SLES for SAP Applications recommended for Hana 2.0

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Hana 2.0 does not mean a break in the sense that Hana 1.0 will soon pass away. Sooner or later, however, the 2.0 version will become a kind of standard.

The focus of SAP customers is primarily on Hana or on the use of Hana as a platform. For example, innovations or additional functions that are associated with Hana 2.0 and provided by SAP.

You can say there are many, very many, that affect the following areas: Database management, data management, analytical intelligence or application development.

For those responsible for SAP operations, enhancements in terms of database high availability will certainly be of particular interest. And here in particular the Hana 2.0 feature "Active-Active Read" with the possibility of read data access to secondary systems in a cluster.

At the same time, the use of an active-active concept offers improvements in terms of load balancing and performance.

Hana means Linux

However, since Hana always requires the use of Linux, or as IDC once put it in a white paper: "Hana means Linux", it is important to know: With Hana 2.0, there are also changes in the use of Suse Linux Enterprise Server (SLES). In addition, the new Hana version is also associated with a modified or shortened support matrix.

It is well known that SLES is the most widely used Linux operating system platform in the SAP environment. This is also because, from the very beginning, Suse Linux Enterprise Server (including the High Availability Extension) was explicitly developed to meet the mission-critical requirements of SAP solutions (including enterprise support) or was constantly expanded to meet these requirements.

And always in close coordination with SAP. Both for SAP Classic with Any DBs and for Hana or Hana-based solutions such as S/4.

Until now - with Hana 1.0 - it has been possible to use two SLES variants. Namely SLES Priority, the "normal" SLES, and SLES for SAP Applications. With Hana 2.0, it is now the case that only one SLES, namely SLES for SAP Applications, will be used from now on.

Previously - with Hana 1.0 - it was or is possible to use practically two SLES variants. Namely SLES Priority, the "normal" SLES, and SLES for SAP Applications. With Hana 2.0, it is now the case that from now on only SLES for SAP Applications will be used as "strongly recommended".

The background: optimized and bundled lifecycle management, which goes hand in hand with a leaner support matrix from SAP for Hana.

It states that three minor releases will be supported/supported in the future. SLES for SAP Applications accompanies this procedure at Linux level. Incidentally, the corresponding SAP notes (such as note 2235581) provide further information on this.

This also describes which Hana and which SLES for SAP Applications versions are valid for Intel and IBM Power 8 Hana systems.

Clear added value

Of course, Suse offers numerous added values or advantageous functions for SAP customers with SLES for SAP Applications compared to SLES Priority: for example, Suse HA/DR for scale-out and scale-up, integrated Suse support via SAP SolMan, basis for the use of live patching during SAP deployment, use of Suse Tuning Packages, Suse Connect access and much more.

One outstanding point, however, is the fact that SLES for SAP Applications offers Extended Service Pack Support compared to "normal" SLES. This means that support for the service pack is extended from six to 18 months, which clearly benefits SAP customers.