Exclusive reprint

Special Feature:SAPand LinuxAs published in SAP Insider Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

Featured article topics include:■ Porting your SAP applications

to Linux

■ Improving system performance

■ Switchover and recovery functionality

■ Database management systems

■ Running more SAP applications on fewer servers

■ Real-world case studies of Linuxmigrations

■ Consolidating your systems

■ Bringing greater flexibility to your SAP environment

■ Executing high-performance queries

■ Tips for a risk-free transition to Linux

■ Establishing an adaptive computing infrastructure

■ Leveraging proprietary operatingsystem expertise

B SAP insider

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005 | www.SAPinsider.com

3 For companies looking to run more SAP applications on fewer servers,without affecting performance, consider the powerful combination ofDual-Core AMD Opteron processors and 64-bit SAP on Linux.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Moving to 64-Bit SAP on Linux — Thanks to AMD, the Time Is Now

5HP has been working closely with SAP to deliver servers and solutionsspecifically for Linux. Discover how you can gain more flexibility, lesscomplexity, and reduced TCO by running Linux on the HP platform thatmeets your company’s specific needs.

HP SAP Global Alliance

HP Linux Solutions for SAP:Comprehensive, Enterprise-Ready

Offerings for an Accelerating Market

1Porting your SAP applications to Linux can be a viable, beneficial optionfor meeting your business needs — if you’ve done your homework.Discover four key reasons why SAP is poised to support you in incorporating Linux into your IT landscape.

SAP AG

Why Successful Customers Can ConfidentlyMove Their SAP Applications to Linux

7 Cut costs by up to 62 percent with FlexFrame for mySAP Business Suite,a Fujitsu Siemens Computers solution developed for the Linux opensource operating system and based on a services-oriented architecture.

Fujitsu Siemens Computers

Reduce Data Center Complexitywith FlexFrame and Linux

8Companies no longer have to sacrifice flexibility and productivity toexecute high-performance queries. Learn how you can gain instant accessto your enterprise data, boost productivity, and improve customer servicewith reliable Linux enterprise server solutions from Intel and SAP.

Intel GmbH

SAP on Linux: Putting Intel Architecture toWork to Enable Smarter Business Decisions

9 Learn from three real-world examples of companies that have migrated theirSAP applications to Linux — using IBM server and software technology —to consolidate systems, increase response times, and lower costs.

IBM SAP Alliance

Why Smart Businesses Trust Their SAPApplications to IBM Linux Platforms

12SAP users looking for an SQL-based, industrial-strength data managementsolution that can be deployed with their SAP applications out of the boxshould consider MaxDB, a database system that combines high performancewith low administration costs.

MaxDB/SAP AG

Can Your Database Meet Your EnterpriseDemands? MaxDB — The Professional

Database from SAP

13 Novell’s SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server operating system offers users high performance, flexibility, security, and low hardware and administrationcosts, especially when based on SAP’s Adaptive Computing infrastructure.

Novell

A Dynamic Duo — Combining Novell SUSELINUX Enterprise Server and SAP Software

Results in Long-Term Cost Savings

15Gruner + Jahr, Europe’s largest magazine publishing house, has beenusing Red Hat Enterprise Linux for SAP since 2001. Learn why they alsochose to port their mission-critical SAP database servers to Red HatEnterprise Linux and are now planning to expand the installation.

Red Hat

Red Hat Offers Gruner + Jahr HigherPerformance at Lower Cost

16System failures result in lost money, drops in productivity, and lowcustomer satisfaction. SteelEye’s LifeKeeper solution provides switchoverand recovery functionality to virtually eliminate SAP system downtimewhen technical problems occur.

SteelEye Technology

SteelEye LifeKeeper EnsuresAvailability of SAP Solutions

17 Is the performance of your enterprise applications hindered by the limita-tions of your hardware? With SGI’s Expand On-Demand architecture, SGIAltix servers expand to meet even the most demanding application needs.

Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI)

SAP Without Limits

19Integrating a new operating environment, such as Linux, with your SAP systems can come with performance and availability risks.ThomasKohlgraf, a Unisys consultant at SAP’s Linux Lab, suggests nine tips formaking the transition as seamless as possible.

Unisys Corporation

9 Ways to Minimize Risk When Workingwith SAP Solutions on Linux Servers

21 Sun has made significant strides in furthering the use of SAP solutionson Linux. Learn about Sun’s unique, Java-based Linux offerings thatbring greater flexibility and choice to your SAP environment.

Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Bringing Greater Flexibility andChoice to SAP Solutions on Linux

Inside

www.SAPinsider.com | Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

If you talk to anyone in the IT community about the latest and greatest in the world of operating systems, you can’t helpbut mention a major buzzword in enterprise platforms: Linux.While some might associate Linux with the dreams of a bunchof computer geeks, others may see it as a panacea to allmanner of IT issues, including costs, reliability, scalability,and system quality. Whatever your personal view, one thing is certain: Linux has a growing community of supporters,including large corporations, public institutions, and smallbusinesses alike.

So what is the value of Linux, and, in particular, what isthe benefit of Linux to the SAP community? If you’ve doneyour research and considered all of your options, you’ll findthat porting your SAP applications to Linux can be a viable,beneficial option for meeting your business needs. At SAP, weare poised to support our customers as they begin or continueto incorporate Linux into their IT landscape.

Agility and Flexibility Are Key to SuccessFor businesses in today’s aggressive economic climate, successis determined by two hard and fast goals: increasing bottom-line profits (often through cost optimization) and increasingtop-line revenue — in other words, growing the businessthrough innovative differentiation. Corporate IT is directlylinked to these very same goals: optimizing overall costs whileresponding more flexibly to changing business requirements.

With SAP NetWeaver and the Enterprise ServicesArchitecture, SAP has heralded a new era of IT, where business application software and the platform this softwareruns on (the application and integration server) become one,forming what analysts have coined the “applistructure.”What do SAP customers stand to gain from this newapproach? They no longer need to choose between the “buy”and “build” models — they can benefit from the best of bothworlds. Ultimately IT departments are empowered to be moreagile in responding to changes on the business side, driving

business growth rather thanbeing viewed as a cost to theenterprise.This is part of theequation of success.

The other part of the equation lies in the underlying ITinfrastructure, including operating systems and databases. Inthis area, companies are looking to exploit the latest hardwareand software technologies.They are looking for cost efficienciesand maximum flexibility — both in their immediate choicesand with their future business decisions in mind. Here, Linuxfits the bill perfectly, as an operating system offering an out-standing cost/performance ratio and unsurpassed portabilitycombined with high performance, scalability, and reliability.

Integrating Linux in Your EnterpriseA key SAP goal is to provide customers with maximum freedomto create the best IT environment for their needs and theability to get the most value out of their business applications,all while driving growth and profit. Openness, flexibility, andintegrity of its products have always been a cornerstone ofSAP’s product strategy, putting customers in the position todecide what’s best for their IT environment. For SAP, Linux is on an equal footing with other established platforms.

Linux is not just a buzzword — it’s an operating platformthat can bring considerable benefits to your business. Whatfollows are four key reasons why enterprises can confidentlymake the move to running their SAP applications on Linux.

1. SAP’s Long-Standing Commitment to Linux

In 1996, SAP was the first software vendor to recognize the applicability of Linux for mission-critical applications.In 1999, SAP was the first major ERP vendor to offer itscustomers business solutions on Linux.Today, SAP supports

Why Successful CustomersCan Confidently Move TheirSAP Applications to Linux

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Special Feature: SAP and Linux

Continued on page 2

Torsten M. GeersHead of the SAP Global

Linux/Open Source Office,SAP AG

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all major 64-bit Linux hardware platforms, including Itanium, x86_64,OpenPower, and zSeries. SAP alsosupports multiple Linux distributionsincluding Red Hat, Novell SUSE,and Red Flag.

However, SAP’s commitment toLinux doesn’t end here. SAP recentlydecided to make Linux one of its twostrategic development platforms for SAP NetWeaver.This means that all ourapplications are now developed fromscratch to natively run on Linux.

2. Strong Customer Adoption of Linux

Linux has achieved mainstream acceptance in the global market and is considered by many of SAP’scustomers as the next generation of Unix operating systems. Over the lastfew years, SAP has experienced anincreasing amount of interest from ourcustomers and prospects in deployingSAP on Linux.Today, thousands ofmission-critical SAP applications run on Linux across all industry segments.

The adoption rate of Linux in ourinstalled base more or less mirrors thatof the strong growth rates we see in themarket. Why? Many of our customerscite the following reasons:

■ The open source nature of Linuxprovides them with more flexibility andindependence than they have today.

■ Linux is a good choice for theirconsolidation efforts — since Linuxruns on multiple hardware architec-tures, customers can run their entireIT infrastructure landscape on oneoperating system.

■ They highly regard the security aspectof Linux; it shares a common designphilosophy with the Unix operatingsystem and, unlike some other operatingsystems where security was added

later, security has been an integralpart of Linux from the start.

■ Linux is particularly attractive to Unix users, since new skills are not required and customers feelcomfortable with the environment.

What drives our customers most,however, is the fact that Linux-basedinfrastructures provide the stability,availability, reliability, and security they expect from a mature operatingsystem — all at a very compellingprice/performance ratio.

