Migrating to SAP S/4HANA via Greenfield or Selective Data Transition often leaves critical legacy data in ECC systems. This blog explores three practical strategies for archiving that data: maintaining ECC in the cloud, using SAP ILM Retention Warehouse, or adopting a third-party solution like SNP Data Fridge. Each option is assessed for cost, compliance, access, and complexity—helping you choose the right long-term data retention strategy.

As SAP customers prepare for the inevitable transition from ECC to S/4HANA, data archiving has emerged as a strategic necessity rather than an optional exercise. With in-memory computing costs significantly higher and global data volumes growing exponentially, reducing and optimising data prior to migration can streamline the brownfield conversion process, minimise downtime, and lower long-term operational costs. Beyond migration, embedding robust data lifecycle management in

SAP Solution Manager is nearing end-of-life, and Cloud ALM is SAP’s strategic successor—offering improved usability, reduced overhead, and new capabilities like automated testing and integrated quality gates. Now is the time for organisations to plan their transition, ideally aligned with major SAP projects. Tools like the SAP Readiness Check can help assess current usage and guide a smooth, value-driven migration.