Your Spartacus Migration Partner: E-Turia.

SAP Spartacus is the headless storefront technology chosen by SAP for its SAP Commerce Cloud platform. Spartacus, also called SAP Composable Storefront, is an Angular-based framework that provides many benefits compared to the previous hybris storefront.

This framework offers various benefits, including its modular architecture, PWA performance, security, technology adaptations, SEO enhancements, and enhanced Customer Experience, which can help boost e-commerce.

sap logo

SAP’s plan for the Commerce Cloud Storefront

Spartacus has been SAP Commerce’s preferred frontend technology since version 2205 when the company announced the deprecation of the old Storefront Accelerator UIs and older OCC Template Extensions. Hence, although security releases and support will be provided, no new features or improvements will be available for the old Storefront.

This was back in 2022, but the frontend framework had been shipped with SAP Commerce for years before that date, even though it wasn’t as complete as the old accelerator UIs.

What if my project still uses the old Storefront? We have you covered.

SAP Composable Storefront Support

Storefront’s Migration Deadline: Q3 2028

SAP has already announced that all SAP Commerce Cloud projects must upgrade to Spartacus by September 2028. This is the official deadline provided by the company, meaning that by this date, all SAP Commerce projects must be running the new Storefront technology.

Failure to migrate your Commerce instance to Spartacus by that date means a huge security risk, as your store would be running on outdated technology, subject to vulnerabilities and hacks.

SAP’s cloud Deployment strategy, Continuous Innovation, could also put your platform in a delicate spot. By this End-of-Life date, instances will not be allowed to be deployed with the old Storefront in the cloud, making the migration to the new Composable Storefront essential for your project.

Considering the current situation, your project should go through the Spartacus upgrade without further delay. This will allow you to avoid rushing once the deprecation deadline is approaching and benefit from your online shop’s new features immediately.

How Can E-Turia Help You Migrate to Spartacus?

E-Turia is a technical SAP Partner specializing in SAP Commerce services. With over ten years of experience, our team of SAP Commerce-certified Consultants has helped dozens of hybris customers get the maximum benefit from their Commerce Solutions.

One area where our team excels is transitioning from the SAP Commerce Accelerator UI to the SAP Composable Storefront (Spartacus). This frontend migration requires a comprehensive plan and the right technical expertise to ensure a smooth transition, minimize time and cost, and maximize the value of your platform.

SAP Composable Storefront diagram

Let’s detail the most common steps when moving an SAP Commerce Cloud from the acceleratorstorefront to SAP Spartacus.

SAP Composable Storefront Migration Steps

Initial Project Analysis

To address a SAP Commerce Spartacus migration, the initial phase consists of a detailed assessment and planning of the project, including its scope, functionalities, CMS components, and pages.

This code analysis will also allow us to check specific prerequisites, such as the SAP Commerce version, that must be met to get your codebase running with the SAP Composable Storefront.

The minimum Commerce version we recommend for the migration is 1905. This is due to the simplified API layer from that version onwards, which moved from an AddOn-based OCC architecture. However, that version is already quite old, so in most cases, the preferred option would be to first upgrade to a recent version in the cloud, ideally the latest version. You can check the details in this article about upgrading SAP Commerce Cloud, but we will also thoroughly review that part in the Spartacus migration analysis.

After the analysis, we will develop a detailed migration plan, including a detailed list of every CMS Component that needs to be part of the new Composable Storefront, whether Out-of-the-Box or custom-built, including any modification the customer might want to include. This migration plan will be a clear roadmap to transition your front end with minimal disruptions.

SAP Composable Storefront Project Analysis

SAP Composable Storefront Set Up

SAP Composable Storefront Project Setup

The next step for a successful migration to SAP Spartacus is setting up the basics of the project repository. In some cases, it can be interesting to create a new CMS Site with its catalog to use the Spartacus storefront. This allows for a new URL, and both the new and the old sites can coexist simultaneously, facilitating later testing and potential regression analysis.

Now, it’s time to launch the new storefront. If the SAP Commerce prerequisites are met and the Spartacus version is correct for the project, this process should be straightforward, as the correct REST API connection will be in place. It is also possible to migrate to Spartacus with the old OCC AddOn-based architecture, which might need to be evaluated, as it’s not optimal.

Next, we need to create the contents of the Spartacus site via ImpEx, specifying the different CMS items for our site. This process can be based on the current old Storefront Site, on the Sample OOTB Stores from the new version, or in a mix of both, depending on the number of bespoke items in the project.

At this stage, we would have a simple SAP Spartacus site connected to your project, but it will have minimal functionality.

Spartacus CMS Components Migration

The next phase in the list is to migrate all the CMS components in the site to keep the existing functionalities. We could divide this area into three different steps needed for each Component:

1. GAP Analysis

Review the component functionality to determine whether something similar could be adapted from the OOTB list or whether a bespoke service needs to be provided from the OCC (Omni Commerce Connect) layer. Depending on the component’s required data, some REST web services could be used or enhanced, or it would be better to create a new endpoint. The Spartacus Upgrade partner will analyze each commerce component in detail.

2. API Implementation

The backend team needs to work on exposing the necessary endpoints with the DTOs so that the backend covers all the expected functionality of the component. This endpoint will be exposed via tools like Swagger and can be independently tested, ensuring the work is as modular as possible to minimize risks. The backend team must constantly adapt the services with the performance in mind, as this step will be key to the project’s success.

3. Implement the CMS component

With the backend ready, it is time for the front team to finish the component connection and layouts. This includes the frontend calls to the SAP Commerce backend and the component HTML structure, CSS styles, and frontend functionality. During these final touches, our specialist team considers variables such as optimized load times, SEO structures and optimizations, and an optimal UX for the component.

SAP Composable Storefront Migration

Regression Testing

SAP Composable Storefront Regression Testing

At this stage, the project has been fully migrated to the SAP Composable Storefront, and it’s time to ensure everything works as expected. Our QA team will review and test all the components and functionalities according to the initial analysis expectations.

This testing will happen in the different pre-production environments to ensure every possible team area is ready for a successful production deployment. If there are substantial use changes, training will also be provided to the customer during this stage for a smooth transition.

Other checks, such as User Acceptance Testing (UAT), will also happen during this stage to ensure the customer’s expectations are met. Performance testing will also occur during this stage if the project needs it.

Go Live and Support

Once the new SAP Storefront is ready, it’s time to deploy it in production and update the e-commerce frontend.

If a new Site were initially created for the storefront, the Go Live would be as simple as any other deployment, as the Spartacus storefront is an independent entity. The code version with all the backend changes will be deployed as any other SAP Commerce version, keeping the old storefront. Then, the Spartacus platform will be started up in production, connecting to the API layer of Commerce.

Once everything is running, the only thing left is updating the online store’s URL to point to the already-running Spartacus site instead of the old storefront, with zero downtime. Our team of Spartacus migration experts will closely monitor this go-live process.

After the Go-Live, the E-Turia developers and consultants will provide ongoing support, maintenance, and training. Any potential regressions, doubts, questions, or change requests will addressed to ensure the smoothest migration to the future technology.

SAP Composable Storefront Go Live

E-Turia, your Spartacus Implementation Partner

In the fast-paced world of SAP Commerce Cloud, E-Turia stands out as your Spartacus Migration Partner. With us, your business isn’t just migrating; it’s transforming into a digital powerhouse.

We will guide you hand in hand to guarantee an effortless transition to the newest SAP technology with a recognizable team of experts in Spartacus.

Please feel free to contact us below for a Free Spartacus Migration Audit to help you harness the full potential of your e-commerce.