3. Customers Report Huge Savings in IT Operating Costs

SAP on Linux has helped our customers extend the SAP NetWeaverand Enterprise Services Architecturetotal cost of ownership (TCO) valueproposition to the underlying IT infra-structure. Customers are finding thatthey can considerably reduce operatingcosts while boosting performance. Infact, some companies report performanceincreases of up to a factor of eight!

TCO is especially low when customersrun their solutions on Linux and onMaxDB (see sidebar).

4.Taking Flexibility to the Next Level

Optimizing computer resources topsmost data center managers’ prioritylists. Here Linux and SAP team up tooffer a world-class solution.

Linux was the first operating system to support SAP’s AdaptiveComputing architecture, an IT infra-structure design approach that allowsthe dynamic assignment of hardwareresources to serve specific applicationservices. Utilizing unique technologyaspects found only in Unix-like operatingsystems — such as the shared operatingsystem, network boot, and diskless serverconcept — SAP Adaptive Computingdecouples the software components fromservers, operating systems, and storagesolutions. As such, almost any applicationcan potentially run at any time on anyserver.This improves scalability andsystem performance, significantlyincreasing the efficiency and flexibility of the overall IT infrastructure.

Talk to SAPIf you are an SAP customer thinkingabout moving to Linux, talk to SAP.SAP is a trusted advisor to thousands of organizations around the world.Together with major partners, SAP can help you select the IT infrastructurethat will best meet your needs. As one of the world’s premier business solutionproviders, only SAP can help you lookbeyond technology “bits and bytes” andachieve your ultimate success.

For more information about running your SAP applications on Linux, visit www.sap.com/linux oremail linux@sap.com.

Continued from page 1Need a Great Database on Linux? Take a Look at MaxDB

MaxDB is a database management system (DBMS) designed for enterprise-scaleimplementations that is particularly easy to manage.The strength of MaxDB liesin its “zero administration” approach to database management, which ensureslow administration costs and superb quality of service.Thousands of satisfiedcustomers appreciate MaxDB for its outstanding price/performance ratio.MaxDB, of course, runs on Linux.1

1 For more information on MaxDB, see the article entitled “Can Your Database Meet Your Enterprise Demands?”on page 12 of this special feature.

SAP insider 3www.SAPinsider.com | Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

With the recent release of SAP for 64-bitLinux, companies can leverage the choice,flexibility, and cost advantages of Linuxplatforms while benefiting from the fullfunctionality of SAP’s 64-bit solution.But to truly take full advantage of theperformance benefits of 64-bit SAP onLinux, companies must find a compre-hensive, robust platform that can supportmulti-threaded, multi-tasking applications.AMD is joining leading SAP platformvendors to provide industry-recognizedhardware and open source operatingsystem solutions that unite SAP components in the data center.

The Convergence of Multi-CoreProcessing and 64-BitOperating SystemsWith 64-bit Linux, SAP applications can exploit the benefits of running 32-bitand 64-bit applications on one system. Avariety of third-party products currentlyavailable on 32-bit Linux — includingscheduling, system management, andbackup and restore products — areneeded to run a production SAP system.Supported backup products for SAP onLinux include ARCserveIT from ComputerAssociates, NetWorker from Legato,TimeNavigator from ATEMPO, and DataProtection from Tivoli.1 Using the AMDOpteron processor together with a networkbackup strategy, these 32-bit agents arefully supported on 64-bit Linux.

Moving to 64-Bit SAP onLinux — Thanks to AMD,the Time Is Now

Alexandra Bialek,Solution Architect,

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

processing. AMD began planning forthese advancements in 1999 with thedevelopment of Direct ConnectArchitecture, which connects multipleprocessors, the memory controller, andthe I/O directly to the central processorunit, helping to eliminate bottlenecksinherent in front-side bus architectures(see Figure 1 on the next page). Memoryis connected directly to the CPU foroptimized memory performance; the I/Ohub is connected directly to the CPU formore balanced throughput and higherI/O performance; and CPUs are connecteddirectly to CPUs, allowing for smoothscaling during peak workload periods.

With Direct Connect Architecture,AMD evolved industry standards from a megahertz-only mindset to a focus on architectural elegance that deliversbreakthrough performance.

The AMD Opteron ProcessorThe AMD Opteron processor with DirectConnect Architecture made history inApril 2003 as the first x86 processor for servers and workstations that is both 32- and 64-bit capable.The combi-nation of HyperTransport technology and an integrated memory controllerenables AMD Opteron processor-based systems to show significantperformance improvements whencompared to the traditional front-side

But it takes more than 64-bit technology to meet the size, powerconsumption, and performance demandsof today’s data center — it takes newinnovations in processor design. Multi-core technology delivers a balanced solution to meet increasing computingdemands within a given power envelope.A four-way, single-core server can supportup to 170 percent more SAPS2 whenconfigured with Dual-Core AMD Opteronprocessors.3 These savings compoundwhen you consider the space and poweradvantages of moving to fewer servers to carry out comparable workloads atcompetitive performance levels.

Additionally, dual-core technologyputs increased processing power in theuser’s hands.The multi-threaded andmulti-tasking nature of SAP applicationsmeans that SAP solutions are ideallysuited to dual-core platforms. Multi-coreprocessing, combined with the power of64-bit computing, delivers high-endsystem power and performance to the mainstream platform.

The Architectural AdvantageCompanies that are poised to succeedrecognize the importance of and areplanning for new x86 technologies like64-bit computing and multi-core

1 See www50.sap.com/linux/3rdparty/index.asp for more information.

2 SAP Application Performance Standard (SAPS) is ahardware-independent unit that describes the perform-ance of a system configuration in the SAP environment.

3 For more information on SAP’s benchmarking studies,please visit www.sap.com/benchmark.

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SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

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bus architecture-based systems.TheAMD Opteron processor’s higher datathroughput, together with lower memorylatency and non-uniform memory access(NUMA) support, decreases the idletime of CPUs. In an SAP customer evaluation, the time to process data was reduced by over 50 percent with anAMD Opteron processor-based systemand 64-bit SAP.

The AMD Opteron processor supportsstandard x86 applications and ranks asa top-performing platform in a wide rangeof benchmarking tests.4 In SAP-certifiedbenchmarks, the AMD Opteron processorconsistently outperforms other processorsby 70 percent or more (see Figure 2).The quality and performance of AMDOpteron processor-based systems has ledSAP’s own developers and engineers to

use AMD Opteron processors for testingand development.

Global commercial enterprisescontinue to adopt AMD Opteronprocessor-based systems at an acceleratedpace, with new customers in industriesincluding banking, insurance, oil and gas,and pharmaceuticals. Now more than 75 percent of the top 100 of the ForbesGlobal 2000 companies have adoptedAMD64 technology. In Q1 2005, AMD’sOpteron processor achieved 27.8 percentunit shipment share in the US four-wayx86 server market and 18.4 percent unit shipment share in the worldwidefour-way x86 server market (accordingto IDC Q1 2005 data).5

Why is demand increasing? The AMDOpteron processor is designed to runexisting 32-bit applications and offers a

nondisruptive path to 64-bit computingand multi-core processing.The processorprovides compatibility, performance, andinvestment protection, and can reducetotal cost of ownership. AMD Opteronprocessors transform the enterprise withleading 64-bit technology, multi-coreleadership, and an industry-leadingperformance-per-watt.

The Impact on SAP CustomersWith the combination of Dual-CoreAMD Opteron processors and 64-bitSAP on Linux, customers can implementand run more SAP applications on fewerservers while maintaining performance,without slowing down response times.This is advantageous to SAP databaseperformance because the system candynamically and transparently schedulethreads on available cores. Customers’operations can become more effective,with more users able to run SAP applications with less disruption and pressure on IT resources. For more information, please visitwww.amd.com/enterprise.

Figure 1 AMD64 with Direct Connect Architecture

4 For more information on AMD Opteron processorbenchmarks, please visit www.amd.com/opteronperformance. 5 Source: IDC’s Q105 Quarterly Server Tracker.

Figure 2 Dual Core Performance Advantage

SAP insider 5www.SAPinsider.com | Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

With the growing demand for Linux in the marketplace, SAP customers’requirements for low-cost, low-riskLinux solutions are on the rise. HP,with a commanding 50 percent of allSAP installations running on its systems,is committed to delivering complete,worry-free Linux solutions for SAPbased on industry standards.

From the very first SAP solution basedon Linux — mySAP.com in 1999 — toan ever-expanding choice of Linux-basedofferings, such as mySAP Business Suite,HP and SAP have worked closely todevelop Linux solutions that providecustomers with increased flexibility, lesscomplexity, and reduced total cost ofownership (TCO).

As one of three strategic HP operatingsystems, Linux has been a key componentof HP’s portfolio for many years. HPLinux-based servers are highly manage-able, fully supported, and an integralcomponent of an adaptive enterprisesolution for SAP customers. Many SAP

customers have successfullydeployed Linux-based solu-tions on the HP platform,and recent Linux customertrends show great interest in the two- to four-processor HP ProLiant BL blade servers, as well as in the HP Integrity servers.

Proven HP and SAP LinuxSolutions Regardless of the processor family onwhich you run Linux, HP can deliver theappropriate industry-standard platformfor your needs, ranging from 32-bit HPProLiant servers to high-end, 64-bit HPIntegrity servers. HP servers consistentlyshow high performance and top price/performance ratios — with bothcommercial and technical applications.Plus HP enjoys strong relationships withmajor Linux distributors including NovellSUSE and Red Hat, as well as withmajor database systems such as Oracle,Informix, and MaxDB (formerly SAP DB).

