1) Understand functionality and architecture of Data Services and Information Steward
In order to design an efficient and robust EIM landscape that meets your organizations needs you have to understand how Data Services and Information Steward deliver their functionality.
See: Introduction to SAP Data Services Functionality and Architecture.
2) Consider SAP Data Services and SAP Information Steward Deployment Scenarios.
If you are considering a single machine deployment or a distributed deployment watch this very important video to understand implications, requirements and order of install/upgrade for different components.
You can also reference this KBA: 1603393 1603393 - Installation Scenarios - Data Services 4.x
3) Ensure compatibility between BIP platform, SAP Data Services and SAP Information Steward.
Pre-requisite for installing SAP Data Services is to install a compatible version of the Business Intelligence Platform.
The following KBA lists compatible versions:
If a newer BI version is not listed on this matrix it means it has not been tested yet and potentially might not be compatible.
SAP recommends using SAP Information Platform Services rather then your existing Business Intelligence deployment to avoid compatibility issues and make patching your BI environment easier.
4) Read the Product Availability Matrix (PAM) for BIP/IPS, DS and IS.
PAM lists:
- Supported platforms and third party software (OS, DBs, etc) that the product (a specific version and service pack level of the product) has been tested with and that are officially supported for use with this product version. If you are not on a supported version and you run into issues, SAP Product Support will ask you to reproduce the issue on a supported version. No support is provided for unsupported versions.
- Minimum hardware requirements
- Dates of release and maintenance end (support packs and fixes come out only for products still under maintenance).
Note: In order to have access to all the info in be sure to click on the Open in new window link, in the Essential Information section.
To access the PAM for SAP Data Services 4.2 go here.
To access PAM for the Business Intelligence Platform 4.1 go here.
To access the PAM for other SAP Software go here.
Note: SAP HANA version compatibility with SAP Data Services is listed in the following KBA that is regularly updated:
1600140 - SAP Data Services 4.x and SAP Information Steward 4.x compatibility with SAP HANA .
5) Read the Product Release Notes
Product Release Notes are written and released for each new major release, service pack or patch.
They list: new or deprecated features, fixed issues, known issues, compatibility, and limitations.
Release Notes for service packs (contain new features as well as fixes) are available at http://help.sap.com/bods.
Release Notes for patches (contain only fixes) are published as Knowledgebase articles (KBAs).
Log on to the SAP Support Portal to search and view KBAs.
5) Read the Install and Upgrade Guides
Do not attempt an install or upgrade before reading the Install or Upgrade Guides and making sure you have set up all the requirements.
The guides are available at http://help.sap.com/bods and http://help.sap.com/bois
For upgrading and migrating Information Platform Services content please follow KBA: 1906581 - Migration of Information Steward from a Business Intelligence platform to an Information platform services landscape