SAP in the All for One private cloud

In companies whose production and logistics processes are heavily dependent on ERP systems, switching IT service providers must be carried out in a way that does not disrupt users’ work or operational continuity. Polmor, a manufacturer of structures and components for the railway industry, as well as machines made of carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum for the processing industry, faced this challenge. Migrating critical SAP systems between outsourcing providers is typically considered a high-risk undertaking – and rightly so. It requires meticulous preparation, especially in an organization operating across two geographic locations and different time zones, such as Polmor, which has facilities in Poland and India.

In this case, the goal was to migrate the SAP environment from the existing provider’s data center to the All for One Managed Cloud in the most secure and predictable manner possible, without disrupting business operations.

The project was a success. After preparation and testing in the development and test environment, the production switchover was completed smoothly over the course of a single weekend.

The migration involved SAP systems and databases. The following environments were migrated:

• SAP ERP 6.0, divided into a development and testing system and a production system,
• MaxDB liveCache instances and SCM optimizers dedicated to them — due to the use of SAP APO 3.0.

This scope required special attention to data consistency and to ensuring the proper functioning of the integration and processes dependent on liveCache.

The foundation of the project was the work carried out even before the production migration. The All for One Poland and Polmor teams focused on minimizing the risks associated with the switchover weekend by conducting thorough tests in the development and testing environment. This work confirmed the proper functioning of key business processes necessary for the organization to operate without disruption after the migration.

In addition, a test migration was conducted to practice the workflow, confirm the sequence of steps, and clarify the checkpoints before the actual cutover. This stage was crucial because it allowed us to verify in practice not only the ability to launch the systems at the new location, but also their proper operation under conditions similar to those in a production environment.

Another key element of the preparations was a detailed technical assessment of solutions related to the SAP environment and services operating “around” the system. Among other things, integrations and interfaces, disk resource sharing, and file exchange mechanisms were verified to ensure that the target environment would replicate the existing workflow as closely as possible and would not require subsequent adjustments.

At this stage, the following were refined, among other things:

• the target configuration of the SAP systems and databases in the new environment,
• step-by-step migration procedures (including the sequence of steps and checkpoints),
• a contingency plan and a recovery procedure in the event of unforeseen incidents.

As a result, the production migration was the implementation of a previously tested plan, rather than an action based on assumptions.

The production migration was scheduled for a weekend maintenance window, as part of a dedicated technical break agreed upon with the business side, which minimized the impact on day-to-day operations at the facilities in Poland and India. Thorough preparation and efficient collaboration during the switchover process allowed the migration to proceed smoothly, without any unplanned complications, and ensured the continuity of system operations after the launch at the new location.

The migration was not only a change in the system’s hosting location, but also a step toward a stable operating model. The Polmor system, deployed on SAP at the All for One Poland data center, also utilizes system monitoring and security services (SAP Managed Services). And business users are supported by module consultants as part of the SAP AMS.

Migrating the SAP system to a new location was an important project for us in terms of ensuring the continuity of our production and logistics processes. We wanted the transition to proceed as safely and predictably as possible, without any noticeable disruptions for users. All for One’s Managed Cloud services are more than just a safe haven for our systems. We’ve gained a structured model for maintaining our SAP environment, greater transparency in ticket handling, and the peace of mind that comes from 24/7 monitoring and ongoing support. In addition to technical SAP support, we also benefit from application management service — that is, assistance for business users in resolving day-to-day issues and executing advanced processes. For the IT team, this means greater operational confidence and the ability to focus more on providing ongoing business support.

Tomasz Kordyjasz, IT Department Manager, Polmor

Standardized, controlled operating conditions for systems are particularly important when SAP supports critical planning, production, and logistics processes. The environment is monitored around the clock (24/7/365), and support requests are logged and handled through a service application that serves as a single point of contact. Operational predictability is guaranteed as part of Managed Cloud services, under which the provider assumes a significant portion of operational responsibility: monitoring, ongoing maintenance, and agreed-upon operational procedures, including change management, backups, and recovery.

The All for One Poland service organization operates in accordance with ISO 27001, 27018, and 20000 standards and is SAP-certified. As part of our Managed Cloud service, we also place special emphasis on security and keeping systems up to date, including the regular analysis and implementation of patches released as part of SAP Security Patch Day.

At the same time, the LTMP (Long-Term Maintenance Plan) process is being implemented, which involves the periodic planning and coordination of long-term maintenance activities—including component version levels and patches—to ensure that the environment remains secure, supported by vendors, and ready for further development. This allows the client’s IT department to focus more on developing and supporting business processes rather than on operational tasks.

For organizations, the key question is not just “Is the server up and running?”, but whether business processes in SAP are functioning properly. Application Management Services goes far beyond the infrastructure layer. It allows for faster diagnosis and resolution of incidents at the interface between the application and the database, and helps maintain high-quality system performance on a daily basis. Within the contractually guaranteed response time, business users at Polmor can report issues with day-to-day system operations to experienced specialists and expect effective solutions. The scope of support covers the full range of SAP functionality at Polmor (finance, controlling, materials management and warehouse operations, sales and distribution, production, and the APO-PP/DS module for detailed production planning and scheduling).

The switch to a new private cloud provider for Polmor’s SAP environment demonstrated that even such a critical change to mission-critical systems can be carried out in a secure and predictable manner.

The success was due to thorough preparations, testing in the development and test environments, a trial migration, as well as well-defined migration procedures and contingency plans, which ensured that the weekend cutover proceeded smoothly and without disrupting operations at the facilities in Poland and India.

Following the migration, Polmor utilizes a structured maintenance model at All for One Poland — covering infrastructure, 24/7/365 monitoring, a single point of contact via a service app, and SAP AMS that facilitates rapid incident resolution and the stable operation of business processes. Security processes and keeping the environment up to date — including handling patches released as part of SAP Security Patch Day and long-term maintenance planning via the LTMP — are also key components of the Managed Cloud services.

Polmor is a manufacturer of highly complex structures and components for the railway industry, as well as machinery made of carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. It has been operating on the market for 70 years. The plant in Bytów employs approximately 450 highly qualified workers and has a modern, well-organized machine park. A second production facility, with a staff of 320 employees, is located in India.