“Our decision in favor of the HP

Integrity server running under Linux

has paid off 100 percent. The HP SAP

Competence Center team showed

incredible commitment in supporting us

during our move to the new hardware

and software.”

— Clemens Schulta, Information TechnologyManager, Rohwedder

HP Linux offerings for SAP include:

HP ProLiant servers offering for SAP

and Linux — The grouping of SAPapplications, HP ProLiant servers, andthe Linux operating system provides an unprecedented combination of highperformance and cost-effectiveness.HP offers a broad range of certifiedProLiant Servers for SAP, from ProLiantBlade servers all the way to the latestHP ProLiant DL 585 Opteron-basedfour-way server. HP ProLiant Essentialsfor SAP and Linux — modular, flexiblesoftware tools that extend the function-ality of HP Systems Insight Manager —are solution packages designed tosimplify server management and expandthe capabilities of ProLiant serverswhile lowering overall lifecycle costs andreducing demands on IT resources.

✔

HP Linux Solutionsfor SAPComprehensive, Enterprise-ReadyOfferings for an Accelerating Market

Udo KerkowManager,

HP SAP Global Alliance

Niall McCorleyLinux Marketing Manager,HP SAP Global Alliance

HP Leadership and the SAP Linux LabHP has an unparalleled understanding of the requirements for open source soft-ware. As a founding member of the SAP Linux Lab, HP has been participating inLinux development for several years.The SAP Linux Lab is used to:

■ Port SAP applications onto Linux

■ Test and provide certification of all technology partners’ hardware platformsfor SAP applications

■ Provide third-level support to customers running SAP solutions on Linux

■ Serve as an interface to the Linux community

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HP Integrity servers offering for

SAP and Linux — Those needing therobust 64-bit reliability, availability, andserviceability (RAS) features of the HPIntegrity server family, and who want todeploy only Linux, can choose from awide variety of HP Integrity servers thatsupport SAP applications running onLinux. With the Intel Itanium 2-basedHP Integrity server family, the strengthsof HP, SAP, and Linux combine to delivercompelling solutions using the latesttechnologies. HP Integrity Essentials forSAP and Linux offer a comprehensiveset of integrated tools for seamlessmanagement of HP Integrity servers.Integrity Essentials help you control ITinfrastructure with unified managementof your HP Integrity server environmentrunning on Linux.

HP Systems Insight Manager for

SAP and Linux — HP Systems InsightManager (SIM) forms the foundation of HP’s server management strategy.HP SIM extends existing managementcapabilities for ProLiant and Integritysystems with Integrated Managementand support for value-added plug-ins forimproved rapid deployment, vulnerabilityand patch management, and virtualmachine management and control.

HP StorageWorks solutions for SAP

on Linux — HP StorageWorks solutionsfor SAP on Linux offer maximum scalability, world-class performance,a fully integrated suite of centralizedmanagement tools, and exceptional dataprotection and disaster-tolerant features.HP has developed the following specificstorage solutions for SAP to help youmaximize your complete SAP systemenvironment on Linux:

■ HP StorageWorks Disaster TolerantSolution for mySAP Business Suite on Linux

■ HP OpenView Storage Data Protectorfor SAP on Linux

✔

✔

✔ ■ HP StorageWorks Rapid Backup &Restore for mySAP Business Suite on Linux

HP Virtualized Infrastructure

Solutions for mySAP Business Suite

on Linux — HP Virtual InfrastructureSolutions for mySAP Business Suiteoffer SAP customers the opportunity todeploy SAP systems in a highly flexiblenature, with central control for thestarting, stopping, and relocating of SAP systems from one server to another.It enables virtualization by separatingSAP applications from the underlying IT infrastructure resources: servers,storage, networking, and other devices.Your IT can scale flexibly and respondquickly to changes in demand becauseresources are pooled, shared, and allocated according to utilization.

“Customers expanding their enterprise

applications infrastructure are

increasingly looking to HP for

standardized solutions that are

modular, flexible, and easy to manage,

in order that the IT environment can

rapidly respond to changing business

requirements. With the alignment of

HP’s Adaptive Enterprise strategy and

SAP’s adaptive computing capabilities,

our joint customers will be able to

deploy their SAP landscapes with

greater accountability, agility, and

flexibility, resulting in improved

return on IT.”

— Ron Eller, Vice President and GeneralManager, HP Enterprise Solution Alliances

HP Services Support YourLinux-Based SolutionHP has over 6,500 Linux-trained services professionals in more than 160 countries, supporting solutions forour customers’ Linux-based applicationenvironments. We have more than 20

✔

years of experience in providing compre-hensive service portfolios regardless of the business size or type, and we’rerecognized worldwide as an industryleader in provisioning multivendor hardware and software support services for open IT environments.

In addition to our strong portfolio ofproducts, services, people, tools, method-ologies, and world-class partnerships, HPmakes it easy on the balance sheet to putthe power of the HP portfolio to workfor you through HP Financial Services.

Why HP, SAP, and Linux?Customers are moving toward the Linuxoperating environment because they arelooking for robust, reliable solutions at a lower TCO. HP has a long-standingcommitment to developing robust solu-tions based on the Linux platform. As an industry market-share leader in Linuxsolutions, HP is well known for its supportof Linux and open source computingsolutions on industry-standard platformswithin heterogeneous environments.

As a key technology partner withSAP, HP is also dedicated to deliveringcost-effective and reliable Linux-basedSAP solutions. HP continues to invest in the development, delivery, and supportof Linux environments required bybudget-conscious, performance-demandingbusinesses, governments, and public ITenvironments. With an overall strategy to reduce IT infrastructure costs —while employing the sophisticated SAPapplications that form the core of youroperations — HP delivers high IT valuewith low risk. Plus you can count on HP as a single point of contact forcomprehensive support around the world.

For more information on how Linuxsolutions from HP and SAP can helpimprove your competitive advantage,please visit www.hp.com/go/sap andwww.hp.com/go/linux.

SAP insider 7www.SAPinsider.com | Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

To survive in global competition,companies need to be able to reactquickly and economically to changingmarket conditions, rapidly implementingnew business processes on an as-neededbasis.To meet these challenges, services-oriented IT infrastructures are required.Linux, which has evolved into a real andviable alternative to the establishedoperating systems in the enterprisecomputing market space, plays an ever-increasing role in this area.

Reduce Data CenterComplexity with FlexFrame and Linux

Gunnar DoerkenDirector Global Alliances SAP,

Fujitsu SiemensComputers

More than 70 international customersrely on the flexible, cost-effectiveFlexFrame virtualization solution. Afterbecoming the first customer to deployFlexFrame over two years ago, HellaKGaA Hueck & Co., a global automotivesupplier, reduced the cost of operating itsSAP infrastructure by about 30 percent.

According to a BearingPoint surveyof FlexFrame users, operating costsavings of up to 62 percent are possible(see Figure 1). FlexFrame also offersthe flexibility to enable organizations toalign SAP services around fluctuatingdemands — in real time.

Well-Versed in LinuxEven before FlexFrame was developed,Linux was already a key component ofthe Fujitsu Siemens Computers corporatestrategy. Fujitsu Siemens Computers wasthe first supplier to publish a certifiedbenchmark result for SAP R/3 runningon Linux, and with the 1999 opening ofthe SAP Linux Lab for certifications andquality assurance in Walldorf, Germany,Fujitsu Siemens Computers and SAPlaid a cornerstone for the adoption ofLinux in enterprise computing.

To learn more about Fujitsu SiemensComputers’ Linux offerings for SAP customers, please visitwww.fujitsu-siemens.com.

Reducing the complexity of datacenter infrastructure is a constant challenge for SAP customers. Enterprisesystems are typically designed for peakloads, meaning each application has itsown dedicated server, database, andstorage systems, resulting in steadilygrowing IT landscapes hampered byincreasingly complex administration.

With its dynamic data centerapproach, Fujitsu Siemens Computersguides companies away from system-bound IT and into services-orientedarchitecture, where all hardwareresources are pooled and used asrequired.This virtualization allows anyservice to run on any system, or even tobe stored between systems short-term.And because operations are highly auto-mated, systems can independently reactto changing conditions.

Close Collaboration with SAPFujitsu Siemens Computers collaboratesclosely with leading IT suppliers to offercustomers flexible solutions for thedynamic data center.The companyhas worked with SAP for over aquarter century in a partnership thathas led to numerous innovations forSAP infrastructure — includingFlexFrame for mySAP Business Suite

running on Linux, which is certifiedfor integration with SAP NetWeaver.This infrastructure solution for adaptivecomputing in SAP environments wasfirst introduced into the market on theLinux open source operating system.

Figure 1 Results of BearingPoint FlexFrame User Survey

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SAP customers in countless industriesaround the globe are turning to Linuxto drive their business-critical applica-tions. Running large-scale enterpriseresource planning (ERP) and supplychain management (SCM) solutions —like mySAP ERP and mySAP SCM —on Linux with Intel architectureenables easy integration with othermySAP Business Suite solutions.Theresult is an open, Web Services-basedinfrastructure that supports high levelsof agility and performance at both thebusiness and technical levels.

Ask customers why they run theirSAP solutions on Linux with Intel architecture and they will likely cite their need for agile, flexible, high-performance IT solutions that supporttheir changing business processes.Customers also trust Linux and Intelarchitecture to provide the reliability,availability, serviceability, and scala-bility they demand from their datastorage and retrieval solutions.

