BTP, Integration Suite, EIC and the AI strategy: Use Your Own Data

Building a powerful AI-supported enterprise architecture is time-consuming and complex: data must be processed securely, high availability must be ensured and system failures must be minimized. The SAP Edge Integration Cell (EIC) plays a central role for companies that pursue a hybrid SAP strategy and want to integrate their on-prem systems securely and efficiently with the SAP cloud and other cloud applications. It enables them to run APIs and integration services locally in their own data center or in a private cloud environment. A key advantage of the EIC is that companies retain control over sensitive data and interfaces within their own infrastructure. At the same time, the development of AI solutions is supported - both in SAP and non-SAP environments - so that innovations can be implemented flexibly across different platforms.

PI, PO successor

The Integration Suite and EIC are the strategic successor solutions for the SAP middleware solutions SAP Process Integration (PI) and Process Orchestration (PO), whose maintenance expires in 2027. Technologically, EIC is based on modern, cloud-native principles and uses Kubernetes and open source frameworks. It enables the containerization and orchestration of integration services, creating a flexible, scalable runtime environment within the company's private infrastructure. Another key aspect is the ability to process data at the edge of the network - in other words, where the data originates. This edge processing allows information to be analyzed and forwarded efficiently, increasing the speed of response and facilitating real-time analysis.

Together with SAP, Suse has made the first on-prem reference architecture for EIC available to the market. The "Suse Rancher for SAP Applications" platform has set itself the goal of optimally implementing SAP requirements in the area of containerization for the customer. Together with Suse, Fsas Technologies has built these reference architectures for SAP EIC on a robust data integration that is geared towards availability, security and low latency. Especially for companies with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) or critical real-time applications, it is crucial that data is processed securely on-premises at all times.

Data protection and compliance

In times of increasing digitalization, the integration of data across different systems and platforms is becoming a key challenge for companies. Especially in industrial environments, where production processes need to be controlled in real time and decisions made quickly, a smooth and secure data flow is essential. In the Rancher Stack, Suse uses the BSI certifications of the Suse OS platforms and the validated supply chain security according to FIPS for the Kubernetes part to ensure maximum security in operation.

However, this is precisely where many companies reach their limits. Particularly in the case of international corporations, it is crucial that business-critical data does not end up uncontrolled in global knowledge databases from third-party providers, but is processed locally - in a traceable, protected and compliant manner. At the same time, integration platforms must not represent a weak point for system availability. Failures - whether due to disruptions in the data center or downtime of cloud services - can have serious consequences if they paralyze central business processes. Business continuity is therefore more than just a buzzword: it is a prerequisite for business success. Technical performance also plays a key role. In modern production environments, systems must be able to respond to incoming data with minimal latency. Only when machines and processes communicate with each other in real time can efficiency, quality and profitability be ensured in the long term.

More than middleware

Against this backdrop, it is clear that companies need more than traditional middleware solutions. The SAP Integration Suite in conjunction with the Fsas Technologies SAP EIC architecture (Edge Integration Cell) provides companies with a powerful platform that is tailored precisely to these challenges. The architecture is specially designed for use in hybrid cloud environments - in other words, where local systems need to work seamlessly with cloud applications. The solution combines security, availability and real-time capability on a common platform. Data can be processed wherever it is necessary for regulatory or technical reasons - locally, in the cloud or hybrid. At the same time, companies benefit from a standardized, low-maintenance architecture that can be flexibly adapted to existing IT landscapes.

Fsas Technologies and Suse for SAP

With its cross-platform server solutions and consulting approaches, Fsas Technologies offers a reliable infrastructure for SAP systems, while Suse, as a leading provider of SAP-certified Linux environments, provides the technical basis for highly available and scalable SAP platforms.

SAP on LinuxIn cooperation with Suse, Fsas Technologies offers solutions that run SAP applications on Linux-based systems, in particular with Suse Linux Enterprise Server (SLES). Suse is a leading provider of Linux in the enterprise environment and the platform is specially optimized for the operation of SAP applications.

SAP on KubernetesThe partnership also includes Kubernetes, an open source platform for orchestrating containers. Fsas Technologies and Suse offer solutions to run SAP workloads on Kubernetes. This enables a highly scalable and flexible infrastructure that is particularly suitable for modern, cloud-native applications.

