maintenance until 2027, with extended maintenance until 2030. While you technically have time, the reality is that migrations of this scale take 18–36 months for complex landscapes. The organizations starting today will be best positioned.

The introduction of SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) in 2025 changes the calculus significantly. BDC is not just BW in the cloud — it is a unified platform combining:

  • SAP Datasphere for data integration, modeling and governance
  • SAP Analytics Cloud for planning, reporting and AI-assisted analytics
  • SAP Data Marketplace for curated external data
  • Embedded AI/ML capabilities for predictive analytics

"The question is not whether to migrate from BW 7.5, but whether to go to BW/4HANA first as a stepping stone, or jump directly to Business Data Cloud. The answer depends on your timeline, budget and technical complexity."

Migration Paths: The Decision Tree

Based on project experience, there are three migration paths to consider:

Path A: BW 7.5 → BW/4HANA → BDC (Two-step)

Best for: Organizations with very complex BW landscapes (1000+ InfoProviders), requiring maximum continuity

  • Step 1: Shell Conversion or In-place Migration to BW/4HANA
  • Step 2: Federate BW/4HANA with Datasphere, then progressively move workloads to BDC
  • Pros: Lower risk per step, proven SAP tooling, well-documented path
  • Cons: Higher total cost, longer timeline (3–5 years)

Path B: BW 7.5 → Datasphere/BDC (Direct)

Best for: Organizations starting new reporting domains, or with simpler BW landscapes

  • Re-build key data models natively in Datasphere
  • Keep BW 7.5 for legacy critical reports during transition
  • Pros: Cleaner architecture, modern approach, lower TCO long-term
  • Cons: Significant rebuild effort, requires Datasphere expertise

Path C: Hybrid co-existence

Best for: Most large enterprises

  • Maintain BW/4HANA (migrated from 7.5) for critical SAP-source processes
  • Use Datasphere for new data products and non-SAP integrations
  • Both federated into SAP Analytics Cloud for unified reporting

Phase 1 — Landscape Assessment & Preparation

1

BW Content Inventory

Use transaction RSA1 and RSBATCH to catalog all active InfoProviders, Process Chains, and DataSources. The SAP BW/4HANA Migration Cockpit (BWMT) provides automated analysis of migration readiness and flags incompatible objects.

2

Usage Analysis

Analyze which InfoProviders, queries and reports are actually used vs. those that are dormant. In most BW landscapes, 30–50% of objects have not been used in over 12 months. This is your opportunity to rationalize — do not migrate dead objects.

3

Dependency Mapping

Map all upstream DataSources and downstream consumers (SAP Analysis for Office, Web Intelligence, SAC). This determines the migration sequence and prevents breaking active reports during transition.

4

Data Volume Assessment

Measure data volumes per InfoProvider. This informs your infrastructure sizing for Datasphere/BDC and helps estimate migration transfer times. Compress and archive historical data before migration where possible.

Phase 2 — Technical Migration to BW/4HANA

If following Path A or C, the BW 7.5 → BW/4HANA migration uses SAP's Shell Conversion approach:

Shell Conversion Workflow

  1. Install SAP BW/4HANA in a new system (or convert in-place if on HANA)
  2. Run the BW/4HANA Migration Cockpit — it auto-converts most BW objects:
    • InfoCubes → aDSO (Advanced DataStore Objects)
    • Classic DSOs (Write-Optimized, Standard) → aDSO
    • MultiProviders → CompositeProviders
    • DataStore Objects → Open ODS Views
  3. Handle exceptions manually — typically 10–20% of objects need manual rework
  4. Migrate Process Chains — most convert automatically, custom ABAP routines need review
  5. Convert BEx Queries — many will work as-is, but BEx variables with custom exits need ABAP updates
⚠ Common Risk

Non-cumulative key figures (Inventory, Headcount snapshots) have special handling in BW/4HANA. Test these thoroughly — the aggregation behavior with aDSOs differs from InfoCubes. Budget extra time for Finance and HR inventory-type KPIs.

Phase 3 — Datasphere Integration & BDC Onboarding

Connecting BW/4HANA to Datasphere

SAP provides native connectivity between BW/4HANA and Datasphere via the BW Bridge feature. This allows you to:

  • Access BW/4HANA InfoProviders directly from Datasphere as remote tables
  • Expose BW Calculation Views as data assets in Datasphere
  • Keep BW/4HANA as the "system of record" while Datasphere adds enrichment from other sources

Building New Data Products in Datasphere

For each BW/4HANA InfoProvider you want to eventually sunset, the process in Datasphere is:

  1. Create a Data Flow to replicate/transform source data (S/4HANA CDS Views, ODP extractors)
  2. Build a Dimension View (master data) and Fact View (transactional data) in the Graphical View Builder
  3. Create an Analytical Dataset combining dimensions and facts
  4. Expose via Consumption Model for SAC Live Connection
  5. Validate results against existing BW reports (parallel running period minimum 4 weeks)
Pro Tip

SAP S/4HANA CDS Views (Core Data Services) are the recommended source for Datasphere instead of BW DataSources. They provide semantic-rich, pre-modeled data directly from S/4HANA. Check the SAP Analytics Cloud Content Catalog — many Finance CDS views are ready-made and free to use.

Phase 4 — Reporting Migration

Migrating BEx Reports to SAC

SAP provides the BEx Query Migration Tool in SAC. It automatically converts many BEx query structures into SAC models. Key considerations:

  • Simple BEx queries with standard filter/drill-down → auto-migrate well
  • Complex calculated key figures with ABAP formulas → require manual rebuild in SAC
  • BEx Workbooks (Excel) → migrate to Analysis for Office or SAC Spreadsheet

Migrating Web Intelligence Reports

If you have a SAP BusinessObjects landscape (Web Intelligence), migration to SAC Stories is a rebuild effort, not a conversion. Prioritize reports by usage frequency and business criticality. A Universe-to-Datasphere Semantic Layer migration path is available for BI 4.x universes.

Realistic Timeline & Budget Considerations

Based on field experience, here are realistic estimates:

Landscape SizeTimeline (Path A)Timeline (Path B)
Small (<200 InfoProviders)12–18 months8–14 months
Medium (200–800 InfoProviders)18–30 months14–24 months
Large (>800 InfoProviders)30–48 months24–36 months

Conclusion & Key Takeaways

Migrating from SAP BW 7.5 to SAP Business Data Cloud is a significant undertaking, but the business case is compelling: lower TCO, modern architecture, embedded AI, and alignment with SAP's strategic direction.

The key success factors I've observed across multiple migrations:

  • Start with assessment, not implementation — understand your landscape before building your roadmap
  • Rationalize ruthlessly — migrate only what delivers business value
  • Run in parallel — validate new models against existing BW reports for at least 4–8 weeks
  • Train your team early — Datasphere and SAC require different skills than classic BW
  • Plan for the reporting layer too — migrating the data is only half the work

Planning a BW 7.5 migration? Get in touch — I offer landscape assessments and migration roadmap consulting.