Many customers, however, aresurprised to discover that Intel alsoprovides key enabling and software engineering for the delivery of Linuxsolutions to industries, end customers,and software and solution providers.Intel not only contributes to the development of the Linux operatingsystem (OS), we also cooperate indistributing application developmenttools, providing component integration,and assisting in real-world Linuxdeployments.

SAP on Linux: Putting IntelArchitecture to Work to EnableSmarter Business Decisions

Ulf HofemeierSenior Software Engineer,

Intel GmbH

help companies gain instant access to inventory and profitability data,boost productivity and sales fore-casts, enhance supplier relationships,and improve marketing focus andeffectiveness. Customers can takeadvantage of High PerformanceAnalytics preloaded on HP ProLiant servers running 64-bitLinux on Intel Extended MemoryTechnology (EM64T) architecturewith HP StorageWorks storage area networks.

High Performance Analytics onIntel architecture is available for a fraction of the cost previously associated with high-speed storageand retrieval of mission-critical data.The advantages of affordable hard-ware, lower administration costs,scalability, and increased speed from indexing across several bladeservers are attractive to new SAPcustomers and those consideringupgrades to existing proprietaryRISC-based solutions.

Intel and SAP provide reliable Linux enterprise server solutions that enable smart decision-makingwhile lowering your total cost ofownership. For more information,please visit www.intel.com/business/bss/products/server/itanium2/sap_guide.pdf.

High Performance Analytics on the Linux OS Intel has played a key role in offeringrobust Linux solutions with the develop-ment of High Performance Analytics, acollaborative effort between SAP, HP,and Intel. Working on site at the SAPheadquarters in Walldorf, Germany,developers from Intel’s Software andSolutions Group (SSG) ported TREXcode, a key component of the HighPerformance Analytics solution, to 64-bitIntel Xeon processor-based platforms aspart of SAP NetWeaver. Executingportions of SAP NetWeaver BusinessIntelligence software on 64-bit-enabledIntel processors reduced query timesfrom minutes to seconds. A version forIntel Itanium 2 processors is planned.

This enhanced query performance is a key element on the roadmap toEnterprise Services Architecture (ESA),SAP’s blueprint for a business-drivenapproach to services-oriented architecture(SOA). Intel’s technology innovations,coupled with our intimate knowledge of how companies implement SOAs, canhelp customers address the challenges of moving to an open environment.

Effective, Flexible BusinessIntelligenceUntil now, companies wanting to executehigh-performance queries had to sacrificeflexibility and productivity. SAP, HP,and Intel developed High PerformanceAnalytics specifically for SAP NetWeaverBusiness Intelligence installations to

SAP insider 9www.SAPinsider.com | Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

More and more companies are choosingLinux to support their SAP enterpriseapplications. Consider, for example, asystems architect at a German consultingand data-center services company whowas searching for a solution that couldaddress the performance issues of hisclient’s SAP R/3 Windows installation.Eventually, the architect migrated theSAP R/3 system to the Linux platform.

Or consider another example:The IT managers of a leading Swiss mediagroup needed a plan to lower costs andconsolidate their SAP applications fromdiverse Unix-based proprietary systems.They selected a 64-bit Linux platformfor its attractive combination of lowprice and performance promise.

In both cases, expectations were high.To help maximize the capabilities of theirSAP applications and cost-effectivelybuild a supporting Linux infrastructure,these IT teams turned to IBM.Theseexperts knew that SAP applications workwell on Linux, and that IBM is a leading

Why Smart Businesses Trust Their SAP Applicationsto IBM Linux Platforms

Franz L. VoelkerBusiness Development

Manager,IBM SAP Alliance

Linux supporter. For over 30 years, SAPand IBM have maintained a close tech-nology partnership and business alliance,and IBM is a founding member of theSAP Linux Lab, which drives the portingof SAP software to Linux platforms.Throughout this close partnership, it hasalways been IBM’s concern to help busi-ness users run their SAP applications onLinux as robustly as they would run onUnix and other operating systems (seeFigure 1 on the next page).

To see how IBM is an integral part of successfully implementing SAPapplications on Linux, let’s take a closerlook at three Linux offerings from IBM,accompanied by real-world examplesfrom leading global enterprises.

IBM xSeries — The StandardPlatform for LinuxThe IBM xSeries server is the improvedstandard Intel and AMD server platformfor 32- and 64-bit Linux. IBM’s newxSeries X3 chipset has threefold

accelerated memory and periphery (PCI)access. It implements smart scaling techniques that allow users to “pay asyou grow” — from adding individualprocessors to stacking server chassis —up to 32-way symmetric multiprocessing(SMP) systems with 512GB of memory,supporting thousands of SAP users.

Better Performance and HighAvailability for NZZ/St. Galler Tagblatt

The Swiss media group Neue ZüricherZeitung (NZZ)/St. Galler Tagblatt uses SAP R/3 applications for its corebusiness and SAP for Media industrysolutions for its media-specific operations.The group will soon be converting all of its operational business processes to SAP software.

To lower costs, consolidate its SAPapplications, and build a new infrastruc-ture for moving proprietary Unix-based applications to Linux, NZZ/St. GallerTagblatt chose Novell SUSE LINUXEnterprise Server 8 and the MaxDBenterprise database, based on the opensource cost benefits of this technology.The company acquired four IBM xSeriesx455 servers: two of the servers host St. Galler Tagblatt’s SAP applications(one in production and the other fortesting and development), and the othertwo house NZZ’s SAP applications inthe same configuration.To integrate the

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How Does IBM Enable SAP Solutions on Linux?To understand IBM’s involvement in the SAP Linux Lab, consider the example of an SAP kernel release1 that has just been implemented on an Intel platform.IBM tests the full SAP application stack on their own Intel-based xSeries servers.Then IBM ports the SAP code to the other IBM Linux platforms and performsSAP platform certification tests. Porting the SAP kernel is straightforward; arecent port to Linux for IBM’s POWER generation 5 platform took only a fewweeks.Thorough certification testing followed. Customers can be assured bycertifications that they get proven technology for their SAP solutions.1 The SAP kernel, which consists of the Basis layers on top of the native operating system, is what makes SAP’s

business applications platform-independent.

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SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

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solution under tight deadlines, the mediagroup worked with IBM Partner TDSMultivision, a Swiss system integrationand IT services company.The integrationstarted in mid-May 2004, and NZZ’sSAP applications on Linux went intoproduction in early July 2004.

Realizing that every second thesystem is unavailable costs money, thecompany combined IBM xSeries serversand SAP applications on Linux andMaxDB into a productive cluster usingSteelEye LifeKeeper in early October2004.This ensures that in case of afailure or controlled time-out, the SAPtest and development servers will takeover the production.

For NZZ/St. Galler Tagblatt’s day-to-day business, the power of the new SAPsystem is very compelling. Erich Giesinger,infrastructure manager of St. GallerTagblatt, explains: “Address data is nowprepared three times faster than before,allowing us sufficient leeway for futuregrowth — one of our central concerns.”The new setup saves the company500,000 Swiss francs per year.

IBM’s OpenPower ServerPlatform IBM POWER, IBM’s high-performingprocessor technology, is field-proven bymore than 13 years in AIX and OS/400servers. Now, IBM and SAP have added64-bit POWER support for Linux. Bestof all, SAP applications are platform-independent, and the move to Linux onPOWER is transparent for SAP end users.

Consider that the typical SAP land-scape has a production system, a qualityassurance system, and a release testsystem. With POWER generation 5, thelatest POWER technology release, IBMhas enhanced the logical partitioning(LPAR) technology, enabling SAPcustomers to run multiple system imageson a single machine and treat eachpartition as a separate server. POWER5

dynamic LPAR enables you to add,remove, or move system resources acrosspartitions — all without having toreboot. POWER5 is ideal if you want tomove processor power from an SAP testpartition to a production partition (orvice versa) in periods of peak demand.

Finding the Right Tools for Röhm,with Linux on IBM POWER

Röhm GmbH Sontheim is a leading globalmanufacturer of clamping technology,with products ranging from drill chucksto precision vices, delivering to morethan 60 countries.

Röhm uses SAP R/3 Enterprise soft-ware for its local and global businessoperations. Approximately 450 SAP usersare constantly online at eight locationsworldwide. As Röhm’s business grew,the performance of its SAP systems on Windows steadily decreased.Thecompany asked IT-Informatik GmbH,the associated IT consulting partner andIT service provider of Röhm, to build a new higher-performing infrastructure.Achim Schütz, systems architect of IT-Informatik, explains: “IBM and SAP announced that they would provide

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support for a pilot of SAP under Linuxon POWER, and helped us to conduct athree-day test in the [IBM] laboratory.On the third day, we were able to showexcellent results to Röhm.”

IT-Informatik selected an IBM p5 570server with eight POWER5 processorsand 32GB memory as the core server forRöhm.The server is subdivided into fiveLPARs: four partitions running SUSELINUX Enterprise Server 9 — for SAPproduction, quality assurance, develop-ment, and training — and one IBM AIX5.3 partition for legacy services. A secondIBM server, a p5 520 system with twoprocessors and 8GB of memory, was also installed for support applicationssuch as print spooling.This second systemincludes a disaster recovery LPAR,allowing Röhm to take over the productionworkload within a few minutes of afailure on the primary system. Finally,IBM TotalStorage DS4300 Turbo storageprovides 2TB of high-performance, high-availability data storage.

