Modernize your data warehouse from BW to SAP Business Data Cloud: your roadmap scenarios
Smart analytics, predictive insights, AI: the demands on data warehouses are growing fast. Can your data warehouse keep up? If not, SAP Datasphere in SAP’s Business Data Cloud offers a future-ready alternative, and there are many ways to get there. Do you want the easiest or the fastest path, a few stops along the way, or a complete rebuild? Discover four roadmaps and pick the one that fits you best.
Short recap: what is SAP Business Data Cloud?
SAP Business Data Cloud, SAP’s new unified SaaS platform, brings together SAP BW, SAP Datasphere, and SAP Analytics Cloud in one environment. It connects data from SAP and non-SAP systems and integrates AI and machine learning. The result: future-ready data management and connected insights across all your sources.
Dive deeper into SAP Business Data Cloud.
Choose your path from BW to modern data warehousing
If you want to move to a modern data warehousing solution like SAP Business Data Cloud, there are several roads to take. Your migration path depends on your current data infrastructure, the maturity of your data strategy, and how quickly you want to move.
One thing is for sure: you don’t need a big bang approach if you don’t want to. There are plenty of chances to transform step by step, at your own pace.
Greenfield: build a modern data warehouse from scratch
Starting point: You have no data warehouse solution and want a modern data architecture.
Approach: Set up a modern data warehousefrom the ground up. Overwhelming? It shouldn’t be. SAP’s free standard content and third-party resources help you speed up deployment. For non-SAP source systems, you can build custom models with Datasphere's intuitive modeling tools and low-code capabilities.
Lift and shift: protect your BW investment
Starting point: You run SAP BW on-premise with maintenance ending soon (BW 7.5 in 2027, BW/4HANA in 2030) and want minimal disruption.
Approach: Move your BW system as-is to BW in SAP’s Private Cloud Edition, which is part of SAP Business Data Cloud. This approach preserves your BW investments while it centralizes historical data, and gives you breathing space to define your long-term data strategy.
Gradual extension: add SAP Datasphere
Starting point: You run BW in the Private Cloud Edition and wish to modernize gradually.
The approach: Extend your existing BW solutions with SAP Datasphere:
- Data replication: migrate selected data from BW/4HANA into Datasphere.
- Data virtualization: keep data in BW and let Datasphere consume it directly, enriched with third-party sources from cloud or on-premise systems.
Complete redesign: future-ready foundation
Starting point: Your current data warehouse is outdated or no longer fits your business needs. You want to futureproof your data landscape.
Approach: Redesign your warehouse with Datasphere as your core. Its federation and virtualization capabilities help you combine live data across all sources, without the need to move or duplicate it.
Why move your BW to a modern data warehouse?
- Align with SAP’s Clean Core strategy: avoid migrating legacy complexity to the cloud.
- Cut data replication cost and avoid outdated insights.
- Enable real-time analytics with federation and virtualization.
- Simplify architecture and reduce technical debt.
- Empower users with governed, trusted data for analytics, planning, and AI.
Let’s make the move together
Whether you're converting existing BW solutions, extending current capabilities, or starting fresh, moving to SAP Datasphere and Business Data Cloud is a smart step - and easier than you think.
The key is choosing the path that matches your needs, timeline, and strategy.
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