Lesson 1 of 5
The direct transfer concept
10 min
The staging table approach expects you to deliver the data: extract it, transform it, and put it into staging tables. When the source is itself an SAP system, there is another option. With Migrate Data Directly from SAP System, usually called direct transfer, the SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit connects to the SAP source system, selects the data itself, converts it to the SAP S/4HANA data model during the load and creates it in the target. No files, no staging tables.
Contoso Motor Co. does not need direct transfer for its own data: its move from SAP ECC was a system conversion, which keeps the data in place. Its Wave 2 load, the acquired Mexican company Alternadores del Norte S.A. de C.V., comes from a non-SAP legacy ERP, so it uses staging tables. This course therefore uses a clearly labeled what-if: suppose Alternadores del Norte ran SAP ECC 6.0 instead. The Wave 2 team would then consider selecting its master data and open items directly from that ECC system into company code 1910 (MXN), plant 1910 Monterrey, of Contoso's converted SAP S/4HANA system. The same considerations apply to any program that brings data from an SAP ERP system into SAP S/4HANA as a new implementation or an acquisition load.
- SAP ECC sourceData stays in the source tables; an add-on enables extraction
- Remote connectionRFC connection from the SAP S/4HANA target to the source
- SelectionThe cockpit selects records, for example by company code, as background jobs
- MappingValue mappings and fixed values, as in the staging approach
- Simulate and migrateStandard checks, then creation in SAP S/4HANA
- ValidateReconcile with the source and check in the business apps
Where it fits among the options
| System conversion | Direct transfer (new implementation) | Staging tables (new implementation) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What moves | The whole system: data, configuration, custom code | Selected data objects from an SAP source | Any data you deliver, from any source |
| Who extracts | Conversion tools | The migration cockpit | Your team or tools |
| Transformation | Conversion programs per simplification item | Built into the objects, plus value mapping | Yours, plus value mapping |
| Typical use | Brownfield: keep processes and history | Greenfield or selective: fresh design, SAP source data reused | Non-SAP sources, heavy cleansing, or objects not supported by direct transfer |
What SAP says about scope
- Direct transfer reads from SAP source systems over a remote function call (RFC) connection. SAP ERP (ECC) is the main source; SAP documentation also covers some other SAP sources for specific objects.
- Only a subset of migration objects supports direct transfer. For the rest you use the staging table approach, with a local or remote schema, in the same program.
- It is used for SAP S/4HANA on-premise and Private Edition. SAP Learning also describes a direct path from SAP ECC into SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, with a communication arrangement for the RFC connection and a limited set of objects.
- The data is converted to the SAP S/4HANA data model during the load; for example ECC vendors become business partners with supplier roles.
When direct transfer is a good fit
Direct transfer works best when the source data is reasonably clean and the target design does not require heavy restructuring that the predefined objects cannot express. It removes a whole class of work, building and maintaining extraction and file handling, and it reads data consistently every mock. It is a weaker fit when data needs extensive cleansing in flight, when records from several source systems must be merged, or when the target design changes the meaning of data so much that a separate transformation layer is clearer.
- Is the source an SAP ERP system?No → staging tables · Yes → next question
- Are the needed objects supported for direct transfer in your release?No → staging tables for those objects · Yes → next question
- Can the data be cleansed in the source before selection?No → consider staging tables with your own transformation · Yes → next question
- Can the selection by company code and the object's criteria pick exactly the right records?Yes → direct transfer is a strong candidate · No → extend selection (where supported) or use staging tables
What would you do?
In the what-if, the Wave 2 migration lead proposes direct transfer for all 25 objects. The check shows that 19 are supported for direct transfer in the target release and 6 are not. What is the best plan?
- Direct transfer lets the cockpit select data from an SAP source over RFC and convert it during the load, without files or staging tables.
- It supports a subset of migration objects; combine it with staging tables for the rest.
- It fits new implementations from SAP ERP with reasonably clean source data.
- Decide per object: source type, object support, cleansing needs and selection fit.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Direct transfer is primarily relevant when the source is:
2. What does direct transfer not need?
3. What do you do with objects not supported for direct transfer?
4. Which project type is direct transfer designed for?