Queries on the SAP system now runthree times faster, with batch processingreduced from seven hours to just onehour and 45 minutes. According to

IBM Server Processor Technology

mySAP DBServer

mySAPApplication Server

xSeries Intel x86 (32-bit)

Intel IA-64

Intel EM64T (Xeon X3)

AMD 64-bit

RHEL 3 and 4,SLES 8 and 9

RHEL 3 and 4,SLES 8 and 9

pSeries POWER 5 64-bit

OpenPower (POWER 5 64-bit)

RHEL 4, SLES 9 RHEL 4, SLES 9

BladeCenter Intel EM64T

AMD 64-bit

POWER 4/5 64-bit

RHEL 4, SLES 9 RHEL 4, SLES 9

iSeries POWER 5 64-bit N/A* RHEL 4, SLES 9

zSeries zSeries (native and VM LPAR)

N/A** SLES 8 and 9

RHEL = Red Hat Enterprise Linux SLES = Novell SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server* On i5/OS ** On z/OS

Figure 1 Availability of SAP for Linux on IBM Servers

SAP insider 11www.SAPinsider.com | Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

Armin Schmidt, IT manager at Röhm,“The IBM pSeries solution has effectivelydoubled the speed of many SAP trans-actions.The p5 570 is only at 50 percentof its maximum capacity, so we caneasily meet the demands of the businessfor the foreseeable future.”

IBM DB2 Universal DatabaseOptimized for SAP and LinuxBrings New Level of Integration The release of DB2 UDB, Version 8.2.2was tailored to integrate seamlesslywithin SAP applications. Version 8.2.2scales to accommodate businesses of any size, but still requires only minimalresources to maintain. Industrialstrength, robustness, and data integrityare standard features of IBM’s profes-sional data management software.

DB2 UDB holds SD benchmark leadership for Linux in combination witheight- and four-way servers. In addition,DB2 has some unique features such as a built-in High Availability and DataRecovery (HADR) feature that is designedfor quick failover.The integrated clusterenvironment (ICE), a DB2 Linuxspecialty, enables SAP customers todeploy multiple SAP components ontoone physical database, SAP MCOD.2

DB2 UDB also is commercially very attractive. In its “Database

Comparative Cost of Ownership” study,Market Magic Research analyzed therelative costs of owning the three leadingdatabases and reported that DB2 V8“emerged with the superior databaseapplication cost of ownership.”3 Formore information on DB2 and Linux, seewww.ibm.com/software/data/db2/linux.

Teck Cominco Cuts Costs andRefines Operational Efficiency withSAP on Linux and IBM DB2

Teck Cominco, based out of Vancouver,Canada, is a world-leading mining,smelting, and refining company. Productsinclude semiprocessed ores (concentrates)and metals, and the company employsmore than 6,700 people. Since prices forconcentrates and metals are determinedby the markets,Teck Cominco is an especially cost-sensitive business.

The sales and marketing division ofTeck Cominco has been using SAP soft-ware since 1995, deploying SD, MM, FI,and CO components.The company’s SAPsolutions were running on proprietaryUnix systems. But as business demandsgrew, the company made the strategicdecision to move to the reliable Linuxoperating system, opting for Red HatEnterprise Linux.

Mike Zeleniak, information systemsmanager at Teck Cominco, explains: “We

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took the opportunity to consider ourhardware, database, and storage options,looking for the most cost-effectivecombination.To this end, we selectedIBM xSeries servers, IBM DB2 UniversalDatabase, IBM TotalStorage DS4300,and IBM TotalStorage LTO2 tape drivesfor backup and archive. With the tightintegration of DB2 with SAP, such as inthe DB2 Cockpit, database administrationcan easily be carried out within SAP.”

Teck Cominco implemented a typicalSAP landscape, with three IBM xSeriesservers to run production, quality assurance, and test SAP environments.“After we implemented the IBM andSAP solution, users found the systemmore responsive.The additional powermeant that they were able to exploit new features of the SAP solution thatthey had formerly ignored, because thereports had taken too long to execute,”Zeleniak reports. “For example, a month-end report that formerly took six hoursto complete now takes less than 20minutes. Now we have moved to Linuxand DB2, saving the organization tens of thousands of dollars a year.” With a successful upgrade to SAP R/3Enterprise under their belts, the TeckCominco team also recently implementedthe sales and logistics functionality ofthe SAP for Mining industry solution.

ConclusionThese customers and hundreds of otherSAP and IBM clients have had positiveexperiences with SAP on Linux for theenterprise.The combination of opensource with IBM’s server and softwaretechnology leads to a wide selection ofreliable SAP infrastructures that havegreat potential for additional TCO savings.IBM offers a complete Linux portfolioof products and services for SAP clients.

For more information about IBM’sofferings for SAP clients, please visitwww.ibm.com/solutions/sap.

Linux TCO — Customers Speak Up“The combination of SAP functionality with the robustness of IBM DB2 and thecost-effectiveness of Linux makes for an excellent solution.”

— Mike Zeleniak, Information Systems Manager, Teck Cominco

“The use of Linux eliminates most of our licensing costs, further reducing thetotal cost of ownership for SAP solutions.”

— Armin Schmidt, IT Manager, Röhm

“We wanted to run our SAP systems on Linux. IBM and their partners offeredus a sophisticated Linux strategy — and we achieved huge savings. We weretaking the risk, we succeeded, and we would do it again!”

— Peter Baer, Head of St. Galler Tagblatt IT

2 MCOD stands for multiple components in one database.

3 For more information on this January 2003 study,please visit www.marketmagic.co.uk/reports.htm.

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SAP customers are looking for a state-of-the-art, SQL-based, industrial-strengthdatabase system that can be deployedwith their SAP applications for an out-of-the-box business solution.

MaxDB — The Uncomplicated,Convenient DatabaseMaxDB is an easy-to-use enterprisedatabase management system (DBMS)that offers low cost of ownership andoutstanding performance. It includes all the features required for enterpriseusage, and its low administration costsindicate that no permanent attendance is required during DBMS operation.No planned downtime means “alwaysonline,” a prerequisite for adaptivecomputing and self-management.

“For administrating the MaxDB data-

bases of our 90 systems, only 2 FTEs

[full-time equivalents] are required, as

the database system has stood out for

years through its easy operation,

robustness, and performance.”

— Hans Reiffer, Head of Triaton Hosting Center

MaxDB is a rebranded and enhancedversion of SAP DB. For many years, ithas been used together with mySAPBusiness Suite and other demandingSQL applications requiring an enterprise-class DBMS tuned toward heavy-dutyonline transaction processing (OLTP)with thousands of users and database

Can Your Database MeetYour Enterprise Demands?MaxDB – The Professional Database from SAP

Jörg HoffmeisterDevelopment Manager,MaxDB and liveCache,

SAP AG

MaxDB Administration MaxDB Tools MaxDB Interfaces■ Installation Manager■ Database Manager■ Database Analyzer

■ SQL Studio■ Web SQL■ Loader■ Synchronization

Manager■ WebDAV

■ SQLDBC (API)■ JDBC■ ODBC■ Perl■ Python■ PHP

Figure 1 The MaxDB Component Portfolio

not degenerate, even after years of high-volume write operations.

Compared to other SQL DBMSs,MaxDB also offers the patented SAPliveCache technology, an object-orientedDBMS extension for C++ applications.The technology improves performance bya factor of 20 to 50 compared to SQLfor navigational accesses in large tree-type or network-type data models.

Availability and ReliabilityFor open source or other software development projects, as well as for trial or educational purposes, MaxDB is available under the GNU GeneralPublic License (GPL). MaxDB undergoesSAP AG’s complete quality assuranceprocess before it can be downloadedfrom the MySQL site. For more informa-tion, please visit www.mysql.com/products/maxdb or the SAP DeveloperNetwork (www.sdn.sap.com �

Technologies � MaxDB & SAP

liveCache).

sizes reaching multiple terabytes.Today,MaxDB technology is used in about10,000 SAP installations worldwide.Indeed, the majority of all DBMS instal-lations on Unix and Linux within SAP’sown IT department rely on MaxDB.

SAP Solution SupportMaxDB is available for all major operating system platforms, supports all major SAP solutions, and is bundledwith SAP NetWeaver.The individualcomponents of the MaxDB portfolio are shown in Figure 1.

In addition to multi-user, server-based scenarios, MaxDB can also beused as a desktop or laptop DBMS.MaxDB supports several high-availabilityscenarios for mission-critical databaseinstances and offers both Standby andHot Standby configurations.

The database offers elaborate backupand restore capabilities. Also, a snapshotof a complete database state can be“frozen” and restored again, and auto-matic space management and balancingof the I/O workload eliminates the needfor any reorganization. MaxDB will

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SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

To avoid vendor lock-ins by strategicallymoving to an open enterprise platform,and to reduce the total cost of ownership(TCO) of their IT environments, moreand more SAP users are putting trust inNovell’s service offerings and deployingNovell’s SUSE LINUX Enterprise Serveras their operating system.The first Linuxplatform certified for SAP solutions,SUSE LINUX provides centralized serverand network services that result in long-term cost savings.

