Long live the operating system?

While other vendors pursue short-lived update cycles, SUSE delivers a solution that combines stability and agility with SLES for SAP 16. We provide the stable foundation—the „rock in the surf“—that companies need to implement their long-term S/4 roadmaps without worrying about forced operating system upgrades.

A remedy for update madness

Our most important message is industry-leading longevity: with up to 16 years of total lifecycle support, there is no need for constant updates. Companies that operate their SAP systems for decades benefit from planning system maintenance according to their SAP cycles rather than those of the operating system, ensuring maximum security and consistent support that extends beyond the lifecycles of SAP environments.

Year 2038 barrier

Explicit future-proofing beyond 2038 is more than just a symbol; it is confirmation of our long-term responsibility. By proactively addressing the critical Year 2038 barrier, we are sending a clear message to our customers: we will support your technology strategy for generations to come. In an age of supply chain attacks and stringent compliance requirements, security is not an add-on, but the foundation.

SLES for SAP 16 is built on a zero-trust approach that goes far beyond traditional perimeter security. With reproducible builds and signed software bills of materials (SBOMs), we offer a transparent and verifiably secure software supply chain. With advanced confidential computing capabilities, we protect sensitive SAP data even when it is actively being processed—a critical innovation for cloud and hybrid environments. The switch to SELinux as the default MAC framework and hardened workloads massively increase the isolation and resilience of the platform.

For SAP operators who cannot tolerate downtime, SLES for SAP 16 offers a decisive advantage: live patching for kernel and user space components. Security patches can be applied during operation, ensuring true business continuity without compromising security.

AI-ready?

The increasing pressure to modernize and the growing complexity of systems require intelligent automation. SLES for SAP 16 is the first enterprise Linux with integrated Agentic AI and is designed to be AI-ready Linux. By implementing the Model Context Protocol (MCP), we integrate AI-supported functions directly into system management, for example via Cockpit. Intelligent health checks, automated root cause analysis, and API-first management reduce manual effort. SUSE is thus driving the evolution from classic system operation to a self-learning, AI-controlled IT infrastructure.

Finally, we make IT teams' work easier through close integration of modern automation and DevOps principles. REST-based management APIs, pre-validated Ansible playbooks, and extensive infrastructure-as-code support enable fast, consistent, and error-free deployment of SAP environments. In combination with Trento validation for SAP Hana clusters, we ensure that environments continuously comply with best practices. SLES for SAP 16 is therefore the reliable, secure, and intelligent foundation that SAP customers need to make their S/4 Hana transformation successful and future-proof.

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