Hybrid SAP Cloud Computing ready

The will of SAP user companies to change, to tackle and implement the digital transformation with the Walldorf-based software group, is great.

For customers, this is primarily about implementing new application scenarios with SAP. However, it is also essential to create the basis for these new application scenarios on the infrastructure side.

This includes Linux, it includes the use of hybrid cloud environments, but it also includes the use of container technologies such as Kubernetes and other open source solutions (keyword OpenStack for server orchestration, Cloud Foundry as a cloud PaaS platform for development creation and deployment or Ceph for software-defined storage use).

Developed into the de facto standard

Suse Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications is regarded as "SAP Linux" and, with a market share of around 95 percent, is virtually the de facto standard for the in-memory database Hana and for Hana-based applications or application systems such as S/4, C/4 or BW/4.

One main reason: In the five years of Hana exclusivity - and even after that - Suse, together with SAP, has steadily expanded SLES for SAP Applications into a dedicated operating system platform for SAP use with special features for Hana use.

The Live Patching feature for minimizing downtimes or the availability of SLES for SAP Applications for Intel's Optane DC Persistent Memory for optimized Hana use are just two examples of Suse's and SAP's high level of willingness to constantly push forward what has been achieved in terms of Linux.

Deployment on AWS, Azure, and the GCP

But that's not all. When it comes to digitization, cloud computing is always involved in one form or another. Hybrid cloud or multicloud usage/operator models are now high on the to-do agenda for many SAP users.

The focus here: SAP on-premises paired with a -public cloud deployment. For example, the use of a productive system on-prem and the use of a test and/or QA system at a public cloud provider.

Public cloud provider

This means that Linux - i.e. SLES for SAP Applications - can and will also be used or operated via public cloud providers in conjunction with Hana. And just as on-prem, so too on the cloud side. Suse has ensured this, also in cooperation with SAP.

Today, anyone who wants to use SLES for SAP Applications via Amazon AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Microsoft Azure can do so without restriction.

With both Amazon, Google and Microsoft, Suse is constantly developing its SLES for Applications cloud offerings. Now, for example, Enterprise Linux Large Images for SAP Hana on Azure are supported as part of the Suse-Microsoft partnership.

Linux and more at SAP Data Hub

The fact that Suse solutions are important pillars in various SAP solutions becomes clear from the example of SAP Data Hub. This is where SLES for SAP Applications comes into play. And it does so in conjunction with the Suse Container as a Service Platform solution, or CaaSP for short.

This provides flexible, simplified and automated services (microservices) using containers based on the Suse Kubernetes implementation. The purpose is to be able to use a dynamic and highly flexible infrastructure for agile data management, data integration and data orchestration in the digitalization age to advantage.