Companies of any size and from any sector value the wide range of functions and services afforded by SUSELINUX Enterprise Server — all withlow license fees and sensible operatingand maintenance costs. What’s more,SAP customers can benefit from asystem that can cope with even the most exacting data center demands.

Flexibility Is KeySUSE LINUX Enterprise Server offersSAP users unrivaled flexibility when itcomes to choosing hardware and soft-ware. Siemens Business Services (SBS)GmbH, a leading global IT serviceprovider, rates the flexibility of SUSELINUX Enterprise Server very highly:“For us, the certification by prominenthardware and software manufacturerswas and continues to be decisive,” saysMichael Gebauer, project manager in theApplication and Hosting Servicesdepartment at SBS.

The Siemens group uses mySAP ERP Human Capital Management

A Dynamic Duo — CombiningNovell SUSE LINUX EnterpriseServer and SAP Software Resultsin Long-Term Cost Savings

Naji AlmahmoudDirector,

SAP Global Alliance,Novell

(mySAP ERP HCM) to handle its payrollrequirements for 170,000 employees, butwanted to find a new strategic platformfor their mySAP ERP HCM installationthat would provide better monetary valuethan conventional reduced instruction setcomputer (RISC) servers while boostingperformance at the same time. Aftervarious test runs with different Linuxdistributions, SBS selected the NovellSUSE LINUX Enterprise Server.Thereason: In conjunction with the new Intel servers, the system returned thebest performance data and promisedeasier migration.

A Fruitful PartnershipSAP customers benefit from Novell’sclose collaboration with the world’sleading vendor of enterprise software.SAP and Novell collaborate in the SAPLinux Lab to continually improve Linuxand further develop it for commercialuse. Furthermore, both companies enjoya global network of experts that coversall areas of support — from consultingto implementation, from operation tomaintenance.

This successful partnership was highlighted in 2002, when SAP namedNovell an SAP Global TechnologyPartner, and again in 2004, when Novell awarded SAP “YES CERTIFIED”status following intensive test series inthe SAP Linux Lab.1 In 2000, SUSE

LINUX Enterprise Server became thefirst Linux platform to be certified forboth mySAP Business Suite and therevolutionary Adaptive Computing infrastructure from SAP.

A Groundbreaking SolutionThe Adaptive Computing infrastructurefrom SAP is based on the SAP NetWeavertechnology platform. It decouples thesoftware components from servers,operating systems, memory solutions,and control instances. As such, almostany application can potentially run atany time on any server.This improvesscalability and system performance,significantly increasing the efficiency and flexibility of the IT infrastructure.

The potential benefits of Novell’s SUSE

LINUX Enterprise Server are especially

high when based on the Adaptive

Computing infrastructure from SAP.

IT operating costs can be cut by over

30 percent compared with customary

Unix systems, and by up to 60 percent

compared with mainframes.

A number of users have alreadydeployed SUSE LINUX EnterpriseServer successfully as a component inthe Adaptive Computing infrastructure

1 For more information on Novell’s YES CERTIFIEDprogram, please visit www.novell.com/partners/yes.

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SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

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from SAP. One such customer is HellaKGaA Hueck & Co., a leading interna-tional automotive supplier with close to23,000 employees in over 20 countries.Increasing globalization prompted Hellato merge its production and tradingcompanies, which were spread aroundthe world’s major automotive industrysites and operated locally.To harmonizeits process and system landscape, thecompany had to extend the use of coreSAP applications across the group.

Hella met these requirements withthe Adaptive Computing infrastructurefrom SAP, running on a system composedof blade and rack servers from FujitsuSiemens, storage systems from NetworkAppliance, and a Novell SUSE LINUXoperating system. Among its successes,the project boasts high availability,increased flexibility, simplified adminis-tration, and a TCO reduced by more than30 percent. “We are pursuing an optimalIT strategy with our new infrastructure,”says Hans Sudkamp, head of finances atHella. “It helps us to respond flexibly tothe needs of the automotive industry andto offer top-quality, innovative productsat reasonable prices around the globe.”

Major TCO ReductionT-Systems, one of Europe’s majorservice providers for information and communication technology, hasexperienced similar success. As an appli-cation service provider,T-Systemsprovides different SAP solutions formore than 250 customers worldwide.Thanks to Adaptive Computing fromSAP and SUSE LINUX, 50 to 60customers can now be served by a singleinfrastructure.T-Systems uses theAdaptive Computing Controller toolfrom SAP as a component of the SAPNetWeaver technology platform.

“The Adaptive Computing infrastruc-ture drastically reduces IT operatingcosts,” says Alfred Leicht, focus solution

manager at T-Systems.Together with SAP,T-Systems assessed the cost advantagesof Adaptive Computing on SUSE LINUXand concluded that IT operating costscould be cut by approximately 30 percentcompared to conventional Unix systems.Compared to mainframe environments,the difference is even greater, withpotential savings of up to 60 percent.

A Partner You Can TrustNovell has been working with partnersfor many years to develop strategicalliances and create a comprehensivesupporting ecosystem, providing

consulting, training, technical support,and third-party enhancements. Since it acquired SUSE in January of 2004,Novell has maintained a constant growthrate of more than 10 percent month on month. With more than 20 years ofexperience with cross-platform IT infra-structures, Novell is an ideal partner for all companies that want to integratetheir data, applications, and systems andimprove their business processes.

For more information on Novell SUSE LINUX, please visitwww.novell.com/partners/sap or email nalmahmoud@novell.com.

At a Glance – Novell SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server in SAP Environments

Certified solutions for seamless integration — Novell SUSE LINUXEnterprise Server became the first Linux platform to be certified formySAP Business Suite and the Adaptive Computing infrastructure from SAP.

Comprehensive, global support — SAP and Novell enjoy a global network of experts. As one of the leading Linux distributors, Novell offers uniqueround-the-clock support (24x7x365).

Flexible choice of hardware — SUSE LINUX is available for a wide range of hardware architectures.To determine if your hardware is compatible,visit http://developer.novell.com/yessearch/Search.jsp.

High performance that reduces hardware costs — The combination of SAPenterprise solutions and Novell SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server affordstangible cost savings and improved performance.

Low administration costs — Integrated administration tools reduce adminis-trative costs for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server.These tools can beextended by other solutions from the Novell portfolio.

Proven system stability — Practical experience and independent testsconfirm time and again the high stability and downtime security exhibitedby SAP systems on Novell SUSE LINUX Enterprise Servers.

High security standards — Novell SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 has attained the Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 4+,the highest security and operating certification for Linux.

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SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

With a workforce of over 11,500 and

revenue of more than €2.44 billion in

fiscal year 2004, Gruner + Jahr is Europe’s

largest magazine publishing house.

Like most companies, Gruner + Jahris faced with the challenge of having toachieve ever greater performance withever fewer resources. Attracted by thelow cost of Linux, they began experi-menting with Linux for Web servers in2000. Now they are operating numerousbusiness-critical applications on Red HatEnterprise Linux, including e-procurementapplications, SAP application servers,and database servers.

Red Hat Enterprise LinuxOffers Benefits Over Unix and Windows NTPrior to the introduction of Linux,Gruner + Jahr’s IT infrastructure was built around Unix and MicrosoftWindows NT. It soon became obviousthat a migration to standards-basedhardware and Linux would offer decisivebenefits. Intel-compatible hardware fromDell and Linux offered a considerablylower price than their Unix systems, whilemaintaining impressive performance.Additionally, Linux offered stability and security benefits when compared to Windows NT.

One of the main reasons Gruner + Jahrchose Red Hat was the high number of ISVs that had certified their applica-tions on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.“Certification of applications used by

Red Hat Offers Gruner + Jahr HigherPerformance at Lower Cost

Paul SalazarEMEA Marketing

Director,Red Hat

Gruner + Jahr makes use of Red Hat Network’s (RHN) UpdateModule, which is included in everysubscription to Red Hat EnterpriseLinux. RHN makes it possible forGruner + Jahr to maintain individualsystems via a simple graphical user interface, prioritized messages,errata information, RPM depend-ency tests, and automatic updates.

Red Hat, Gruner + JahrRelationship Is Exactly RightOverall Woost sees his experience with Red Hat as extremely positiveand plans to continue expansion ofthe existing installation. “We are verypleased that Red Hat is working hardon functions that are important forenterprise deployment. If we do haveproblems, we are protected by ourEnterprise Linux subscription, whichincludes support from Red Hat,”Woost explains. “All the advice wehave received from Red Hat up tonow has been extremely efficient and supportive, not to mention unbureaucratic.That’s how we likeour relationships with our technologysuppliers to be.”

For more information on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, please visit www.redhat.com/software/rhel.

us, as well as professional support, areessential prerequisites for operatingsystem platforms in our company.Red Hat Enterprise Linux also offersexcellent performance.That’s whatmade our decision in favor of Red Hateasy,” said Achim Woost, Group Leaderat Gruner + Jahr.

SAP Applications andDatabases Port EasilyWoost further explains, “Red HatEnterprise Linux offers a further advantage — we were able to transferthe scripting and monitoring systemsfrom existing Unix installations.Red Hat is clearly oriented towardbusiness use.”

Gruner + Jahr first started using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for SAP onapplication servers in 2001.They choseapplication servers as the first area ofdeployment because, even though theyare mission-critical, a system failurecould be tolerated more easily there than in database servers. However, thestability of Red Hat Enterprise Linuximpressed the IT team at Gruner +Jahr, so they felt confident in portingtheir mission-critical SAP databaseservers to Enterprise Linux. More than 10 Dell multiprocessor serversrunning Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS are in use at Gruner + Jahr forSAP applications.

