Suse with Linux, OpenStack and Cloud Foundry

The most recently published figures from SAP in terms of SAP cloud usage come from last year's DSAG annual congress: for example, HCP, here more than 4,000 customers and over 500 partners have opted for HCP as a development and integration platform according to the report.

Since last fall, the numbers are likely to have continued to grow strongly. One customer, for example, was heard at the event, would like to develop a new innovation based on HCP every month and use it advantageously for his purposes.

Sometimes these are differentiating larger applications such as a special quality assurance system; sometimes they are so-called microservices that are built in a short time and quickly deployed using HCP as part of digitization efforts.

HCP and Linux

The Hana Cloud Platform can be used both in conjunction with S/4 Hana and in combination with the classic Business Suite.

In terms of its conceptual approach, the Hana Cloud Platform supports the future-oriented DevOps model. Here, application development and IT operations are interwoven intelligently and in line with demand, with the aim of being able to develop and make available new applications quickly.

The core issue is the need for a dynamic and highly flexible IT infrastructure, including components based on the Software Defined Data Center (SDDC).

Linux is, so to speak, set by SAP with Hana. OpenStack as an IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) element in the provision and orchestration of cloud infrastructures is also. And Cloud Foundry as PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) is strongly considered as a possible technology.

As with Business Suite, with Hana or S/4 Hana, Suse and SAP also work closely together in the area of SAP Cloud, e.g. Hana Enterprise Cloud.

Suse and SAP are focusing on OpenStack and Cloud Foundry integration with Cloud Foundry Dojo, SAP Cloud Lab.

For some time now, an OpenStack Cloud Provider Interfaces (CPI) has been made available to simplify or automate communication between Cloud Foundry and the underlying OpenStack infrastructure.

The Cloud Foundry and OpenStack integration pushed by SAP and Suse thus combines two important cloud elements and, on top of that, offers advantages for the use of open source in the SAP environment in general.

In doing so, Suse and SAP continue to push joint developments in both Linux and OpenStack and Cloud Foundry integration.

Advantageously, Suse will acquire technology assets in OpenStack and Cloud Foundry from HPE, which will be integrated into the Suse portfolio.

On the other hand, Suse is HPE's preferred partner for Linux, OpenStack and Cloud Foundry. Even more: HPE is an OEM partner for the Suse solutions SLES for SAP, Suse OpenStack Cloud and Cloud Foundry.

For example, it certifies the various PaaS solutions of the Cloud Foundry members. Above all, this ensures that cloud platforms are compatible and consistent with each other on the basis of a uniform and open standard.

As Cloud Foundry is a key element in the Software-Defined-Infrastructure solution portfolio, Suse has intensified its commitment within the Cloud Foundry Foundation.

And it did so by making Suse a Platinum member in November of last year.

In summary:

As with the Business Suite, with Hana, S/4 Hana or the Hana Enterprise Cloud, there is close cooperation between SAP and Suse.

SLES for SAP Applications, Suse OpenStack and also Suse's involvement in the Cloud Foundry project represent cornerstones for the PaaS of an SAP data center, which is increasingly used by SAP customers and partners.

Of course, SAP and Suse are continuously expanding on what has been achieved.