Upgrade now to SAP Identity Management 8.0

Support for Version 7.2 ended in 2018

by ASCONSIT | Published on 13. September 2018

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Are you currently using SAP NetWeaver Identity Management 7.2 to manage the identities and permissions of your SAP system landscape? If so, you should upgrade to version 8.0 now – support for version 7.2 was discontinued at the end of 2018. SAP will no longer provide any product or security updates.

Upgrading to SAP Identity Management 8.0 has several decisive advantages for businesses:

  • The SAP Identity Management Development Studio is the first ever Eclipse-based development environment, allowing SAP IdM to be configured independently of any platform. This eliminates the previous restriction to Windows-based systems.
  • Functions such as autocompletion and program syntax highlighting improve development quality and simplify troubleshooting, which is often one of the most time-consuming aspects of SAP IdM 7.2. Processes can now be modelled graphically according to the BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation).
  • Unlike SAP IdM 7.x, IdM processes can now be developed and configured using modular packages. Specific packages can be authorized for certain developers only, and multiple users can work simultaneously on the same system (version control). Furthermore, an improved transport system with version history offers improved support for revision operations when modifying existing IdM processes compared to SAP IdM 7.2.
  • Thanks to its new provisioning framework, SAP Identity Management 8.0 can now connect with various cloud systems, such as SuccessFactors. Other systems can be integrated via custom connectors or the default connectors supplied for SAP Cloud Identity or SCIM 2.0 (e.g. Concur and Google G Suite). The Lotus Notes connector has been completely reworked and is now Java-based, since the Windows Runtime is no longer supported with SAP IdM 8.0.

There are two ways to upgrade from IdM 7.2 to 8.0:

1) Quick upgrade

The quick upgrade option simply migrates the configuration of SAP Identity Management 7.2 on an existing system to version 8.0. This ensures that support for the existing SAP IdM system is resumed by SAP IdM 8.0 within a reasonable timeframe and minimal costs. The existing configuration and provisioning framework are essentially just reused. However, this option does not fully take advantage of the benefits that a clean configuration of IdM 8.0 provides. Subsequent projects can still be planned and implemented with the new features of version 8.0.

2) Clean upgrade

The clean upgrade option installs SAP IdM 8.0 on a fresh system. Your existing configuration is then imported, divided into packages, and converted into the new naming scheme. The new installation of IdM uses the latest version of the SAP provisioning framework, allowing you to take full advantage of cloud system connectivity. This improves the maintainability and the range of features available for future development compared to the quick upgrade option.

To help you plan your upgrade, ASCONSIT offers both an SAP IdM 8.0 Upgrade Review package at an affordable fixed price and more comprehensive feasibility studies for more detailed planning and cost estimates. Just give us a call! Together, we can find the optimal SAP Identity Management 8.0 upgrade strategy for your business.

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