Open Source as the ideal basis for SAP Commerce

SAP is now one of the standard solutions in large and medium-sized companies. This also includes SAP Commerce.

The store platform offers the advantages of seamless integration with SAP combined with the benefits of open source. This is because the store solution is based on open source Java code and is therefore ideally suited for use by hosters whose infrastructure is built on open source.

The online pharmacy Mycare.de, headquartered in Lutherstadt Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt, has taken this route. The advantages are obvious: On the one hand, the tried-and-tested SAP solution ensures a professional store that also meets the wishes of the pharmaceutical mail order company in the backend. On the other hand, the open source environment of the Berlin-based business hoster Mpex ensures the stable, reliable and economical operation of the store platform. "A good solution for us. With Mpex, we have an experienced partner at our side who offers us the advantages of open source for the store infrastructure," confirms Matthias Buse, IT Manager at Mycare.de.

Reliable and flexible

Linux application servers, for example Apache Tomcat, offer ideal conditions for SAP Commerce. With the appropriate software, they ensure high reliability and fail-safety. This includes a reliable operating system, such as Debian Linux with integrated kernel-based virtualization (KVM). In conjunction with intelligent load balancing (Haproxy) and a database cluster (Percona mySQL), smooth operation is ensured even during peak loads.

With the Mpex business hosting platform, Mycare.de clears several hurdles at once: First, business continuity is guaranteed to the highest degree. Second, the hoster can scale dynamically depending on the expansion of business activities. Extreme, plannable peak loads can also be realized with the help of the Mpex cloud. Thirdly, the desired shopping experience is guaranteed for the customer at all times.

Economy with safety

Hosting based on open source and SAP Commerce are also a good combination because they pay off for store operators in a special way. Proprietary hosting platforms automatically incur license costs. Since several servers are always in use for security and availability reasons, licenses, such as for Microsoft operating systems, can have noticeable financial consequences. Not so in the open source environment. Here, there are no license costs. Mycare.de only pays for the setup of the environment and the services that are directly related to business hosting.

The advantages of a solution consisting of SAP Commerce and hosting based on open source environments also lie in the security and continuous further development of the open source solutions. Whereas with proprietary software it is always only the manufacturer that drives maintenance and further development, in the open source environment a worldwide community, to which Mpex also belongs, is entrusted with this task.

This has the advantage that updates or security patches are not only available more quickly, but have also been tested and optimized by an independent group of experts. This transparency increases the reliability and security of the hosting infrastructure. Both are enormously important for store operators, because failures or security risks can quickly and immediately lead to economic losses.

Unique open source components take the use of SAP Commerce to a new level. So what belongs together comes together: SAP Commerce and open source business hosting.