In order to keep their systems as efficient and reliable as possible,

16 SAP insider

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

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When your SAP system is down due to hardware failure, an administratormistake, or maintenance activities, thebusiness impact can range from thou-sands of lost sales dollars to significantdrops in employee productivity andcustomer satisfaction. Implementing ahigh-availability cluster configurationcan virtually eliminate downtime fromthese planned and unplanned outages.

SteelEye and SAP AG haveworked together to ensure that users’availability expectations for business-critical infrastructure componentsrunning on Linux are achievedthrough the deployment of monitoringand switchover for SAP NetWeaverApplication Server environments.

Switchover Ensures AvailabilitySwitchover is a standard technique forincreasing the availability of criticalSAP NetWeaver Application Serverenvironments by clustering together a number of servers to eliminate single points of failure — including

SteelEye LifeKeeperEnsures Availability of SAP Solutions

Bob WilliamsonVice President of

Products,SteelEye Technology

installations worldwide. LifeKeeper,available for both Red Hat and SUSEEnterprise Linux distributions, useslightweight agents that constantlymonitor the operation of all criticalcomponents of an SAP solution. Shouldthese agents detect a problem, LifeKeeperwill automatically begin a recoveryprocedure to restore SAP to full opera-tion. In addition to protecting againstoutages due to failure, LifeKeeper canmigrate services and client connectionsbetween systems to eliminate downtimeassociated with planned maintenance.With LifeKeeper, standby servers do not have to be idle; they can run theirown set of applications, which will beintegrated into the switchover process as needed for full recovery.

Protecting Your Business AssetsTo ensure the availability of business-critical data and applications running on Linux, SAP customers must deploy ahigh-availability solution to eliminate therisks exposed by single points of failure.SteelEye Technology’s LifeKeeper forSAP solutions provides monitoring andrecovery for all pieces of SAP NetWeaverApplication Server deployments, deliversthe highest availability levels, andprotects business assets and customerrelationships.To learn more, visitwww.steeleye.com.

the back-end database, SAP CentralInstance with enqueue and messageservices, and Network File System (NFS)mounts — within the SAP landscape.Switchover solutions constantly monitorall components of the SAP solutionstack, including servers, databases,network connections, and SAP services,and take automatic recovery action if aproblem is detected.

Recovery often includes an attemptto first bring SAP back into service onthe primary server. If that is not possible,the recovery process will then bring SAP into service on a standby serverconfigured within the switchover cluster,ensuring that all processes start in thecorrect order and all storage, network,and client connections are migrated tothe newly active server.

Automatic Detection andRecoverySince 2002, SteelEye LifeKeeper for SAPhas provided switchover protection forSAP NetWeaver Application Server

Case Study: Media Company Realigns Its IT InfrastructureIn 2004, St. Galler Tagblatt AG, the largest media company in easternSwitzerland, decided to realign its IT infrastructure using SUSE LINUX to host its SAP R/3 4.6C with SAP for Media industry solution on IBM eServerxSeries 455 systems, with SteelEye LifeKeeper for SAP protecting the deploy-ment. St. Galler is already seeing significant cost savings and productivity gainsbased on the economics of Linux and the reliability of LifeKeeper. Like otherbusiness-savvy SAP shops, St. Galler has learned that the new deployment paradigm includes Linux and LifeKeeper.

SAP insider 17www.SAPinsider.com | Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

As business demands increase, SAPusers are under growing pressure to find alternative solutions to their current Unix and mainframe systems.Companies are looking for a new classof high-performance computing todeliver scalable enterprise solutions thatoffer a real-time view of their business,with more flexible capabilities based onindustry-standard components, all at abetter return on investment. SGI offersSAP users a true alternative to propri-etary Unix-based systems, with scalable,enterprise-ready 64-bit Linux solutionsthat can expand to meet the needs of the most demanding SAP applications.

SGI Altix servers are based on theSGI NUMAflex Expand On-Demandarchitecture, enabling independent scalability of CPU, memory, and I/O

resources, and allowing users to matchtheir hardware to their applicationrequirements — with minimal need for upfront investment in large bus,switching, or other infrastructure. SGIAltix servers deliver a new level ofinvestment protection through the abilityto expand or reallocate system capacityto meet changing user demands, organi-zational structures, and technologyimprovements (see Figure 1).The serversalso benefit from the flexibility providedby open source operating systems(Novell SUSE or Red Hat Linux) andIntel Itanium 2 processors.

Specific Benefits for SAP ApplicationsSGI Altix presents major system and I/O performance benefits for SAP

applications with its ability to scale SAP NetWeaver Application Serverperformance independently of othersystem components. SAP NetWeaverApplication Server places higher demandson system memory and CPU performancethan on disk infrastructure; as an SAPfunction or module is accessed, it iscompiled in real time and then stored in the SAP cache, from where it can beshared among all SAP users connectedto SAP NetWeaver Application Server.Therefore, application server performanceis directly related to the amount ofmemory and speed with which calls canbe accessed and addressed by the server.As more modules or functions are used,the cache fills up until a “round robin”algorithm unloads the least-used modulesor functions from the cache, makingmore room available for the currentlyexecuting modules. Clearly, keeping allmodules and functions compiled andloaded in the cache is preferable.

With SGI’s Expand On-Demandarchitecture, if a system is configuredwith insufficient memory to hold all the compiled modules, more memory can be added independently of CPUs(see Figure 2 on the next page) — aclear advantage over the “On-Demand”approach adopted by many othervendors. Similarly, rather than investingin additional servers to add more SAPusers to a given instance, application

SAP Without Limitsby Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI)

Steve CooperAlliance and Channel

Sales Director,Silicon Graphics, Inc.

Figure 1 Scalable SGI Altix Servers Scale Up and Out

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instance performance can be increasedby adding more CPUs.This maximizesthe existing investment in memory cacheand disk storage; an organization usingSGI Altix will never outgrow its SAPinstance again.

Another key benefit of SGI’s ExpandOn-Demand architecture — especiallygiven the I/O-intensive nature of databaseserver requirements — is its ability toadd I/O capabilities as required. By usingthe high-performance SGI XFS file systemand Linux Logical Volume Manager, veryhigh transaction throughput rates can beachieved, which is essential for databaseperformance. And because SGI Altixprovides almost unlimited near-linearscalability, an SAP database serverrunning on the system will never need to be replaced.

The Throughput andPerformance of Two Tiers,with the Flexibility of ThreeAn SAP instance can be made up ofeither two or three tiers. In a two-tier

setup, the application and database areon the same system, whereas with thethree-tier, the application is on onesystem and the database is on another— so a low latency interconnect betweenthe two is essential. Whichever instancelandscape an organization has, SGI’ssub-microsecond interconnect fabricmeans that the SAP instance landscapecan be changed or modified as requiredwithout compromising performance.

The simple, integrated way SGI Altixcan expand on demand also provides easymanageability, application scalability,and automatic recovery of node failure.SAP services can be distributed acrossmultiple servers or a single server infra-structure to achieve higher levels ofperformance. And because only oneinstance is running, configurationmanagement is simple.

All elements of the SAP instance can be consolidated into a few servers or distributed over many nodes in acluster — improving resource utilizationand service levels by offering pools of

resources within which a failed component can be recovered. UsingSGI’s SAN-based clustered file system(CXFS), a single view of the entire SAP instance and its components can be maintained. CXFS also makes it easier to install SAP applicationinstances because the SAP scripts onlyneed to be installed once and are thenavailable to all nodes in the cluster.

SummarySGI’s Expand On-Demand architectureallows the solution to grow based onapplication needs rather than thelimitations of hardware architectures.SGI brings total cost of ownershipbenefits to SAP applications —enabling users to grow their CPU,memory, and I/O independently ofeach other, thereby maximizing their return on investment.

For more information on SGI’sExpand On-Demand solutions, visitwww.sgi.com or email scooper@sgi.comor sgipromo@sgi.com.

Figure 2 Building Blocks of SGI Altix’s Expand On-Demand Architecture

SAP insider 19www.SAPinsider.com | Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

You’ve read the headlines. You’ve doneyour research. Now you’re ready to deployat least one new SAP module on Linux.So the remaining question is: How canyou minimize risk to your new or existingSAP operations while integrating Linux-based applications with your Windows-or Unix-based systems?

Whenever you customize your SAPapplications or introduce a new oper-ating environment such as Linux, youencounter associated risks.The perform-ance of your SAP applications maydegrade, or availability may be affectedif your operating system and servershaven’t been adjusted for the workload.You can mitigate these risks, however, byleveraging the knowledge of trained SAPtechnical experts.

Here are some suggestions, garneredfrom my experience working withcustomers all over the world, as to how you can smoothly introduce Linux-based technology into your existing SAP environment.

1. Seek Performance andAnalysis Tuning for CustomizedSAP EnvironmentsEvery SAP installation is unique. EachSAP landscape has different workloadsand user group sizes, and most environ-ments are customized to accommodatespecific business needs. With so manyvariables in the mix, keeping theperformance levels of your SAP solutionsas high as possible while integrating

9 Ways to Minimize RiskWhen Working with SAPSolutions on Linux Servers

Thomas KohlgrafSAP Services Specialist,

Unisys Corporation

In many of our service engagements,our SAP-certified experts measure theperformance levels of a customer’sexisting SAP environment — before thetransition to Linux-based technology —using standard SAP transaction meas-urement tools.These noninvasive analysistools run while a customer’s productionenvironment is live, so they can conductbusiness as usual during our service.The measurement tools capture data for a two-week time period to collect all critical performance information,including important statistics at peaktimes of the month.Then we analyze andevaluate the collected data using Unisys-developed tools and best practices.

