SAP BW/4HANA Starter Add-On is delivered as an SAP NetWeaver add-on. When the add-on is imported on an SAP NetWeaver installation, the system is in Compatibility Mode. Object types, processes and user interfaces in existing scenarios are still tolerated in this mode, but new scenarios must be implemented with the new SAP HANA-optimized object types, processes, and interfaces.

To enable a system to work properly with these simplified and SAP HANA-optimized scenarios, you can switch it to SAP BW/4HANA mode, which is known as B4H mode.

The Ready-for-Conversion mode that is used to perform the technical system conversion. In emergency situations, you can also revert the system to BW Mode.

Existing scenarios and the BI Content can contain objects that are not supported in SAP BW/4HANA. However, in SAP BW/4HANA Starter add-on, these objects are still tolerated in compatibility mode (unlike in B4H mode).

To switch from compatibility mode to B4H mode, you first need to replace these objects by the relevant successor objects (or transfer these objects to the successor objects). You can also delete the old objects if they are no longer needed. The B4H is a temporary mode, which should only be used to perform further cleanups, to ensure that the system achieves a state that permits a switch to the Ready-for-Conversion mode. The Ready-for-Conversion mode is only used on a temporary basis – immediately before the conversion of system to SAP BW/4HANA.

1.      BW Mode

A system in BW mode operates the same way as an SAP BW system without the SAP BW/4HANA Starter Add-on. It should be necessary to revert to BW mode only in exceptional cases.

2.      Compatibility Mode

For a system in Compatibility mode, the following rules apply:

Objects that have unsupported object types cannot be created using user interfaces or Abdias.

“Creating” objects that have unsupported object types is possible using one of the following methods:

Importing scenarios with objects that have unsupported object types from an SAP BW system

• Existing scenarios can continue running as before.

3.      B4H Mode

The following applies to a system in B4H mode:

No new objects with unsupported object types can be created.

The SAP BEx tools cannot be used anymore.

4.      Ready-for-Conversion Mode

The following applies to a system in Ready-For-Conversion mode:

All system-wide cleanup operations have been successfully completed.

Note: Do not implement any support packages when the system is in Ready-for-Conversion