SAP's first OpenStack project

It's not just existing SAP customers who seek specialized or expert OpenStack and open source knowledge when it comes to implementing OpenStack-based cloud IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) environments to deliver value.

SAP has also realized its first OpenStack project (and probably the following ones as well) with support from B1 Systems. About three months after the OpenStack announcement by the Walldorf-based software group, it was presented at last year's OpenStack Summit in Paris.

The main reasons for the aforementioned SAP OpenStack private cloud project are that it is faster, more flexible, simpler, and more cost-effective than providing compute, storage, and network resources (including Hana, of course) in a traditional virtualized IT infrastructure environment.

As part of the project, specific requirements such as high availability needs and much more were taken into account. The project was initiated with a design concept drawn up in 2012.

If infrastructure resources are needed today, SAP employees from development and other SAP business units can request them virtually in self-service using OpenStack.

The OpenStack project in question, in which the OpenStack version Folsom was implemented (there was also an upgrade in the meantime), was presented by SAP and the chosen implementation partner B1 Systems from Vohburg an der Donau.

Clarity and security

B1 Systems believes that anyone considering a concrete OpenStack project should study the OpenStack framework in detail and build up at least a basic knowledge of how to proceed with an OpenStack project and which individual requirements are to be implemented at what cost and in what timeframe.

A PoC (proof of concept) of three to five days has proven successful. Of course, customer-specific conditions are taken into account.

B1 Systems, also with long-time partners Suse, NetApp and Fujitsu, not only provides PoCs, but also takes care of OpenStack installations/implementations and post-go-live support.

In a PoC of this type, it is also pointed out and discussed what influence, for example, an OpenStack operation has on the IT organization as well as on the changed process flows that are necessary in the process - in addition to familiarization with OpenStack including tests (setting up compute, storage or network resources).

Finally, OpenStack usage also implies a kind of integrated IT operations concept with accelerated processes, in which all IT operations areas are in fact closely interlinked.

Implementer and Contributor

In this context, B1 Systems is characterized by being able to demonstrate many years of expertise from many projects with extensive experience know-how in practically the entire open source environment (especially open source use in data centers such as Linux, OpenStack, Hadoop or open source virtualization including SAP high availability).

In addition, B1 Systems has actively participated in OpenStack development as a community member (contributor) and has been involved in almost every release since the beginning of 2011. The company is sometimes commissioned to fix bugs or implement (additional) features.