Cloud and on-premThe solutions are suitable for operation in the cloud as well as on-premises, which enables companies to scale their SAP infrastructures according to their individual needs.

The challenge of data integration

The combination of Fsas Technologies and Suse offers a strategic approach to data integration that is tailored to specific practical requirements. The focus is on data intelligence, a powerful system architecture and the secure, autonomous use of artificial intelligence. A key advantage of the collaboration lies in the data- and application-driven assessment tools provided by Fsas Technologies. LeanIX SystemInspection provides companies with a detailed analysis of their existing IT landscape. The tool identifies weaknesses and optimization potential and provides specific recommendations for migration to S/4 Hana and integration into the SAP Business Technology Platform. This is supplemented by specialized platform server deployment tools that enable the fast and smooth provision of new SAP environments - standardized and scalable.

The combination of Fsas Technologies and Suse provides sophisticated reference architectures for SAP EIC (Edge Integration Cell). Fsas Technologies delivers a customizable architecture that enables the seamless integration of cloud and on-prem data sources - a key requirement for hybrid IT strategies. Suse complements this infrastructure with a high-performance, secure reference architecture that has been specially optimized for SAP EIC. The result is a reliable, powerful and well-secured SAP environment. By using Suse AI, based on the SuseRancher platform, AI models can be hosted, trained and optimized locally. Artificial intelligence is developed and used on the basis of the company's own data - independently of external AI services or global data pools.

In-house AI

Joule brings generative AI, but many companies also rely on their own data-based models. This prevents sensitive behavioral patterns or historical data from being transferred to public AI models and allows companies to retain full control over their information. This allows companies to create the basis for a modern, future-proof SAP landscape. They benefit not only from intelligent analysis and automated provisioning, but also from an architecture that masters the balancing act between cloud innovation and local control. The Business Technology Platform provides the technological basis for this, for example through ready-made services for machine learning, process automation and analysis. However, it takes more than just APIs to ensure that AI-supported applications can be used successfully in SAP landscapes in the long term.

A stable, scalable and secure infrastructure is crucial - and this is precisely where Suse and Fsas Technologies come into play. With the SAP-certified operating system "Suse Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications", Suse provides the technical basis for many SAP systems - including those that are closely interlinked with BTP. With the Suse AI container management platform, SAP users can integrate AI applications and large language models (LLMs) directly into the SAP landscape - either as independent container services or in close connection with the AI functions of BTP. The combination enables, among other things, the analysis of large amounts of data, the automation of complex business processes or the use of generative AI models for decision support. Suse thus creates a bridge between SAP systems and modern AI technologies - on a platform that guarantees high availability, security and scalability.

Fsas Technologies complements this technological foundation with strategic consulting and infrastructure. As an SAP Global Partner with in-depth expertise in hybrid IT architectures, Fsas Technologies helps companies to make their SAP landscape fit for AI applications in a targeted manner. Particularly important: the local processing of sensitive company data remains guaranteed. Fsas Technologies enables companies to develop and operate their own AI applications on internal systems - embedded in SAP processes but independent of external cloud services. This strengthens data sovereignty.

EIC and BTP

Another advantage is the close integration with SAP BTP. Fsas Technologies offers reference architectures for Enterprise Intelligent Connectivity (EIC) that enable seamless data exchange between cloud and on-premises components - a basic prerequisite for intelligent AI-supported processes along the entire value chain. The collaboration between Suse and Fsas Technologies shows that AI in the SAP environment is not just a question of if, but how. With a stable infrastructure, open platforms and a clear strategic focus, the two partners enable practical, secure and future-proof AI integration in SAP system landscapes. Companies planning to use AI with BTP will find a reliable pioneer in this alliance. With Fsas Technologies and Suse, companies not only receive a robust platform for their SAP systems, but also the necessary flexibility to take the next step in the digital evolution.

Conclusion

With the combination of Suse and Fsas Technologies, the current architecture strategies for an SAP hybrid cloud based on S/4 Hana, BTP and on-premises extensions are securely and robustly enriched with years of experience, so that each deployment option can be implemented in the best possible and individual way for the customer. It is particularly important for future investment decisions that the partners are open to innovation and drive it forward as technology leaders.

fsastech.com

To the partner entry: