Maximizing Business Agility with Intel & SAP's Well-Architected Solutions

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Maximizing Business Agility with Intel & SAP's Well-Architected Solutions

Introduction
Intel Technology and SAP Innovations
- 2.1 Intel Xeon Processors
- 2.2 Intel Optane Technology
- 2.3 Intel Artificial Intelligence Portfolio
- 2.4 Intel One API
- 2.5 Intel Plug-ins for Kubernetes
Intel Optane Technology and SAP Landscape
- 3.1 Intel Optane Persistent Memory
- 3.2 Modes of Intel Optane Persistent Memory
Selecting the Best Hardware Architecture for SAP Landscape
- 4.1 Sizing the SAP Landscape
- 4.2 Deployment Model and Cloud Considerations
- 4.3 Virtualization
- 4.4 Choosing a Hardware Partner
- 4.5 Landscape and Cluster Strategy
- 4.6 High Availability and Disaster Recovery
Conclusion

Intel Technology Empowering SAP Innovations 💡

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, businesses strive to stay ahead by leveraging the power of cutting-edge solutions. One such powerful alliance is the collaboration between Intel Corporation and SAP, delivering a well-architected enterprise solution. Jan Krueger, the global technical lead at team SAP, Intel Corporation, walks us through this journey, showcasing the advantages of Intel technology for running an optimized SAP landscape.

1. Introduction

Digital transformation has become a significant driver for organizations seeking to enhance their business processes and gain a competitive edge. As SAP solutions continue to evolve, businesses must explore the best ways to run their SAP landscape efficiently. With Intel's decade-long partnership with SAP, they have jointly developed in-memory computing and enabled SAP HANA to run seamlessly on Intel Xeon processors and Intel Optane Persistent Memory technology. This partnership offers enhanced business agility, high return on infrastructure investments, and the ability to drive faster insights.

2. Intel Technology and SAP Innovations

2.1 Intel Xeon Processors

At the heart of Intel's technological prowess lies the powerful Intel Xeon processors. With the broadest portfolio of SAP certified systems, Intel Xeon processors offer businesses the flexibility to choose the best hardware architecture to meet their current and future needs. With the support of 12 OEMs delivering over 1,300 different Intel-powered appliances and TDI systems, businesses can select systems that Scale from small to very large, catering to their specific requirements. These systems range from bare metal to virtualized and even power the infrastructure of leading cloud providers like Microsoft Azure and AWS, ensuring businesses have the flexibility to choose their preferred environment.

2.2 Intel Optane Technology

In the era of data-driven decisions, processing large amounts of data efficiently is crucial. Intel Optane technology offers businesses the ability to process more data in-memory than ever before, leading to faster processing and enabling organizations to stay ahead of the data curve. While Intel Optane technology is a Game-changer for SAP HANA, it also benefits many other Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) who utilize this technology to bring larger amounts of data closer to the point of execution. This proximity to the data allows for faster processing and the ability to gain insights sooner, empowering businesses to make data-driven decisions more effectively.

2.3 Intel Artificial Intelligence Portfolio

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have become essential tools in today's data-driven world. The Intel Artificial Intelligence portfolio enables SAP landscapes to leverage the power of AI and ML processes whenever and wherever needed. Intel Xeon processors, along with enhancements like bfloat16, accelerate AI models and pipelines, ensuring businesses can derive actionable insights from their data. Additionally, Intel offers a wide range of optimized products such as Intel FPGAs and Habana accelerators, catering to specific learning or inference requirements. This versatility allows businesses to harness the full potential of AI in their SAP landscape.

2.4 Intel One API

Developing and optimizing software products for different hardware platforms can be a challenging and time-consuming task. However, Intel has Simplified this process with the development of Intel One API. This unified programming model enables software developers to leverage all Intel technologies, including Xeon processors, Optane Memory, and AI capabilities, through a single, open, and standardized programming model. With Intel One API, businesses can optimize their software to run at its best on Intel platforms and easily Move Ai-accelerated programs from Xeon processors to accelerators like FPGAs without the need for software rewriting. This streamlined approach allows developers to focus on innovation rather than platform-specific optimizations.

2.5 Intel Plug-ins for Kubernetes

Container technologies, particularly Kubernetes, have witnessed significant growth in recent years. To support this growth, Intel provides open-source plug-ins for Kubernetes that leverage Intel technologies and capabilities at the application layer. These plug-ins enable businesses to seamlessly integrate Intel advancements into their Kubernetes environments, further enhancing the performance, scalability, and efficiency of their SAP landscape. Leveraging these plug-ins, organizations can harness the full potential of Intel technology within their containerized infrastructure.

3. Intel Optane Technology and SAP Landscape

3.1 Intel Optane Persistent Memory

Intel Optane Persistent Memory technology has revolutionized in-memory computing for SAP landscapes, particularly with SAP HANA. However, the benefits of Optane Persistent Memory extend beyond SAP HANA to the entire SAP landscape. Many ISVs utilize Optane technology for improved data processing, cache optimization, and more. With Intel Optane Persistent Memory, businesses can unlock a whole new level of performance and efficiency in their SAP landscape.

3.2 Modes of Intel Optane Persistent Memory

Intel Optane Persistent Memory comes in three modes: AppDirect Mode, Memory Mode, and Mixed Mode. In AppDirect Mode, applications can directly access a persistent memory region with near-DRAM performance. This mode is particularly useful for SAP HANA, as it allows for storing the column store with persistency. Even after a power outage, the column store remains intact and does not need to be reloaded from cold storage, ensuring continuous operations and faster recovery times. On the other HAND, Memory Mode provides volatile memory that enables high-density memory systems, accommodating up to 4 1/2 terabytes of memory per socket. These systems drive consolidation and efficiency, allowing organizations to host multiple workloads on a single host. Memory Mode is suitable for hosting SAP application tier and non-production tiers, with the added flexibility of using it in conjunction with virtualization solutions like VMware. Lastly, Mixed Mode offers the best of both worlds. It maintains persistency for applications like SAP HANA while still providing the flexibility to utilize high-density memory systems efficiently.

4. Selecting the Best Hardware Architecture for SAP Landscape

Selecting the right hardware architecture is crucial for running an optimized SAP landscape. There are several factors to consider, including sizing, deployment model, virtualization, choosing a hardware partner, landscape and cluster strategy, and high availability and disaster recovery.

4.1 Sizing the SAP Landscape

Sizing the SAP landscape is the first step in determining the hardware requirements. By following SAP's recommended sizing guidelines, businesses can ensure that the SAP HANA, NetWeaver, Business Warehouse, S/4, and other solutions function optimally. Intel and SAP have worked together to fine-tune the hardware configuration that responds effectively to the sizing guidelines, offering businesses an optimal hardware configuration for their workload.

4.2 Deployment Model and Cloud Considerations

As organizations embrace hybrid and multi-cloud scenarios, choosing the right deployment model becomes vital. Intel's advantages come into play here, providing optimal performance for on-premise installations paired with SAP services. This ensures businesses receive the best performance when running SAP solutions on Intel systems. Moreover, Intel's partnership with various cloud providers ensures seamless migration of SAP workloads to the cloud. SAP-certified platforms available in the cloud, powered by Intel Xeon processors and Intel Optane technology, enable organizations to build multi-cloud environments while maintaining performance consistency.

4.3 Virtualization

Virtualization is another critical consideration when selecting a hardware architecture. VMware, in collaboration with Intel and SAP, enables businesses to reap the benefits of Intel Xeon and Optane technology. With the support for Optane Persistent Memory technology in memory mode, VMware allows SAP HANA to be supported on virtualized infrastructure. This enables organizations to leverage the advantages of Intel technology throughout their VMware environment, making it easier to manage and scale their SAP landscape while maintaining performance and reliability.

4.4 Choosing a Hardware Partner

Selecting the right hardware partner is essential for a successful SAP deployment. The SAP hardware directory provides a comprehensive list of SAP-certified systems available in both appliance and TDI form. This directory serves as a valuable resource for businesses in their search for the best hardware architecture. Furthermore, businesses can compare the performance of different systems using benchmark results such as business warehouse or SD benchmarks. These benchmarks assist organizations in determining their required SAPS, storage, and compute performance, facilitating an informed decision-making process.

