SAP Data Migration with LSMW

No ABAP effort are required for the SAP data migration. However, effort are required to
map the data into the structure according to the pre-determined format as specified by the
pre-written ABAP upload program of the LSMW.

The Legacy System Migration Workbench (LSMW) is a tool recommended by SAP that
you can use to transfer data once only or periodically from legacy systems into an R/3
System.

More and more medium-sized firms are implementing SAP solutions, and many of them
have their legacy data in desktop programs. In this case, the data is exported in a format
that can be read by PC spreadsheet systems. As a result, the data transfer is mere child's
play: Simply enter the field names in the first line of the table, and the LSM Workbench's
import routine automatically generates the input file for your conversion program.

The LSM Workbench lets you check the data for migration against the current settings of
your customizing. The check is performed after the data migration, but before the update
in your database.

So although it was designed for uploading of legacy data it is not restricted to this use.

We use it for mass changes, i.e. uploading new/replacement data and it is great, but there
are limits on its functionality, depending on the complexity of the transaction you are
trying to replicate.

The SAP transaction code is 'LSMW' for SAP version 4.6x.

For those with the older SAP version (4.7 and below), the data migration programs might
not have been pre-loaded.

You can download the LSMW at no cost from SAPNet under Services, SAP
Methodology and Tools, category Tools.

If you are an existing SAP customer with an OSS ID, you can access the SAP Service
Marketplace to download the LSWM for your Basis teams to install to your SAP system:
http://service.sap.com/lsmw

The LSM Workbench carries out the following tasks:

• Reads the transfer data from one or more files (for example, spreadsheets,
sequential files etc.)
• Converts the data from the source format into the target format
Note that with background processing, the input file must not be located in the
presentation server. Access to presentation server files is only possible when you are
working online.

You can have a look at the example of an upload data format for the Condition Pricing
for Sales Order.