3. Consider What Your SAPData May Be Telling YouOur technical services experts useproprietary analytical tools for SAP that can precisely analyze the resultsfrom a customer’s SAP performancedata. Our proprietary tools givecustomers an accurate view of theirSAP system’s performance.

Based on our findings, we can tellcustomers exactly where any performancehang-ups may be occurring in their ITlandscape — anywhere from a user’scustomized code or network devices totheir SAP applications or servers. Agood data analysis can reveal critical

Linux-based solutions into your systemenvironment can be challenging.

Tuning the hardware platform thatsupports your SAP solutions can make asignificant difference in maintainingperformance levels, especially forcustomized SAP environments. Nearly95 percent of all SAP users customizetheir SAP solutions, which can affectthe efficiency of the applications andlead to increased system workloaddemands.To process high transactionvolumes and avoid application bottle-necks, you need to make sure theservers, network devices, and storagesolutions that will support your Linux-based SAP applications have been tunedand optimized.

Unisys, an SAP Technology Platformand Services Partner, offers Performance

Analysis and Tuning Services specificallyfor SAP users who want to minimize therisk of introducing Linux in their enter-prise and maximize the efficiency oftheir IT infrastructures.

2. Measure Your Workload MixMost SAP environments containmultiple types of data, includingcustomer information, historical salesdata, partner and supplier records, andfinancial reports.This is especially truefor analytical applications such as SAPBusiness Information Warehouse (SAPBW). SAP NetWeaver, which integratesmultiple SAP modules, can also addanother layer of complexity when it comesto troubleshooting performance issues.

20 SAP insider

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005 | www.SAPinsider.com

details that can help you alleviate stubborn response time issues before you deploy SAP modules on Linux.

4. Check If Your System IsCorrectly SizedThe Unisys Sizing and Configuration

Service ensures that our customersreceive servers that will accurately and predictably support their SAP environments, including any Linux-based applications.That’s becausebuying an oversized server is typically a waste of money.

On the flip side, an undersized servercan also cause detrimental processingbottlenecks.That’s why we closely evaluateand measure the performance needs ofevery SAP environment we work in.Thisallows us to size and architect completesolutions that are configured to deliverpredictable levels of availability andperformance. Our engineers follow documented best practices to optimizeand tune our customers’ servers, whichtypically yield performance improve-ments of up to three times that ofuntuned systems.

5.Work with a Partner Who Will Work with YouThis tip sounds obvious, but don’t underestimate the long-term value ofworking with a partner who is trulyfocused on helping you achieve yourLinux integration goals. Before we beginto build a solution, our SAP-certifiedUnisys consultants sit down and revieweach customer’s current and futurerequirements for their SAP solutions.This customer-centric approach helps usunderstand our customers’ businessrequirements down to the user level.

Since different levels of user demandrequire specific sizing and configuring,we begin by defining your specific user base. Based on a customer’s SAP

workload, we can use our SAP sizingtools to measure and precisely calculateyour processing needs.

6. Have Your New System “Hot Staged”One of the most beneficial servicesUnisys offers is our Hot Staging Service.This popular service involves installingand configuring all hardware and soft-ware components for a customer’s SAPenvironment on ES7000 servers beforethey are delivered.

This service will give you confidencethat your Linux-based infrastructure has been specially configured for yourSAP environment.The Hot Stage processsubjects your systems to hundreds oftests and customized tuning steps, and issimilar to having your servers tweakedby a professional racecar mechanic formaximum performance. In most cases,these Hot Staged Linux servers are readyto go into production the day they arriveat your facility.

7.Test,Test Again,Then TestOne More TimeNever cut corners when it comes to yourSAP operations. After all, SAP is usuallyone of the most important applications —if not the most important — in yourdata center. If the system is down or notperforming, it could affect your revenue.

Be sure your new Linux-based serversare thoroughly tested for reliability withnetwork redundancy testing, includingcluster testing for disaster recovery andlog shipping, which provides serverredundancy (at a remote location) toprotect against file corruption whilemaintaining excellent response time.

8.Thou Shalt Protect withBackup SoftwareBacking up your data is essential.That’s why our technical service expertshelp customers choose the best backup

software to yield the best performanceand management capabilities for theirLinux-based (and Windows- and Unix-based) applications. All backup softwarewe install as part of our Business

Continuance Services for SAP goesthrough a series of tests, including testsfor reliability, performance, and featuresand capabilities. Based on our evaluationand successful customer installations,we’ve found that ARCserve, BrightStor,Veritas, and Legato all provide qualityproducts that work well when appropri-ately matched with a customer’s SAPbackup requirements.

9.Work with a Leader in the Linux ArenaLeveraging our leadership in the Intel-based server market for SAP,Unisys is bringing the same enterprise-class qualities of scalability, reliability,and manageability to Linux.This gives SAP users two open, Intel-based,scale-up platform alternatives: MicrosoftWindows and Linux. In addition to being an active member of Open SourceDevelopment Lab’s Linux workinggroups, Unisys is also a member of theSAP Linux Lab in Walldorf, Germany,where we provide testing, benchmarking,and professional services surroundingour ES7000 enterprise servers. Unisyshas also achieved full certification forrunning SAP on SUSE LINUXEnterprise Server (SLES) 9.

For more information on Linux-basedsolutions for SAP applications fromUnisys, please visit www.unisys.com/es7/sap/info.

Thomas Kohlgraf has 10 years of

professional IT experience and is currently

a Unisys SAP consultant at SAP’s Linux

Lab in Walldorf, Germany. He has

supported numerous SAP clients

including DeBeers, Paramount Pictures,

and Konica Minolta. You can reach

him at thomas.kohlgraf@unisys.com.

SAP insider 21www.SAPinsider.com | Oct ■ Nov ■ Dec 2005

SAP insider Special Feature: SAP and Linux

IT managers face tough decisions everyday when weighing the cost of their IT services against system quality andperformance. When SAP began certi-fying its enterprise software on Linux in1999, customers found themselves witha new option to help reduce costs. Fullysupported Linux configurations provide a low-cost alternative for businesses that want to leverage their Unix expertiseand deploy their SAP solutions in ahighly available and secure environment.

To help companies get maximumbenefit from SAP solutions on Linux,Sun has been working with SAP toprovide users with a comprehensiveLinux environment. SAP customers cannow enjoy the same range of featuresand benefits whether they’re runningSAP software on Linux or on the SolarisOperating System. All of Sun’s x64 plat-forms are certified to run SAP solutionson Linux, and Sun intends to continuecertifying all future x64 platforms.

As a partner in the SAP Linux Lab,Sun has gone beyond gaining SAP certification for its Linux platforms andhas delivered record-setting performancebenchmarks with its two-processor Sun Fire V20z and four-processor V40z servers (see www.sap.com/solutions/benchmark/sd.epx).

End-to-End IdentityManagement and SecurityIn addition to establishing performanceleadership, Sun has extended the functionality of its Linux offerings by

Bringing Greater Flexibilityand Choice to SAPSolutions on Linux

Christoph ReisbeckPartner Executive SAP,Sun Microsystems, Inc.

employees, business partners, suppliers,and customers to securely accessSAP NetWeaver Portal from anywhereoutside the corporate network.

Maximum FlexibilityTo provide additional flexibility for Linux customers, Sun has worked with third-party solution providerSteelEye to offer fault-resilience usingSteelEye’s LifeKeeper software, a certified high-availability solution forSAP on Sun’s Linux platforms.

Other Linux options available withthe Sun platform include:

■ SAP Adaptive Computing — Sun Fireservers running on Linux have beencertified by SAP to be “AdaptiveComputing Compliant.”

■ Flexibility to support other operating

systems — Sun Fire servers have theflexibility to run Microsoft Windows orthe Solaris Operating System if theyare redeployed to an environmentwhere Linux is no longer the rightoperating system.

To find out more about how Sun’scomprehensive offerings for SAP solu-tions can bring greater flexibility andchoice to your SAP environment, visitwww.sun.com/sap.

certifying the Sun Java EnterpriseSystem software on Linux to provideremote access, security, and identitymanagement solutions:

Sun Java System Directory Server —

Delivers a highly scalable directoryinfrastructure that can help increasesecurity through password synchro-nization with Microsoft ActiveDirectory and access controls forboth applications and data.

Sun Java System Identity Manager —

Provides core user provisioning andidentity synchronization services forSun’s identity management solutionto help ensure that identity data isaccurate and consistent both withinand outside the boundaries of theSAP NetWeaver environment.

To help companies get maximum

benefit from SAP solutions on Linux,

Sun has been working with SAP to

provide users with a comprehensive

Linux environment.

Sun Java System Access Manager —

Enables single sign-on for SAPNetWeaver and other Web-basedapplications by using a Sun-supportedJava Authentication and AccessServices (JAAS) login module thatintegrates user authentication forSAP NetWeaver Portal.

Sun Java System Portal Server Secure

Remote Access — Enables mobile

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sdn.sap.com