4.5 Landscape and Cluster Strategy

Optimizing performance and latency or focusing on TCO is a critical decision when planning the landscape and cluster strategy. With Intel Xeon processors and Optane technology, businesses have the flexibility to choose between scale-up and scale-out solutions, catering to their specific needs. Scale-up solutions allow businesses to leverage Intel Optane Persistent Memory in AppDirect mode, enabling large hot memory footprints for faster insights. This ensures that historic data is readily available for analysis. On the other hand, high-density memory systems in memory mode can be used for non-production environments, driving TCO optimizations by consolidating multiple workloads onto a single host. Additionally, for organizations requiring HANA column store persistency, an Intel-based system with Optane technology facilitates fast restarts, reducing maintenance windows and minimizing interruptions.

4.6 High Availability and Disaster Recovery

High availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR) strategies are crucial for ensuring the continuous operation of SAP landscapes. Intel technology enables new HA and DR strategies to be implemented seamlessly. For example, with Intel Optane Persistent Memory, multi-target replication can be employed with improved TCO, ensuring data synchronization regardless of whether the HANA instance runs on-prem or in the cloud. This level of flexibility allows organizations to build resilient and reliable SAP landscapes.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, Intel's powerful technologies empower SAP innovations, providing businesses with a flexible and future-proof environment for their SAP landscape. Intel Xeon processors offer a broad portfolio of SAP-certified systems, ensuring organizations can select the best hardware architecture to meet their current and future needs. Intel Optane technology enables businesses to process large amounts of data in-memory efficiently, driving faster insights. The Intel Artificial Intelligence portfolio brings AI and ML capabilities to the SAP landscape, enabling organizations to harness the power of intelligent processes. With Intel One API, software developers can optimize their applications for Intel platforms. Intel's plug-ins for Kubernetes enhance the performance and scalability of SAP environments in containerized infrastructures. Overall, Intel technology combined with SAP solutions offers a powerful partnership that empowers businesses to thrive in their digital transformation journey.

Highlights

Intel Xeon processors power the broadest portfolio of SAP-certified systems, providing businesses with the flexibility to select the best hardware architecture.
Intel Optane technology enables businesses to process more data in-memory, driving faster processing and empowering data-driven decision-making.
Intel One API simplifies software development and optimization, allowing developers to leverage Intel technologies through a single, standardized programming model.
Intel's plug-ins for Kubernetes enhance the performance and scalability of SAP environments in containerized infrastructures.
Intel Optane Persistent Memory technology revolutionizes in-memory computing for SAP landscapes, offering persistency and high-density memory options.
Choosing the right deployment model, virtualization solution, and hardware partner is crucial for running an optimized SAP landscape.
High availability and disaster recovery strategies can be optimized using Intel technology, ensuring continuous operations and data synchronization.

FAQ

Q: How does Intel Optane Persistent Memory benefit SAP HANA? A: Intel Optane Persistent Memory provides persistency to SAP HANA, allowing the column store to remain intact even after power outages. This reduces recovery times and ensures continuous operations.

Q: Can Intel technology be used in cloud deployments? A: Yes, Intel technology is available in various SAP Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) certified instances on cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure and AWS.

Q: Can I optimize my SAP landscape for performance or cost efficiency? A: Yes, Intel technology enables businesses to optimize their landscape based on their specific needs. They can leverage Intel Optane Persistent Memory for large hot memory footprints and faster insights or use high-density memory systems for consolidation and cost efficiency.

Q: How does Intel technology support high availability and disaster recovery? A: With Intel Optane Persistent Memory, businesses can implement multi-target replication for improved TCO and continuous data synchronization, regardless of whether the SAP HANA instance is on-prem or in the cloud.

Q: Does Intel technology support virtualized SAP environments? A: Yes, VMware supports Intel Optane Persistent Memory technology in memory mode, enabling high-performance virtualized infrastructure for SAP solutions.