Hana: Design and Setup

In the context of Hana Data Center Readiness, the topic/field of action Design and Setup is of great relevance. Until about a year ago, SAP customers were required to set up and operate SAP Hana exclusively as an appliance.

Everything from the design/setup in one box as a preconfigured, preinstalled and tested system solution with the core components (layers): Server and storage including Linux as OS platform, SAP software and also network functionality.

Solution evaluations of the appliances, which are designed as single-node scale-up systems or multi-node scale-out systems, are carried out by SAP and partners.

Depending on the customer's requirements, sizing/assembly is carried out, followed by system installation and testing, as well as installation and operation.

More flexible, more customer-oriented

But then a switch or an additional design/setup option took place: namely, the so-called Hana tailored Data Center Integration, or TDI for short.

Since the fall of 2014, SAP customers have been able to design or set up their own Hana system environment (in addition to scale-up and scale-out systems) to a large extent. The main difference between the core Hana design elements and an appliance is that the storage layer can be selected more or less freely in the TDI approach.

However, the storage systems of the various providers must have SAP certification. Another choice, in terms of network layer, could follow soon. In any case, Linux remains the only OS that can be used with Hana.

Suse Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications (SLES) runs in virtually all of the several thousand Hana deployments worldwide to date: together with BW on Hana, Suite on Hana, S/4 or even Business One on Hana.

With TDI, Hana customers have greater flexibility. This also means that IT budgets can be optimized or investments made can be protected. Some customers are able to use storage systems from a specific (or preferred) supplier.

SAP and partners can be contacted to find out which Hana TDI storage partners can be selected. On the other hand, with the TDI approach, the customer is responsible for the installation, including validation, and is required to set up appropriate support with an SAP Hana hardware partner.

Also required for an installation according to TDI: a so-called "SAP certified Technology Specialist - Hana Installations", i.e. an SAP-certified and experienced installation expert.

Tailwind virtualization

Virtualization has long played an important role in Hana design and setup, and in Hana use in data centers in general. Since May 2014, Hana systems can be virtualized and used for productive operation under VMware vSphere/ESXi (Hitachi's LPAR was added later).

This gave a visible boost to the further spread of Hana and also helped (Hana) hosts. Various Hana virtualization scenarios can be implemented today. Classic ones including MCOD (Multiple Components on one Database).

MCOS (Multiple Components on one System) scenarios are completed or released for productive operation in the long term. Private and hybrid SAP cloud computing with Hana is prefigured. Primarily for reasons of flexibility and cost.

Data centers and their IT infrastructures are increasingly being put to the test, designed and aligned. The focus is on the proven and advantageous use of private cloud environments with Hana.

Suse offers valuable support here with SLES for SAP Applications, Suse Openstack Cloud and the Suse Manager.