SAP is Transitioning to LAW 2.0: How to Stay Compliant

SAP's License Administration Workbench (LAW) is a system measurement tool, which SAP’s ECC/S4HANA customers must use to consolidate their SAP system usage data (USMM) and report their compliance to SAP.

Beginning at the end of 2014, SAP started to introduce customers to the updated version of the tool, LAW 2.0. During 2017, SAP began to intensify its requests for customers to transition to the new tool. Therefore, currently SAP is working to have all of its customers report their license compliance as part of their SAP license management through LAW 2.0 by the end of 2018. Most likely SAP will stop supporting LAW by 2020. While it is still possible to activate and use LAW on the newer release systems, this may not be the case in the future.

So, what do you need to know for your migration to run smoothly?

Increased pressure for SAP LAW 2.0

Over the coming year, SAP will be placing stronger pressure on customers to update their systems with LAW 2.0. If they haven’t already, expect SAP to request that you use the new tool via the measurement letters that are sent out annually.

As most SAP systems are connected to a Solution Manager (the central system), LAW is generally executed on it as well. By upgrading a release and/or support package of the respective system, customers can find themselves automatically being pushed to make a switch to LAW 2.0. For this simple reason, LAW is not being included in the new Release/Support Package.

Switching to LAW 2.0

The steps needed to transition to LAW 2.0 are fairly simple.

1. Since it’s recommended to run the LAW/LAW 2.0 on the Solution Manager, check if your current Release (SAP_BASIS) and Support Package are compatible with LAW 2.0 2.
2. If your current release does not support LAW 2.0, assess if the Solution Manager can be upgraded to a NetWeaver Release (SAP_BASIS) /Support Packages approved with LAW 2.0 3.
3. Set it up (e.g. RFC, measurement plan, etc.)

Further details are offered by SAP here: https://support.sap.com/en/my-support/systems-installations/system-measurement.html

Setting up the LAW 2.0

Within your annual audit letter, you will also receive an XML file containing every SAP Productive and Development system that SAP expects you to perform a measurement. Although this upload can be helpful for setting up the new system, make sure to check that the SAP-listed systems are also the ones you would have expected to measure. In case there are some included that are no longer in use, you have the option to exclude these from your measurement process. This is an important step to keep in mind.

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Check your RFC user authorizations

Ideally, you should be able to use your previously created RFC users that were already in place with the former LAW version. However, as we all know, we don’t live in an ideal world. Whether adaptations are needed – or if they aren’t, is always dependent on how the RFC users were set up previously. In our experience, you should focus some effort in this area together with your SAP Basis Team. This is why it’s important to set up a meeting with them when connecting your LAW 2.0.

LAW 2.0 tips and tricks

As with all new software, there are always a few wrinkles in the beginning that need to be ironed out, so keep this in mind as you work your way through LAW 2.0. For example, some tables within the LAW 2.0 only accept your changes when you use your “enter” key on the keyboard, while others only refresh when you explicitly click “refresh” – even though the table looks like it would just refresh on their own. Even stranger, sometimes even that work around doesn’t help to get an updated status. But once you view details of the entry, you can see the new status you were waiting on. So if you find yourself stuck on a certain step, just try some of the tricks mentioned above!

Plan ahead for a smooth transition

SAP has rolled out the new LAW slowly, so although it’s important that you bring your systems up to date. Avoid rushing into the transition.

Don’t panic! Plan ahead to give your team adequate time for the changes in order to maintain SAP license optimization and compliance. Doing so will help you be prepared as you move to LAW 2.0. To get ahead of the obstacles that a new software always brings to inexperienced users, consider learning them in a test instance at first so that you don’t need to wait for the long planned update of the central productive Solution Manager system. This way you’ll start new version like a pro once the update is finished!

WHITE PAPER: SAP® Indirect Access vs. Digital Access

Control your risk and avoid extra costs using new SAP license management guidelines. Leading experts in the field explain how to choose the best SAP licensing model to meet your organization’s needs.